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Eight out of ten companies in Germany feel abandoned by the political establishment with regard to the future-oriented topic of Industry 4.0. As the first ever compilation of the “German Industry 4.0 Index” also shows, one in ten companies even rate the attitude of politicians towards new key technologies as “counter-productive”. For this study, 140 industrial firms were surveyed for the Staufen management consultancy.

German industry is very confident when it comes to Industry 4.0. As shown by the newly compiled “German Industry 4.0 Index”, domestic companies have put Germany in pole position internationally on the road to developing the “Smart Factory”. Only Japan and the USA are developing at a similar rate, according to German firms. China, in their opinion, is already hot on the heels of several industrial nations. For the “German Industry 4.0 Index”, 140 industrial firms were surveyed for management consultancy Staufen.

For the next round of negotiations with their suppliers, German automotive companies have already set the course with their recently announced cost-cutting programmes amounting to billions of euros. The problem: In recent years, many suppliers have already fully exploited the potential for productivity increase in the operational sector. In order to remain competitive in the future, suppliers can no longer avoid a more productive organisation of all processes along the value creation chain.

Starting on 1 June 2014, Ulrich Hermani lends his support to Staufen AG as a new member of the Advisory Board and Senior Advisor for mechanical and plant engineering. He is a highly competent and experienced representative of this industry: for 20 years, he was successfully at the helm of mechanical and plant engineering in Baden-Württemberg as Managing Director of the VDMA [German Engineering Association].

Wilfried Budke joined management consultancy Staufen AG on 1 February to reinforce the automotive segment. The 63-year old Senior Advisor can call on decades of consulting experience in the automotive and automotive supply industry. “We are happy that with Wilfried Budke we have gained a proven expert with many years of experience in consultancy and management”

Lufthansa was only the first with the largest aircraft order in the company’s history. In the years to 2031, airlines across the world will order 28,000 new aircraft in order to meet the rapid increase in passenger demand. The problem: To cope with the future order volume, manufacturers require external system partners who can increase their production flexibly and who can deliver on time in compliance with the quality standards of manufacturers and airlines.

One in two German industrial companies in China wants to increase its investment in the country. Eight in ten companies consider the development of new products for the local market important. However, the companies have not yet truly arrived in the Asian country. In more than half of the companies, decisions about innovations rest almost entirely with German managers. This has been confirmed by a study of more than 500 companies conducted by the German Chamber of Commerce in China in cooperation with the Staufen AG business consultancy.

The 2013 „Business Confidence Survey” of the German Chamber of Comerce in China is carried out in coperation with the Staufen AG. It focusses on current and future developments of innovation activities through German cooperations in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. If you are interessted in the survey, please contact Dr. Ulrich Frenzel

50% of executives still see lean management as nothing but a hawker’s tray of methods, from which to cherry-pick a few choice bits. This error can quickly take a company into the death zone of mediocrity; this was the central message of the Staufen AG “Best Practice Day 2013” in cooperation with the TU Darmstadt. National and international experts at Europe’s leading congress on lean management all agreed: a company wanting to reap the profits of a change-over to lean management cannot avoid the sometimes painful change and development of its management and leadership culture.