Leadtime was created as an internal solution in the SaaS company "eins+null", which specializes in the sale of energy services. eins+null was founded in Regensburg in 2009 by Lukas Ebner and a co-founder. The two discovered their niche more by chance, but through commitment and innovative ideas they developed a software that quickly attracted a great deal of interest. However, as their success grew, so did the challenges, and so the structures and systems had to be adapted to the growing business in order to enable sustainable growth.

As eins+null grew into an established provider, the question arose as to how growth could be sustained. Processes had to be optimized and made more efficient. A suitable digital solution was difficult to find: The requirements were specific, as the company offered a complex B2B product that was customized and supported over the long term. Standard ERP systems could not meet the specific needs. The available solutions were often specialized individual tools that had to be brought together, which would have resulted in a patchwork of systems. The founders therefore decided to develop a customized software solution.

The result was "CONNEX", an extension for the open source ticket system "Redmine". CONNEX became the backbone of internal processes at eins+null and made it possible to create tickets, organize tasks and record working hours. This allowed processes to be better structured and efficiency to be increased. The software helped the company to standardize its internal processes and manage its growth. Thanks to these optimizations, eins+null was able to increase its turnover from 300,000 euros in 2015 to almost 4 million euros in 2022.

Leadtime was strongly influenced by the principles of lean management. Lean management aims to achieve more with less by eliminating unnecessary steps in processes and making workflows more efficient. Essentially, the aim is to minimize the lead time of an order. This time describes the entire period that elapses from the first customer inquiry to the final invoicing of the services provided.

A shorter lead time means that tasks can be completed more quickly and resources can be released more quickly. This is particularly important for software service providers who bill their services by the hour, as it allows them to complete more projects with the same capacity. Leadtime builds on this principle and aims to reduce lead times in all areas. This not only improves efficiency, but also ensures that customers are served more quickly and services can be invoiced promptly.

Following the successful development of eins+null, Lukas Ebner decided to sell his shares and concentrate on developing CONNEX into an independent solution. The new product was named Leadtime and was brought to market maturity together with Stas Persiianenko, the main developer of CONNEX, and Dominik Flubacher, an experienced sales expert.

Leadtime emerged from the real challenges of a growing company and was developed step by step. It has evolved from an internal tool to a comprehensive ERP solution that today helps digital service providers to make their work more efficient and secure their growth in the long term. By adopting the principles of lean management, Leadtime helps companies to shorten their lead times, streamline their processes and thus make optimal use of their resources.