Schleswig-Holstein Goes Open Source – What Small Businesses Can Learn

Schleswig-Holstein, Germany's northernmost state, is a really nice example of how switching to open source can work in practice. For some time now, the state has been moving its administrative workplaces to open software step by step – from office programs to file storage. What works on a large scale transfers wonderfully to small businesses.

What Schleswig-Holstein is doing

The state has chosen a modular path: not everything at once, but one building block at a time. The most important building blocks include:

A large part of the switch has already been completed, with further steps to follow.

What's so good about it

• Step by step: No hard cut, but a plan with stages.
• Proven building blocks: All programs have been in use for many years.
• Open formats: Documents stay interchangeable.
• Predictable costs: Instead of per-seat licences, money goes into operation, support and further development.
• Leading by example: Other organisations can benefit from the knowledge gained.

What a small business can copy

The good news: on a small scale, a switch like this is often even easier. With five or ten people, everything is organised more quickly. Here's how it could look:

1. Office first: Install LibreOffice or an online office solution in parallel and use it for new documents.
2. Email and calendar: Move to open standards, for example with Thunderbird.
3. Files: Move your shared storage to Nextcloud.
4. Meetings: Introduce an open solution for chat and video calls.
5. Specialised programs: Review them calmly – some simply stay as long as they're needed.

An honest look

A switch takes some patience. Some processes feel unfamiliar at first, and individual specialised programs may not have a direct equivalent. That's exactly why the step-by-step approach makes so much sense: you learn along the way and can adjust at any time.

Short introductions help everyone in the team keep up. I also offer workshops for this.

The building blocks in brief

• LibreOffice: The free office suite for texts, spreadsheets and presentations. Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
• Thunderbird: The well-known email program that also manages calendars and contacts.
• Open-Xchange: A groupware server for email, calendar and contacts, with a web interface too.
• Nextcloud: Files, sharing and teamwork.
• Linux: A free operating system that runs smoothly on many office computers today.
• Univention: A platform for managing users and permissions.

What big projects teach us about people

With any switch, technology is only half the story. The other half is the people who work with it every day. A few lessons that come up again and again:

• Inform early: When everyone knows why things are changing, willingness grows.
• Name contacts: Someone on the team you can turn to with questions is worth their weight in gold.
• Short training sessions: Several short sessions are better than one long one.
• Take feedback seriously: If something isn't working, adjust.
• Show successes: When something works better than before, feel free to talk about it.

That's as true in a state administration as it is in an office with five people.

Conclusion

Schleswig-Holstein shows that open source is a practical and well-thought-out choice even for large organisations. For small businesses, that means: the building blocks are mature, and the path is easy to follow – at your own pace. You'll find an overview of alternatives under Alternatives.

If you'd like to give it a try, I'm happy to help – just drop me a line.