Titelstory "Connect with STAUFF" in the Trade Magazine 'fluid'

16 fluid · 01 2023 Spektrum Title story nection components including bent tubes or pre-assembled hoses. ‘Connect with Stauff’ is also an invitation to international machinery and plant engi- neering companies to collaborate more ac- tively with Stauff. What are the benefits of such a close working relationships? The demands placed on original equipment manufacturers and retailers are constantly and rapidly increasing. Today, machines and systems are being tailored in ever greater detail to very specific applications in order to achieve optimum performance. The requirements governing the hydraulics differ correspondingly. Let’s consider parameters, such as pressure, vib- ration stress, noise development or the avail- able installation space. Ideally, we will be involved in the development process from the outset in order to design a powerful line system and integrate it perfectly into the overall concept. Being close to customers is an integral part of our corporate identity: we need de- manding customers who challenge us. Stauff is therefore also an innovation leader be- cause we listen, bring our knowledge and expertise to the table, and develop new solu- tions in partnership with original equip- ment manufacturers and retailers. One ex- ample of this is a mobile hydraulics challen- ge that we identified early on: machines need to perform better, but preferably be as quiet as possible. Our contribution to this is the NRC (Noise Reduction Clamp), which is capable of reducing noise emissions from mobile machines. The clamps are successful and we see that demand continues to rise. You emphasise the fact that your products are ‘developed and produced in house’. Why is this so important to your customers? This aspect is also particularly important for us: our in-house development capacities ensure that we unequivocally understand our products and their “behaviour” at their point of use. If a customer approaches Stauff with their special requirements or specifi- cations, we can react quickly and assess whether there is a meaningful solution, whether it will have an impact on the price or will be more expensive, or what alterna- tives we can offer. Engineering is not an end in itself; the product also needs to be techni- cally perfect and also cost-effectively manu- factured. This can only be clarified through direct contact between Development and Production. Manufacturers of mobile and stationary plant and machines are now quite rightly demanding one-stop development and production. A separate ‘Stauff Digital’ business unit was set up in 2019 with its headquarters in Dortmund. What role does digitalisation play in relationships with customers? This was a far-sighted decision on the part of the Stauff management and shareholders, and one about which I am very happy! We are not just starting from scratch, but have been rolling out digital thinking throughout the company for four years. I believe that digitalisation offers us a massive opportuni- ty to connect even more closely to our cus- tomers, suppliers, and partners, as well as to our employees and departments. We are ahead of our direct market competitors in this regard. I know of no other company in which large tranches of the workforce al- ready think this digitally. In future, the processes will have to run in a virtually stand-alone manner so that we can focus on generating added value for our customers. I don’t mean by this specifying a delivery time in the online shop. This is part of the overall approach and is regulated by linking the systems in the background. We create added value for customers when we help them with a complex technical prob- lem. To do this, increasingly we need to free ourselves from work that can be automated. One example of this is the ‘phasing in’ stage, that is when we start working with a new customer. Several internal departments are in- volved at Stauff, and significant capacities are also tied up on the customer’s side. This process can be simplified by linking the individual systems together. Digital knowledge transfer is also be- coming increasingly important, for instance during the onboarding phase. What benefits does a globally operating and owner-managed company offer? The body of shareholders behind the Stauff Group is not interested in short-term max- imisation of profit, but rather in long-term development and continuity. This has be- come very clear in the last three years and will have a very positive impact in the medi- „Customer proximity is an important part of our self-conception. We listen, contribute our know-how and develop the best solution in partnership.“ Dr. Dominik F. P. Joachim