SMARTCHILLI Flow. The digital ecosystem.

What is an ecosystem?

"An ecosystem is a dynamic complex of communities as well as their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit." So says Wikipedia. Within the system, all species have their niche and are experts. Ecosystems are open systems that are not subject to boundaries. In an ecosystem, everything is connected and interdependent. The functions and niches of species do not overlap but complement each other. Only in the totality of all does a stable system emerge.

What does that mean for the economy?

The economy is nothing other than an ecosystem, and even economists often use the same terminology. Companies occupy niches and are not only in exchange with each other but also with the environment. When companies are interdependent, this is called a "supply chain" or "value chain." Companies have "life cycles." New ones constantly emerge, and those who cannot keep up with the "survival of the fittest" go bankrupt. It thus becomes clear that in an open system like the economy, the solution cannot lie in closed systems like specialized software. This only fulfills the needs of one enterprise but not those of other types. There is expensive expert software that depicts partial solutions within companies ("species") but not yet a cross-company ecosystem. The solution must be an open system.

SMARTCHILLI as an open system.

All of this describes SMARTCHILLI as a digital ecosystem very well. An open platform that connects people and companies precisely where activities are carried out cross-company in real-time. Each company thus retains its niche and "expert status." With SMARTCHILLI, it gets the opportunity to communicate "across species." This eliminates duplicate work. Event organizers require different functionality than service providers – and SMARTCHILLI also offers this. At least three things are important in this ecosystem, which were previously processed in isolation before SMARTCHILLI. Planning, documenting, and communicating.

In a world of division of labor, companies working together on a service must also plan together. Asynchronous event planning is a time and quality killer. If a menu becomes a buffet, the number of guests also changes; if a service provider cannot deliver the promised personnel, others must step in. The number of tickets sold influences merchandise purchasing and logistics. If planned in isolation, all companies have a different planning status. This leads to increased communication and double or triple planning.

Documenting.

Instead of documenting in isolation, it makes sense to document the event only once and then make the results available to those concerned. Cross-company time tracking is necessary. As is real-time data capture and the transmission of work results. The organizer has insight into the work of their suppliers during the service providers' work process and does not have to rely on estimates. A prognostic tool allows the organizer to recognize whether the service provider will fully achieve their performance or if replanning is necessary. The service provider, on the other hand, recognizes where improvements are needed – and where they are not.

Communicating.

Companies consist of people who work together. Therefore, it is necessary, even self-evident, that they must communicate with each other. But communication is not always communication, and it should not always be done with an "email."

Routine tasks: Data for the joint event.

Much communication arises from the routine transmission of data (e.g., event start, end, dress code, etc.). This communication takes place via a simple chatbot, which minimizes errors and relieves employees.

Demand notifications: Where is the need, and who can and wants to work.

Other communication – e.g., when and where one can work or where there is still a need for work – is less time-critical. This communication should occur when companies and employees are receptive. The time windows are not congruent. Companies work during business hours: Employees are often not receptive during these hours because they are engaged in other activities. This communication occurs via Event Dating. Companies offer open demand. Employees like or dislike events when it suits them, and companies respond to this information during business hours. Each "species" (employee/company) works in its comfort zone and can decide freely.

Too much demand – or too few employees.

Personnel demand and employee density will not always be balanced. In such cases, companies often rely on job advertisements, flyers, or active sourcing. Here too, communication – this time from the employee side – can be helpful. Employees can, if they wish, share events they are working on social media, recommend them to friends, and thus show where they are deployed. In the SMARTCHILLI ecosystem, these recommendations are systematically documented, and employees who actively acquire are rewarded.

Closed systems do not depict event planning processes but, in many cases, actively hinder them. "Streamlined" customer or service provider accesses are a first step, but they are not sufficient. While they simplify planning, they cannot communicate and document across companies.