AI in the Mittelstand: From Experimentation to Real Business Impact

AI in the Mittelstand Is Growing Up

Last week, we had the opportunity to pitch our &act Offer Assistant at the "KI im Mittelstand" conference in Munich — an event hosted by the IHK Akademie München und Oberbayern, fortiss, and the appliedAI Institute for Europe gGmbH.

It was inspiring to see so many founders and innovators presenting practical AI solutions that are already transforming small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

AI in the Mittelstand Is Growing Up

Over the past few years, the discussion around AI in business has changed dramatically.

Whereas companies once experimented with proof-of-concepts, today they are implementing AI that solves real operational problems.

Startups and corporates alike are automating processes that used to consume hours of manual work — from document handling to pricing, logistics, and offer generation.

At &act, we see this shift firsthand: companies no longer ask "Can AI help us?" but "Which workflow should we automate first?"

From Prompting to Process Automation

One of the key takeaways from the conference:

👉 The conversation is becoming more technical — and that's a good thing.

We've moved beyond discussions about "prompting" and are now focusing on connecting data sources, setting up scalable workflows, and building AI systems that deliver measurable business value.

For example:

• CRM and ERP systems are being integrated directly with AI tools.
• Offer generation is becoming data-driven and automated, powered by real-time product and pricing data.
• Teams are saving time and improving accuracy without adding more complexity.

This reflects a growing maturity in how the Mittelstand approaches AI — with a clear focus on reliability, integration, and return on investment.

The Rise of Offer Automation in SMEs

Among all automation opportunities, offer generation is a perfect use case for SMEs:

• It's repetitive but critical.
• It relies on structured data already available in CRMs or ERP systems.
• It directly affects customer experience and revenue.

By automating offer creation, businesses can:

• Deliver quotes in minutes instead of hours.
• Ensure every offer follows the same pricing logic and corporate design.
• Free sales teams from repetitive work.

👉 Learn more: What Is Automated Offer Generation and Why It Matters in B2B Sales

A Strong Ecosystem for AI Innovation

Events like KI im Mittelstand show how strong the AI ecosystem in Germany has become.

The collaboration between institutions like IHK, fortiss, and appliedAI provides exactly the kind of platform needed to accelerate digital transformation — especially for the Mittelstand, which forms the backbone of the German economy.

With growing interest in AI automation tools, founders and decision-makers alike are realizing that success depends on more than just having a model — it's about building reliable, integrated systems that work with real business data.

Looking Ahead: Practical AI for Real Workflows

As we move into 2025, the focus will shift even more toward practical AI applications — especially those that combine:

• Workflow automation
• Data integration
• Human-in-the-loop quality control

Companies that manage to automate effectively will gain a clear competitive advantage: faster processes, fewer errors, and happier customers.

At &act, we're proud to be part of this movement — helping SMEs automate their offer generation processes with a solution that integrates seamlessly into existing systems like SAP, HubSpot, or Salesforce.

Conclusion: AI for Real Business Value

The energy at KI im Mittelstand made one thing clear:

The era of AI experimentation is ending — and the era of AI execution has begun.

By focusing on concrete, automatable workflows such as offer generation, the Mittelstand can realize real productivity gains, not just pilot projects.

👉 Ready to automate your offer generation? Book a demo and see how &act can support your sales team.