What HelpDesign does

HELPDESIGN • JÖRG ERTELT is a German sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen) founded on August 4, 1999, headquartered in Wendlingen am Neckar, and operating as a two-person boutique consultancy: founder and managing director Jörg Ertelt (Certified MadCap Flare Instructor since 2006) and Birgit Becker (tekom-certified technical author, Master's in Technical Communication, with the firm since 2016). The company delivers three interlocking lines of work. First, advisory services in Product Compliance (CE marking, Machine Regulation EU 2023/1230, Cyber Resilience Act, NIS-2, Ecodesign, risk assessment) and Supply Chain Compliance, plus Information Management consulting for technical documentation. Second, the HELPDESIGN-Akademie, a training academy offering open-enrollment and in-house seminars capped at six participants, priced publicly at €595-€645 per person per day and delivered online via MS Teams or Zoom. Third, software distribution: HelpDesign is an authorized/premier reseller for MadCap Software, EC Software (Help+Manual), EC Systems (Smart Media Creator, CE SAFE), pgx software solutions (bloXedia, SAFETY-TOOLBOX), and WEKA Media (WEKA Manager CE), complemented by authored publications (€25-€45) and time-based ad-hoc support with no minimum commitment.

The business model is a mix of professional services (consulting, seminars, support) and reseller margin on third-party software licenses. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: direct outreach via website, phone, and email; lead generation through tekom-Jahrestagung (annual, Stuttgart) and Deutscher Kongress für Maschinensicherheit (DKMS); and content marketing via a compliance blog, YouTube channel, LinkedIn/XING profiles, and email newsletter. The primary customer vertical is machinery, special machinery, and electrical engineering manufacturers in the DACH region, with secondary exposure to sustainability compliance and any industry requiring technical documentation. The firm does not own proprietary technology; its competitive position rests on regulatory expertise accumulated since 1999, long-tenured vendor relationships (some spanning 17-20 years), and the personal reputation of its founders within the German technical-communication and machine-safety communities.

Name

HelpDesign

Legal name

HELPDESIGN • JÖRG ERTELT

Website

https://helpdesign.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HelpDesign is a two-person German boutique consultancy founded in 1999 that advises machinery manufacturers on EU Product Compliance (CE marking, Machine Regulation, Cyber Resilience Act) and Information Management, runs the HELPDESIGN-Akademie training academy, and resells third-party technical-documentation and risk-assessment software across the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regulatory Compliance Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Reliability, Safety & Risk Engineering (RAMS/PSM) Consulting (BPAHAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) & Regulatory Reference (OSHA, EPA, Risk) (EDAGAGAJ), Compliance Obligations Management (Permits-to-Controls Mapping) (EUAHAIAK)

Keywords

• Product compliance consulting
• CE marking advisory
• Technical documentation services
• Machine safety consulting
• Information management consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Wendlingen Am Neckar

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Advisory services for Product Compliance and Supply Chain Compliance, including product classification, risk assessment, technical documentation creation, and regulatory compliance consulting. Also information management consulting for technical documentation.
2. Seminars and Training: Open enrollment seminars (online via MS Teams/Zoom) and individual company seminars in areas such as Cyber Resilience Act, machine safety, CE marking, risk assessment, and technical documentation tools. Maximum 6 participants per session.
3. Software Distribution: Official distribution partner for software products including WEKA Manager CE, CE SAFE, SAFETY-TOOLBOX, MadCap Flare Desktop, Help+Manual, bloXedia, Smart Media Creator, MadCap IXIA CCMS, MadCap Lingo, and others. Revenue from software licenses (perpetual and subscription).
4. Publications: Sale of professional publications including 'Grundwissen CE-Kennzeichnung' (EUR 45), 'Neue Maschinenverordnung - Synopse' (EUR 45), and 'Information 4.0' (EUR 25). Also free publications like PI-Fan reference models.
5. Ad-hoc Support: Time-based support services for Product Compliance and Information Management questions. Billed per consumed support time with no advance payment or minimum commitment required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

HelpDesign provides advisory and training services in Product Compliance and Information Management for manufacturers in the DACH region, covering CE marking, EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230, the Cyber Resilience Act, NIS-2, Ecodesign, and supply chain due diligence. The firm also serves as an authorized distribution partner for risk-assessment software (WEKA Manager CE, CE SAFE, SAFETY-TOOLBOX) and XML-based technical documentation authoring tools (MadCap Flare Desktop/Online, Help+Manual, bloXedia, Smart Media Creator, MadCap IXIA CCMS, MadCap Lingo, MadCap Create), and operates the HELPDESIGN-Akademie training academy.

