staufen magazin 2024 No.7
|
ABUS
|
Operational Excellence
Security “made in Germany” is no longer enough as a selling point. German products also have to compete internationally with higher wage costs and exhausting bureaucratic hurdles. This can be frustrating – and even lead to migration because of it. Or you can be creative and set benchmarks. This is where the topic of Operational Excellence comes into play at ABUS. Because if you want to take on social responsibility, attract and retain employees and at the same time survive in the consumer goods industry, you simply have to be better – and continuously improve.
Change as an essential part of the corporate culture
Why is ABUS so successful at constantly optimizing itself? In a conversation with Daniel Theis, Plant Manager for Operations, and Philipp Ditthardt, Head of Industrial Engineering/Lean at ABUS in Rehe, we want to find out. They were supported by our operational excellence expert Michael Hahn, who has been accompanying the team at the Rehe site on its impressive development journey for over 20 years.
From the left: PHILIPP DITTHARDT, Head of Lean Management, August Bremicker Söhne KG | MICHAEL HAHN, Partner, STAUFEN.AG | DANIEL THEIS, Plant Manager Operations, Facility & HR Rehe, August Bremicker Söhne KG | MARTIN BECKER, Partner, STAUFEN.AG
Trust and confidence as a foundation
If one wanted to describe the essence of our Best Practice Partner’s successful change culture in one word, it would be “trust” – in the owners, the managers, and the employees. Regardless of the hierarchy level, everyone knows each other. Doors are open to everyone. The owners are approachable and present on site. They make sustainable decisions in the interests of all ABUS employees (today and in the future). An employer who lives appreciation, who noticeably focuses on people, who is clearly committed to Germany as a location and its workforce. A culture in which no one is left behind and a lot is invested in the further development of employees. This creates enormous trust and strengthens identification with the company. At the same time, employees are given a lot of trust. They are treated at eye level Ideas are welcome, no matter who they come from. Decision-making processes are short, and the willingness to invest in further development is high. According to Philipp Ditthardt, another important factor for success is that there is a huge amount of freedom to try things out. “If an idea is convincing, we get the goahead in ten minutes. We don‘t have to wait for an answer for four months. Everything stays in flow,” the Lean manager explains.
Participation as a catalyst
Another special feature at ABUS in Rehe is that those who are affected by a change are brought on board in the idea or conception phase. This way, they not only know early on what to expect, they also have the opportunity to get involved and actively help shape the change from their expert perspective. “We notice again and again that the teams are happy to implement new approaches because it is not something that someone thought up in a meeting room, but something that the teams have actively helped to shape and implement. This creates a different level of self-confidence, more personal responsibility and initiative,” says Daniel Theis.
Michael Hahn confirms how valuable it is to involve all those affected in change processes at an early stage: “Nobody knows their workplace better than the employees themselves. Their know-how, their experiences and ideas can ultimately make the difference between a change that is good and the perfect development. It is really worth investing this time.”
For us, efficiency not only means cheaper, but also more sustainable and better conditions for employees.
Daniel Theis Plant manager Operations, ABUS
Acting in the interests of employees
But aren’t trust and participation particularly difficult when everything is about efficiency? “For us, efficiency means not only cheaper, but also more sustainable and better conditions for employees. If everyone is clear about that this is always about make life easier for employees, then everyone will want to make a change,” says Theis. “Our employees can also be confident that improvements are never aimed at reducing jobs. We want to improve working conditions and generate growth at the same time,” he continues. For example, the management team in Rehe makes sure that processes are standardized in such a way that employees can be deployed flexibly.
Seize every learning opportunity
For Daniel Theis, however, it is not only important to be right internally. It is also important to be open to external impulses, because “Others see what we don‘t (or no longer) see. That‘s why we are very open to feedback and are happy to accept help. For example, when we guide 20 guests from another company through our production as part of our Best Practice partnership, we see each and every one of them as a potential consultant who looks at our topics from a different perspective. We encourage people to ask questions. Because every question can be the impetus for a new idea, a new project,” he explains.
Do it yourself instead of having it done
Michael Hahn is also impressed about the high level of striving for sovereignty that he sees in Rehe. “What really impresses me about ABUS is the aim of always building up and expanding expertise within the organization. While many companies hire consultants who take on entire topics and then leave with their knowledge, ABUS uses its consultants as sparring partners who contribute knowledge. Once this knowledge has been acquired, the team continues to work independently. And with considerable consistency,” enthuses Hahn.
The added value is created especially when different expert knowledge is networked within the company. “If you have everything on site, from development to special machine construction to production, changes and new developments can go hand in hand. This means that product development can exchange ideas with our mechanical engineering team as early as the conception phase and ultimately develop the perfect result from different perspectives.”
…and then just carry on like this
It is not surprising that the topics of knowledge creation, transfer, and exchange (interdisciplinary) are important fields of action for the future of the company. Challenges such as digitalization or the pursuit of more sustainable action require many different areas of expertise to be brought together smoothly and sensibly. At Staufen we are proud that we can accompany ABUS in the sparring process for the next steps. Chapeau for this extraordinary corporate culture, with which everything will certainly be possible in the next 100 years.
About ABUS
Who doesn‘t know ABUS… at least the products from the “Mobile Security” and “Home Security” divisions. But the family business, founded in 1924 and now run by the fourth and fifth generation, has much more to offer than locks and helmets. With around 4,000 employees worldwide, ABUS provides all-round security in the private and commercial sectors, from smoke detectors to smart home locking technology. Growing steadily for 100 years. Congratulations on the anniversary and congratulations on the unique corporate culture, which we would like to focus on in this article.
Staufen, your reference for Operational Excellence. As the leading top management consultancy for operational excellence, we enable our clients to improve results in all areas along the value chain.
