Project management: a question of the right dosage

“Innovation is a major element of our strategy”, Volker Stöcklin, managing director of technology at RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH in Rheinmünster, emphasizes. “We consistently provide our customers revolutionary products which react to new requirements in due time – for example, stricter EU requirements.”

Until 2030, the EU wants to reach certain goals regarding the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Among others, this requires the use of modern technology to e.g. apply fertilizer as precisely as possible. For these purposes, RAUCH developed the cantilever arm spreader AERO 32.1.

Due to an innovative distance control between the spreader and the floor, farmers can distribute the fertilizer exactly to fulfill the EU requirements. Both areas and quantities can be exactly determined. Another special feature is its working width: The cantilever arms spread up to 30 meters. This results in enormous forces, making the construction a technical challenge.

Faster Development due to Project Organization in Blocks

After the constructors solved these issues, it quickly became evident that there had to be a second round to get the cost challenges under control as well. “Agricultural businesses are very cost-sensitive, as the required machines are major investments”, RAUCH managing director Stöcklin says. “Every saving opportunity is welcome, even beyond the saving effects of precision fertilization.”

Thus, the agricultural machinery manufacturer set up a project team, and at the same time, they contacted Staufen to enhance the project with additional Operational Excellence expertise. With focus on a fast market launch, Staufen consultant Frank Gröner recommended to focus even more on optimizing the AERO 32.1.

“For this project, we proposed a new organizational form, an execution in blocks, in multiple one-week project stages, to further improve the close communication within the team”, Gröner says. “This way, it was made possible to consistently work on improvements of the construction without the team members also having to work on everyday tasks.” According to the Staufen consultants, such a close cooperation enormously facilitates and accelerates the development of innovative solutions.

From the left:
FRANK GRÖNER, Partner, STAUFEN.AG | LARS ECKERT, Assembly / Shift Supervisor, RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH | MARCO LENZ, Group Leader Project Purchasing, RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH | PHILIPP RAUCH, Consultant,
STAUFEN. AG | NICO DINGELDEY, Product Management, RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH | ROMAIN MUCKENSTURM, Team Leader Fertilizer Technology Design & Development, RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH | VOLKER STÖCKLIN, Managing Director, RAUCH Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH

Standardized Parts instead of Right and Left Variants

It quickly became apparent that part of the required cost reduction could be achieved quite easily: Due to the immediate change towards global sourcing, RAUCH could expand the types and quantities of the available parts for construction. An effect which could benefit RAUCH also for future development projects in order to realize the optimal construction, both from a technical and an economical point of view.

At the same time, the complexity in parts procurement could be substantially reduced by purchasing assemblies and modules ready for installation from new suppliers in the future. Ensuring these purchases requires an intense supplier management, which purchasing at RAUCH aligns to.

Another idea from the project relates to the standardization and simplification of parts or entire assemblies. One example is components that exist in left and right aligned versions.. The solution: The construction is altered in a way that an alignment is not required and standardized parts can be used.

“This idea was brought up by the technicians involved with the assembly of the machines”, managing director of technology Stöcklin reports. “These solutions only emerge in the intensive dialogue that was made possible by the new organization of the project introduced and moderated by Staufen.”

Another decisive factor for the success of the project was the inter-divisional cooperation of the team, where employees both from development and assembly have been involved. They could provide numerous inspirations for improvement. “This resulted in a strong team spirit”, Volker Stöcklin praises the project. “Everyone felt appreciated and on par with each other. Overall, a complete success.”

At the same time, the complexity in parts procurement could be substantially reduced by purchasing assemblies and modules ready for installation from new suppliers in the future. Ensuring these purchases requires an intense supplier management, which purchasing at RAUCH aligns to.

Another idea from the project relates to the standardization and simplification of parts or entire assemblies. One example is components that exist in left and right aligned versions.. The solution: The construction is altered in a way that an alignment is not required and standardized parts can be used.

“This idea was brought up by the technicians involved with the assembly of the machines”, managing director of technology Stöcklin reports. “These solutions only emerge in the intensive dialogue that was made possible by the new organization of the project introduced and moderated by Staufen.”

Another decisive factor for the success of the project was the inter-divisional cooperation of the team, where employees both from development and assembly have been involved. They could provide numerous inspirations for improvement. “This resulted in a strong team spirit”, Volker Stöcklin praises the project. “Everyone felt appreciated and on par with each other. Overall, a complete success.”