AI-Native: How do we integrate AI into everyday business at Accso, and what role do hackathons play in this?

AI-Native at Accso

AI-Native means that AI is a natural part of our work and our results for Accso:

1. as part of our customers' solutions,
2. in our project work, for example by using AI to support our work,
3. in our internal processes, i.e. we automate our processes wherever possible and appropriate.

This is a comprehensive undertaking that involves all employees. That is why we rely on a broad network of our colleagues to implement it.

The goal is for everyone at Accso to be familiar with and able to use a variety of AI tools and application methods. We don't want to stop at AI chats, but want to ensure that the team is also familiar with agentic coding, AI prototyping and other possible applications.

Becoming AI champions with low-threshold, team-oriented hackathons

Accso is diverse. Our team consists of 270 people with different professional backgrounds, workflows and tools. Our customers come from a wide range of industries and have different needs. To respond to this diversity, we rely not only on traditional training courses but also on practice-oriented hackathons that are low-threshold, hands-on and provide real learning experiences. Hackathons are a complementary format that enables employees to actively experiment, gain experience and find concrete inspiration for their own work context.

This format has many advantages for us. One of the most important points to note up front: hackathons are fun! Experimenting, tinkering, and experiencing success together creates a strong bond and is hugely motivating. Everyone can participate and test different tools directly in their work environment. This benefits the entire team, regardless of prior knowledge, technological focus, or role at Accso. At the same time, learning effects occur very quickly because theoretical knowledge is applied directly and knowledge is shared across teams. This learning outside of everyday project work allows us to try out AI tools and new working methods driven by them and to carry our experiences directly into the customer's project.

Principles of Accso hackathons

In order to respond precisely to the different needs of participants and achieve the best possible results, we have developed four principles that the hackathons follow:

1. Speakers from the teams: The speakers and organizers come from the respective teams. This ensures that the content is directly applicable and practical.
2. Creating a common understanding: At the beginning of each hackathon, a common theoretical basis is established. A common understanding is extremely important, especially in the face of rapid developments. Hackathons bring everyone up to speed and provide space to try out new things.
3. Sharing existing experience: AI is not always the best or only solution. Not every tool is suitable for every application. We share insights across teams and use best practices. This saves us time and allows us to use the tools that really suit us more quickly.
4. No autopilot promise: We rely on agentic coding and human-in-the-loop – AI is a co-pilot, not a decision-maker. As users, we receive support, but we are responsible for quality and results.

What happens to the results?

The insights and experiences gained from the hackathons are then incorporated into our customer projects—provided that the use of AI tools is possible. This results in concrete examples of added value and automation potential. But the projects don't just benefit from new experiences—in some hackathons, tools, prototypes, and MVPs have already been developed that the respective participants have incorporated directly into their projects. For us, the hackathons are therefore a structured process for gathering ideas, prototypes, and suggestions for internal initiatives or concrete improvements.