Blue solution
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersRheine, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
Blue solution firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blue solution
- Legal name
- blue:solution software GmbH
- Website
- https://bluesolution.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blue solution industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Craft/Trade Business Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry-Specific Low-Code Platforms (Vertical App Platforms) (HDAEAKAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Enterprise Work Management & Collaborative Workflow Platforms (HDAEAHAI), Document Creation & Office Suites (BPAMAMAD)
Keywords
Where Blue solution is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rheine
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blue solution business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Software Subscription (Mietmodell): Rental/subscription model for smarthandwerk pro and smartzeit pro. Customers pay monthly or annual fees with modular add-ons. Softwarepflegevertrag (maintenance contracts) for ongoing support and updates.
- Professional Services: Training, implementation, and consulting services offered as add-on services for software deployment.
- Freemium - b:work: Free version of business software (b:work/work CE) provided to attract micro-businesses and startups, with upsell potential to premium products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | smarthandwerk pro - Cloud-based modular office software for trades |
| Subscription | Monthly | smartzeit pro - Time tracking for all business sizes |
| Freemium | Monthly | b:work - Free software for micro-businesses |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Blue solution product offering
Product offeringCore offering
blue:solution software GmbH develops and sells modular cloud-based commercial software for small and medium-sized craft and trade businesses (Handwerk), trade, and service companies in Germany. Its flagship offerings are smarthandwerk pro (trade management software covering offers, orders, invoicing, project costing, and custom form creation) and smartzeit pro (time tracking, working time accounts, vacation and absence management). The portfolio is complemented by b:work, a free Community Edition for micro-businesses and founders, and is distributed via a 300+ partner network across Germany.
Product overview
blue:solution software GmbH offers a modular portfolio of trade management and time-tracking software solutions targeting trades businesses (Handwerk), trade, and service companies in Germany. The core product range consists of smarthandwerk pro (current-generation trade management software with modular design and rental model), b:work (free CE edition for micro-businesses and founders), smartzeit pro (next-generation time-tracking for all industries with terminal, PC, and mobile app capture), and legacy lines tophandwerk/TopKontor Handwerk and topzeit (supported through 2026). The two flagship product families (smarthandwerk and smartzeit) are sold through a nationwide network of regional IT resellers and are complemented by a partner portal, training services, and remote maintenance support. The company was founded in 2001 and joined the OneQrew group in 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- smarthandwerk: Office software for small and medium-sized craft businesses, featuring a modular structure and flexible rental model. Includes offer, order, invoice, and additional features.
- smartzeit
- b:work
- tophandwerk
- topzeit
Products and services
- smarthandwerk pro Next-generation cloud-based trade management software for small and medium-sized craft and trade businesses, featuring a modular architecture and flexible rental model. Covers offer creation, order management, invoicing, project time tracking, vacation and absence management, custom form design via document editor, print preview functionality, and cloud/app-based access for field workers. Sold as a subscription (Mietmodell) with optional maintenance contracts.
- smartzeit pro Modern cloud-based time tracking software for all industries and business sizes, supporting working time, project time, vacation, and absence management. Enables clock-in via PC, mobile app, or DataFox terminals. EuGH-compliant, GoBD-conform, GDPR-compliant, with interfaces to merchandise management / ERP systems and unlimited working time models. Sold as a subscription with a 30-day free trial.
- b:work (work CE / Community Edition) Free trade management software (Community Edition) for founders, solo tradespeople, and micro-enterprises, enabling small operations to digitize their office processes — digital offers, invoices, and basic workflows — at no cost. Self-service download available at bswork.community, designed as a freemium funnel to smarthandwerk pro.
- tophandwerk / TopKontor Handwerk Established legacy trade management software for trade businesses, offered alongside TopKontor Handwerk. Maintained with active Softwarepflegevertrag (maintenance contracts) until end of 2026; existing customers are being migrated to the next-generation smarthandwerk pro.
- topzeit Legacy time tracking software from blue:solution, originally launched when the company entered workforce management in 2007. Supported with active maintenance contracts until end of 2026; customers are being migrated to the next-generation smartzeit pro.
