All posts
Insights, product news and stories from over four years of SMARTCHILLI – chronologically from newest to oldest. Articles are written in German.
Mandatory time tracking in Germany 2026 – the practical guide
Since the Federal Labor Court ruling and the reform of the Working Hours Act, employers must systematically record all working time. What that means in practice, which deadlines and requirements apply — and what digital systems really have to deliver.
From Excel chaos to a scalable back office
How SR Zeitarbeit rebuilt its entire operating system — from scattered Excel sheets to an integrated back office, built in 4 weeks and saving around €1,500 a month in system costs.
Advisory board expanded: Dirk Middelhoff and Oliver Merches
SMARTCHILLI strengthens its advisory board with two prominent personalities: Dirk Middelhoff (Corporate Finance, Clairfield International) and Oliver Merches (co-founder of "Hans im Glück", 40 years of hospitality experience) — to decisively boost product strategy, partnerships and scaling.
The gut feeling is decisive
"A machine can never schedule as well as a human." That sentence isn't just outdated, it's wrong — base-rate fallacy, clustering illusion and status-quo bias all collide here.
Best of breed
Instead of an all-in-one solution: how combining specialised tools and providers gives you the best possible setup for event, hospitality and staffing companies.
Federal Labor Court rules on time tracking
The Federal Labor Court spells out the reasons for mandatory time tracking. Ironically not the Working Hours Act — time tracking is occupational safety.
Event-Dating, or 10 reasons to "date instead of plan"
Event-Dating sits before scheduling and makes life easier for staff and companies — with a shopping feel and swipe experience. 10 reasons why it revolutionises your planning process.
The COCKPIT II: knowledge is power. The forecast.
Customers book directly into the system, scheduling status updates in real time — and we calculate how attractive an event is for your staff and how many you can mobilise.
SMARTCHILLI Flow. The digital ecosystem.
Organisers and service providers have different pain points and need different features — yet the system has to stay simple. The answer: a digital ecosystem.
The COCKPIT: event planning
Event planning is the heart of Flow. We rethought it from the ground up and built a cockpit where everyone works together. Asynchronous planning is history.
Final results. A summary of the workshops.
Time for a recap: lively, open and honest discussions — never shaped by competition or secrecy. The results surprised us.
The pioneers are confirmed! Many thanks and a warm welcome.
We wanted to build alongside the industry — in the middle of Covid and event bans. Many said it wouldn't work. We dared. Curtain up for our pioneers.
The workshops start in June
The workshops — and with them the kick-off for SMARTCHILLI Flow — start on June 10 and 17, 2021 at the Flora in Cologne, with prominent industry leaders on board.
How to become a hero of digitalisation
Software isn't magic, it's a magic box. Frank Spiegelhoff, MD of SMARTCHILLI, explains why simplicity always wins in the end — and how to become a hero of digitalisation.
SMARTCHILLI flow secures funding from the German Ministry of Economic Affairs
SMARTCHILLI flow wins the second call of the BMWi's IGP programme — funded with up to €300,000. Over 400 companies applied. Clever time tracking turns into a digital ecosystem.
"… has the potential to revolutionise the entire industry."
SMARTCHILLI is the audience favourite at the ERCIS Launchpad and wins the Münsterland SME prize. Titus Dittmann in his laudation: "… the potential to revolutionise an entire industry."
Live on YouTube — celebrate with us and win a time tracking system
We pitch on Feb 24, 2021 at 6 pm at the ERCIS Launchpad — this time the audience prize is also up for grabs. You can win a time tracking system for your company (up to 50 staff) for one year.
Unique. Dynamic grouping.
SMARTCHILLI lets your teams form on their own. You no longer need to remember who works where — one click shows it. We call it dynamic grouping.
Rolling out SMARTCHILLI. Bringing your staff along.
Nothing is harder than leaving familiar paths. Even better, simpler solutions get rejected because they're unknown. The same goes for SMARTCHILLI — and of course we don't leave you alone with it.
Tips and tricks. STAFF HUBS.
There are several types of STAFF HUBS: an elegant screw-mounted version for stationary use — and a budget-friendly adhesive variant for mobile counters and catering. Peel the film, ready to go, no drilling.