The good times and the tough
By Elumatec.
Just a few months ago, before the world was turned on its head, Elumatec’s CEO talked about the organisation’s current and future status, saying “we are and will always be number one”.
Although that might sound brash to some ears – and even over simplistic given what has transpired since – Frank R Keller wasn’t boasting. He was making a statement that encapsulates Elumatec’s philosophy. By making that market-leading position non-negotiable and an absolute priority in all future plans, every decision and action can be evaluated. Does the move strengthen our position? If it doesn’t, it’s because it’s not right for our customers and it’s not happening.
Our head of worldwide operations was, of course, speaking before the Covid-19 pandemic began to bite in Europe. We’re now facing a very different business landscape than the one we envisaged at the start of the year. Ambitious plans we had for 2020 will be impacted. We have to be pragmatic about the current situation and the effects on manufacturing but, despite that, the underlying principles remain the same. Serving the needs of our customers is our number one task. It always will be.
To meet customer needs, our understanding of those needs has to be spot on and that’s why building relationships is a key part of our approach. And yes, despite operations in lockdown and social distancing, it’s still feasible to develop relationships. We can’t and won’t give up on the basics that have driven our success and contributed to the growth of our customers.
We’ve earned our position and respect by creating partnerships built on a foundation of trust. When our customers tell us about their challenges, we don’t brush them aside in the rush to close a deal. We’re ready to listen, and even now in these uncertain times, actively seek solutions.
We know that customers feel a connection with our brand, but we don’t use our reputation or dominance to muscle through. As an example, eluSoft and eluCad software have already given us a strong position in the market. They are great, user-friendly digital platforms that add value but, increasingly, customers are seeking to capitalise on all potential gains. While some machinery suppliers would have ignored this desire, our aim is to satisfy it. Our software experts have developed eluCloud, the next-generation software that will help users optimise the efficiency of their Elumatec machines.
This new digital technology permits more precision in planning; tighter deadlines can be more easily met; changes can be more readily accommodated; and there’s improved troubleshooting and error analysis.
It’s a tool that gives its users more measurement and more control, both essential in the drive for the best possible production efficiency.
EluCloud is exceptional software, but it’s not exceptional in terms of Elumatec’s strategy. It’s typical. Ever since the earliest days of the company – and we’ve been around for more than 90 years – we’ve had a consistently future-focused approach. What’s the next thing? What innovations are happening in other fields that we can learn from? How can we make this even better? What are the possibilities?
While we know that we are in a strong position, we still crave to do more, deliver more, inspire more. This hunger for progress has become part of the organisation’s DNA. Now, when manufacturing the world over has had one of the biggest ever shocks to its system, this is the positive attitude that will drive recovery.
Frank R Keller has been vocal about Elumatec’s future as a global leader in the industry, and Covid-19 hasn’t changed that. Our CEO has delivered a clear message about new technologies and new markets, but he has also re-iterated our proud tradition of excellence. Whether that’s seen in the build quality of our machinery, the skills of our engineers, the responsiveness of our spares department or the dogged persistence of a team member wanting to solve a customer’s long-term problem, it’s the standard to which we hold ourselves.
This global pandemic is unprecedented, but it cannot overturn our basic business philosophy: whatever the task, be number one at it.