Product overview

HELPDESIGN is a German consulting and training company founded in 1999 specializing in Product Compliance and Information Management services. The company resells and supports a portfolio of third-party software tools: risk assessment software (WEKA Manager CE, CE SAFE, SAFETY-TOOLBOX) for CE marking and product compliance; XML-based authoring systems (MadCap Flare Desktop, Help+Manual, bloXedia, Smart Media Creator (SMC), MadCap IXIA CCMS) for technical documentation; translation tools (MadCap Lingo, Help+Manual Translation Assistant) for localization workflows; and collaboration/cloud solutions (MadCap Flare Online, MadCap Create) with integrated AI capabilities. The company also operates the HELPDESIGN-Akademie offering seminars on compliance topics (CRA, CE marking, machinery regulation) and software training for the products they resell.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HELPDESIGN-Akademie: Training academy offering seminars on compliance and technical documentation topics including Cyber Resilience Act, machine safety, CE marking, and software tools.

Products and services

• Product Compliance Consulting Advisory services for manufacturers covering product classification, risk assessment, technical documentation creation, and EU regulatory compliance (CE marking, Machinery Regulation, Cyber Resilience Act, NIS-2).
• Supply Chain Compliance Consulting Advisory services for companies and institutions ensuring legal compliance across the entire supply chain, from procurement to delivery of end products.
• Information Management Consulting Consulting and support for technical documentation and information management, including software documentation, operating instructions, internal documentation, and training materials.
• Ad-hoc Support Time-based support services for Product Compliance and Information Management questions, billed per consumed support time with no advance payment or minimum commitment required.
• HELPDESIGN-Akademie Training Academy Training academy providing 17+ seminars in product compliance (CRA, CE marking, machinery regulation, machine safety, cybersecurity, Ecodesign) and software training for documentation tools. Offers both open-enrollment seminars (max 6 participants) online via MS Teams/Zoom and individual company seminars at customer sites.
• WEKA Manager CE Risk assessment and CE marking software distributed by HelpDesign, enabling manufacturers to perform risk assessments, create operating instructions, and generate EU declarations of conformity.
• CE SAFE Risk assessment software for machine manufacturers performing risk evaluations per EN ISO 12100, with functional safety capabilities per EN ISO 13849-1 and EN 62061, and optional SISTEMA export.
• SAFETY-TOOLBOX Risk assessment software for machine manufacturers performing risk evaluations per EN ISO 12100 and CENELEC Guide 32, with optional SISTEMA integration for safety function validation.
• MadCap Flare Desktop XML-based authoring system distributed by HelpDesign for creating and managing technical documentation with single-source publishing to HTML5, PDF, and Word.
• Help+Manual XML-based authoring system distributed by HelpDesign enabling content reuse with output to HTML5, PDF, and Word.
• bloXedia Database-based XML authoring system distributed by HelpDesign for creating, managing, and generating publications, with terminology management and review workflows.
• Smart Media Creator (SMC) Web-based database-driven XML authoring system distributed by HelpDesign for generating publications with terminology management, translation support, and configurable workflows.
• MadCap IXIA CCMS Adaptable and scalable XML-based content management system distributed by HelpDesign, using the DITA standard for cloud-hosted technical documentation management with team collaboration.
• MadCap Lingo Translation memory system distributed by HelpDesign to optimize translation workflows in conjunction with MadCap Flare Desktop, supporting multiple translation providers (DeepL, Google Translate, Microsoft Bing Translator).
• Help+Manual Translation Assistant Translation tool distributed by HelpDesign for Help+Manual projects using DeepL as translation provider, supporting mass translation, glossary management, and manual translation with WYSIWYG editing.
• MadCap Flare Online Cloud-based content and project management solution distributed by HelpDesign for MadCap Flare Desktop projects, with integrated workflows, task distribution, AI-powered content creation via ChatGPT, and team collaboration.
• MadCap Create Intelligent learning content management system (LCMS) distributed by HelpDesign, providing a platform for managing proprietary content and publishing to multiple output formats including e-learning and documentation.
• Professional Compliance Publications Professional publications including 'Grundwissen CE-Kennzeichnung' (€45), 'Neue Maschinenverordnung - Synopse' (€45), and 'Information 4.0' (€25), authored by Jörg Ertelt and published by HelpDesign.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration29 records