Quantifiable outcome
- 67,000+ employees record working hours daily using smartzeit
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Blue solution
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Blue solution technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature4 records
Blue solution partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Regional IT Specialist Partners NetworkcoreGermany-wide network of over 300 regional IT specialist partners (IT-Spezialisten) who sell, implement, and support blue:solution products. Partners provide complementary offerings including hardware, servers, and local IT services. This partner network is central to the company's distribution strategy, enabling personal customer relationships across Germany.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Blue solution competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- sevDesk: sevDesk is a German cloud accounting and invoicing platform for SMBs and freelancers with growing penetration into trades; it competes on the offer/invoice/bookkeeping surface area of smarthandwerk.
- Lexware (Haufe Group): Lexware is a leading German SMB accounting and business software suite (offer/invoice/payroll) with a dedicated Handwerk edition. It directly overlaps with blue:solution's smarthandwerk offer/order/invoice functionality for German trades SMBs.
- Sage 50 Handwerk / Sage Handwerk: Sage's German Handwerk vertical suite targets the same craft/trade SMB market as blue:solution with offer/order/invoicing, project costing, and CRM — competing head-to-head for Handwerk customers in Germany.
- weclapp: weclapp is a German cloud ERP/CRM suite for SMBs with strong penetration in trades and project-based service businesses, overlapping with smarthandwerk's workflow and invoicing capabilities.
- TopKontor Handwerk (Informer): TopKontor Handwerk is a long-established German trades ERP solution that overlaps with smarthandwerk and even appears as a partner offering alongside tophandwerk — making it a direct competitor for Handwerk SMBs.
- TimeTac: TimeTac is a German/Austrian time and project tracking SaaS targeting SMB and mid-market customers — directly competing with smartzeit's workforce time tracking and EuGH-compliance positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Datev: Datev is the dominant German tax/accounting/ERP software ecosystem for SMBs and tax advisors. While broader than trades, its installed base and integrations create indirect pressure on blue:solution's accounting-adjacent features.
- Personio: Personio is a leading European HR and people operations platform with strong time tracking capabilities. While focused on HR rather than trades, it competes for the same time-tracking budget in mid-market German companies.
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: Dynamics 365 Business Central is a broad ERP/CRM platform used by German SMBs and partners; its trade-specific ISV solutions compete with blue:solution at the larger end of the Handwerk market.
Emerging players
- Lohnwerkstatt: Lohnwerkstatt is a German payroll/time-tracking SaaS for SMBs and trades. It overlaps with smartzeit's time tracking and absence management functionality for smaller craft businesses.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blue solution social profiles
Digital presenceBlue solution compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Blue solution financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blue solution leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Blue solution funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blue solution M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blue solution
What does Blue solution do?
blue:solution software GmbH develops and sells modular cloud-based commercial software for small and medium-sized craft and trade businesses (Handwerk), trade, and service companies in Germany. Its flagship offerings are smarthandwerk pro (trade management software covering offers, orders, invoicing, project costing, and custom form creation) and smartzeit pro (time tracking, working time accounts, vacation and absence management). The portfolio is complemented by b:work, a free Community Edition for micro-businesses and founders, and is distributed via a 300+ partner network across Germany.
Is Blue solution a public or private company?
Blue solution is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Blue solution founded?
Blue solution was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Blue solution based?
Blue solution is headquartered in Rheine, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Blue solution make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Subscription (Mietmodell) is the primary driver. The others are professional Services and freemium - b:work.
Who are Blue solution's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are sevDesk, Lexware (Haufe Group), Sage 50 Handwerk / Sage Handwerk, weclapp, TopKontor Handwerk (Informer) and TimeTac. Broad incumbents are Datev, Personio and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Lohnwerkstatt is listed as an emerging player.
Does Blue solution have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blue solution.
What industry is Blue solution in?
Blue solution's product category is Craft/Trade Business Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAKAL, Industry-Specific Low-Code Platforms (Vertical App Platforms), with a secondary code of HDAEAHAI, Enterprise Work Management & Collaborative Workflow Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.