H IS FOR HEADQUARTERS
Find out why we love to live in Aachen
Home is not a place, but a feeling.
For us, Aachen simply feels like home! That's why our headquarters are located here. It all started here in the far west of Germany. INFORM was founded in Aachen in 1969. In the 1980s, we built our first building here, which became the home of our growing INFORM family. Today, this site has evolved into a modern campus comprising six buildings, where over 1,200 employees work on our decision-intelligent software.
Our headquarters is more than just a workplace; it is a place for meeting, exchanging ideas and collaborating. This is where ideas are born and innovation thrives.
Deciding to locate in Aachen was one of the best decisions we ever made. Why?
- The proximity to RWTH Aachen University and the Aachen University of Applied Sciences remains an important factor in our success with regard to research, innovation and talent.
- Our founder, Prof. Hans-Jürgen Zimmermann, headed in Aachen Europe's first degree programme in operations research, a discipline which still forms the foundation of our software today.
- Aachen is located in the heart of Europe, with international networks and a strong technology ecosystem.
Beyond our headquarters, Aachen itself has much to offer. The city boasts a beautiful historic old town with impressive buildings whose history dates back to Roman times. Walking through its narrow streets is a journey through centuries of European history.
In summer, Aachen comes alive in its cafés and pubs, where people gather to enjoy a glass of beer or wine and engage in thoughtful conversations and lively discussions, a reflection of the city’s open, curious and dialog-driven culture.
Aachen is also internationally known for the Karlspreis (Charlemagne Prize), awarded each year to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Europe and European unity.
Aachen is worth a visit, for its people, its history, its traditions and, of course, because of INFORM!
Für us H is more than Headquarters. It also stands for our history. Our goals today are the same as they were back then: to equip companies with the right tools to optimize their decision-making processes.
H IS ALSO FOR
HISTORY
Few software companies in Europe can look back on a richer history than Inform Institut für Operations-Research und Management GmbH. In March 1969, Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Zimmermann founded Inform Institut für Operations-Research und Management GmbH with the aim of showcasing the commercial benefits of mathematical modelling and planning research.
Our History: a pioneering spirit from the very beginning
Even at a time when the concept of AI was barely known and digital data was still hard to come by in companies, we focused on developing intelligent algorithms as a core business activity. At that time, companies barely recognized the potential of business process optimization. But we always believed in it. What about today? Many processes simply can't be carried out efficiently without us. We handle 20,000 flights worldwide every day, deliver millions of new vehicles from the factory to the dealer on schedule, organize seamless processes in the construction of cruise ships, and ensure timely food deliveries to supermarkets.
The early years: Optimized sparkling wine
In the early 1970s, we were eager to solve problems such as how a winery could produce the best sparkling wine. Sparkling wine is usually a cuvée, which means that the winery blends different wines to give the sparkling wine specific characteristics. The cellar master mixes and tastes the blend, making adjustments as necessary. However, this method is time-consuming and uses a lot of raw materials. We took a mathematical approach. We formulated a linear objective function based on characteristics such as sugar and acidity levels in the wines. Then, the winery could specify cost reduction, taste optimization, or both as the objective. The result was a delicious sparkling wine produced efficiently.
The first standard product
However, such projects were not economically successful. We only found success when we optimized a company's vehicle fleet. Previously, a driver might travel to a neighboring city for assembly and return with a full load. A few hours later, a second driver would travel to the same city with an empty vehicle. INFORM developed models that optimized the fleet. The software collected transport orders and intelligently combined them, enabling companies to eliminate unnecessary trips. This resulted in one of the first standard products for internal plant logistics in the late 1970s.
Growth to the Present
Under the leadership of Adrian Weiler, the company experienced steady growth from the mid-1980s onward. Also during that decade, the Timken Company became a client of INFORMS in the US. This marked the beginning of INFORMS’ international expansion. Source files were transmitted across the Atlantic for the first time using an acoustic coupler with a transfer rate of 300 bits per second. In 1991, our software was first deployed at Frankfurt Airport to manage complex aircraft ground handling. Today, it is one of the leading systems used at over 170 airports worldwide. Over the years, we have entered new markets and developed systems used in industry, retail, ports, banking, and insurance. Currently, we serve over 1,000 customers worldwide. While we had only 15 employees in the 1980s, we now have approximately 1,200.