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bürger tec.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership since 2025 for complementary consulting and seminar services in functional machine safety and SISTEMA. Bürger tec. focuses on CE conformity, Product Compliance, and machine/occupational safety.
• TALENTUS GmbH (formerly WEKA Akademie GmbH)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership since 2024. TALENTUS is an expert for training in leadership, codetermination, data protection, quality management, and operational safety. Recommendations for product safety seminars.
• pgx software solutions GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2015Official distribution partner and seminar provider since 2015. Products: bloXedia (database-based documentation system), SAFETY-TOOLBOX (risk assessment). pgx provides maintenance and support.
• EC Systems GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2007Official distribution partner and seminar provider since 2007. Products: Smart Media Creator (SMC), CE SAFE. EC Systems provides hosting options for SMC.
• EC Software GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2006Official distribution partner and seminar provider since 2006. Products: Help+Manual, HelpXplain, Help+Manual Translation Assistant. EC Software is the developer of Help+Manual (released 1997).
• WEKA Media GmbH & Co. KGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial distribution partner and seminar provider. Products: WEKA Manager CE (risk assessment and CE marking software). WEKA Media is an innovative media company providing professional information solutions.
• MadCap Software, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial distribution partner (Authorized Reseller, Premier Reseller status). Products: MadCap Flare Desktop, MadCap Flare Online, MadCap IXIA CCMS, MadCap Lingo, MadCap Create. Founded 2005 in San Diego, California, USA. Thousands of users worldwide.
• mt-redaktion GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for complementary consulting on high-quality user information for mechanical and plant engineering. mt-redaktion provides full-service technical documentation services.
• ZVEI-Services GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on 'Product Compliance in Electrical Engineering' training program. ZVEI-Services is a 100% subsidiary of ZVEI (German Electrical and Digital Industry Association).
• Sendinblue GmbHminorOthersNewsletter delivery service provider. German, certified provider compliant with GDPR and German data protection law (BDSG). Handles email newsletter distribution for HelpDesign.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• TÜV Rheinland: Leading German-origin testing, inspection, and certification body with extensive services in product safety, machinery compliance, and EU regulatory certification. Directly comparable to HelpDesign in serving machine manufacturers on CE marking and product conformity, though operating as a global certification authority.
• Intertek: International quality assurance and testing company with product compliance, regulatory, and certification services for industrial clients. Overlaps with HelpDesign in serving manufacturers on EU product safety and conformity requirements, but operates globally and includes accredited lab testing.
• TÜV SÜD: Global testing, inspection, certification, and training giant operating across industrial, product safety, and regulatory compliance domains. Comparable to HelpDesign because both serve manufacturers needing CE marking, machine safety, and EU regulatory compliance support, though TÜV SÜD offers vastly broader scope (testing labs, certification bodies) and global reach.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification firm with dedicated industrial and product compliance services. Comparable to HelpDesign in providing CE marking, machinery safety, and EU regulatory compliance advisory to manufacturers, though at global scale with bundled testing services.
• SGS: World's largest testing, inspection, and certification company offering product compliance, regulatory advisory, and certification services across multiple industries. Comparable to HelpDesign in the product compliance and machinery regulatory advisory space, but at vastly greater global scale.
• DEKRA: Major international testing, inspection, and certification organization with a strong presence in machine safety, product compliance, and automotive/industrial certification. Directly overlaps with HelpDesign's machine safety and CE marking advisory focus, but operates globally and through accredited certification bodies.

Others

• SCHEMA GmbH: German vendor of component content management and technical documentation software (SCHEMA ST4). Adjacent to HelpDesign because HelpDesign resells competing documentation platforms (MadCap Flare, Help+Manual) and SCHEMA serves overlapping DACH manufacturing clients with similar information management needs.

Direct peers

• Bürger tec. German consulting firm specializing in CE conformity, functional machine safety, and SISTEMA risk assessment. Highly comparable to HelpDesign's machine safety and CE marking advisory practice — the two firms have an active strategic partnership since 2025.
• mt-redaktion GmbH: German full-service technical documentation provider for mechanical and plant engineering. Directly comparable to HelpDesign's technical documentation and information management practice; the firms have a mutual strategic partnership.
• parson AG: Germany-based consulting firm specializing in technical documentation, information management, and structured authoring/DITA implementations. Directly comparable to HelpDesign's technical documentation and information management consulting practice, serving similar DACH-region manufacturing clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xxing.com/pages/helpdesign-joergertelt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVrM-stD4mxYpFGIGf0WS-Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/helpdesign-joergertelt

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HelpDesign