Krone is implementing a change of philosophy in the company: Increased standardisation in the production process makes it possible to achieve even higher quality. The focus is always on the customer.
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he Krone Commercial Vehicle Group is continuously developing itself and its products: Trailers are now available to customers even faster thanks to shorter throughput times in production. “We rely on a modular system with intensively tested variants and combinations of vehicles,” says Thomas Veismann, Head of Project Management at Krone. “This standardisation guarantees customers consistently high product quality. For the company and our customers, change means faster processes, security and reliability.”
“The customer defines our future.”
Thomas Veismann
The design of past vehicle generations was always based on the individual order. It is now clear which components are required to create the optimum vehicle, independent of the order. “In order to validate the reliability of the products and prevent failures even more effectively, we trial them on test benches, on test tracks and on the road - even more systematically than before,” explained Veismann. “In so doing, we cooperated in part with Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.” The use of state-of-the-art robot technology enables precisely defined processes. Order processing is then automated: “That ensures a very high quality of workmanship.”
The customer can now select trailer specifications in a simpler and more targeted way. “We can also respond more quickly to customer requirements,” says Veismann. The new modular system is by no means a decision against customised solutions: “We are still focused on the customer’s individual requirements. We continue to be very open to special requests and maintain a dialogue, especially with regard to extending our product portfolio.”
Manual work and modern robot technology are closely interlinked in production.
All areas of the company are involved in this change of philosophy. “It means a big change in our thinking," said Thomas Veismann. “But this change defines our future, and we are confident that Krone is on the right path.” At the IAA, employees on the Krone stand will be using tablets to demonstrate a brand new modular system sales tool that will be implemented throughout the organisation: The easy-to-use online tool makes configuration very simple, while the sales team can professionally advise in an interactive conversation. The tool also serves as a digital sales manual, which contains all the information on components and combinations. What the customer sees is a practical interface with a simple design. This interface is underpinned by a sophisticated system and many well thought-out, reliably tested solutions.
