The factory of the future, yes, but…

Entrepreneurs from Kiel met on Monday 13 November at the Hotel Birke to learn about the factory of the future and discuss ways of implementing it. “Factory of the future, yes, but…”: The “but” represents the many question marks that entrepreneurs associate with designing their factory of the future – regarding the benefits, the financial and time resources required, and the involvement and acceptance of employees.

KiWi Innovation Manager Dr Barbara Weig aptly summed up the aim of the event: her hope was that after the event, the “yes” would grow a little larger and the “but” a little smaller.

The industrial future in Kiel and Schleswig-Holstein
Dr Bernd Buchholz, former Minister for Economic Affairs of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, welcomed the guests and assessed the current state of industry in Schleswig-Holstein: To become a climate-neutral industrial state, the region needs more industry. Furthermore, the region’s industry has some catching up to do when it comes to innovation – private R&D intensity in Schleswig-Holstein stands at just 0.8 per cent (Kiel: 1.1 per cent, national average: 2.2 per cent).

Digitalisation and automation are not just issues for large companies, but also offer great opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, according to Buchholz. More courage is needed to embrace transformation. Even if change seems difficult and one would rather stick to the familiar because it appears safer, challenges such as the shortage of skilled workers must be met with new approaches, such as increasing the productivity and efficiency of existing resources.

The state capital Kiel: Where is there great potential, where is there room for improvement? In her introduction
, Dr Barbara Weig highlights why the topic of the ‘factory of the future’ is so important for the regional economy. As a study by Prognos AG commissioned by KiWi shows, there is great potential in Kiel’s manufacturing companies and industry-related service providers. In terms of indicators such as the proportion of graduates, the number of employees in knowledge-intensive sectors and the growth in R&D expenditure, Kiel-based companies are above the national average. On the other hand, there is still room for improvement in terms of the turnover of industrial firms, the level of R&D intensity and the investment ratio.

Engaging with the concept of the ‘factory of the future’ and applying the insights to one’s own business is one way to make even better use of this potential and to address areas of weakness. The current demand for skilled workers among Kiel-based companies is particularly evident in technical professions, providing a further argument for focusing on process optimisation and automation. A third point cited is the shortage of space in the state capital and the surrounding area. In the short term, there is hardly any new space available for commercial use. The ‘factory of the future’ can also offer a solution to this challenge by reducing space consumption through more efficient use of space.

The outside perspective: process optimisation through management consultancy
Process optimisation relies on the knowledge of employees, as Marcel Knepper, founder and managing director of Rotmilan Consulting GmbH, knows. Only a small part of this knowledge is accessible on a conscious level. However, as a consultant, it is important to ‘tap into’ this unconscious knowledge – experiences, automatic responses, skills, motivations – and use it as a basis for process optimisation. With long-serving employees and decision-makers, there is the additional phenomenon that the quality of decisions declines with increasing experience; one becomes ‘blinded by routine’. At this point, an outside perspective is beneficial – whether through consultancy or scientific insights. In his presentation, Marcel Knepper uses various practical examples to demonstrate how significant results have often been achieved with minimal effort, simply by adopting an outside perspective and engaging in intensive dialogue with the company’s employees.

Four success factors for automation
Dennis Lenkering, founder and managing director at LMZ and an expert in automation, robotics and digitalisation, outlines in his presentation the factors that lead to success in automation. Modular systems improve capacity utilisation – particularly in times when the market demands greater product customisation and smaller batch sizes need to be produced. The structure of automated production is shifting away from product-specific towards process-specific automation. Individual work steps are thus processed at different stations, independent of the product. Automation must be designed so that people, machines and processes function together harmoniously and as effectively as possible. By collecting and utilising data, energy costs can be reduced, downtime avoided and quality improved.

Involving employees effectively – Change Management
Implementing change within a company always means getting employees on board, as Sebastian Kotulla, an expert in Lean, technology and transformation and owner of Radiko UG, knows. To ensure that employees do not perceive change as a threat – for example, regarding their own job title or responsibilities – it requires an understanding of the necessity and significance of their own role during and after the transformation process. Employees who have the opportunity to participate in and influence the change process themselves usually develop a better understanding and greater appreciation for the cause. The causes of resistance must be identified; only then can countermeasures be taken and clarification provided at an early stage.

Discussion in three ‘Yes, but’ sessions
In the three ‘Yes, but’ sessions, the participants then discussed the following topics with the experts: (1) Yes, but what’s in it for me? Discussion on the benefits of the factory of the future. (2) Yes, but with what resources? Discussion on time and money. (3) Yes, but how do I get my team on board? Discussion on the acceptance of the transformation.

The lively questions demonstrated just how great the interest in the topic is. The benefits of process optimisation, automation and digitalisation are manifold. In addition to solutions for the need for skilled workers and space, this approach can save energy and costs, increase turnover and improve quality. This transformation process cannot be achieved without some investment of time and money. However, there are solutions on both a small and large scale, as well as funding opportunities and numerous advisory services offered by private consultants and also by the WTSH, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the funding advisors at IB.SH. To successfully implement the process within your own company, it is essential to involve the team at an early stage. After all, initiatives developed in collaboration with the team are held in higher regard and met with greater acceptance.  

For further information, please contact:
Dr Barbara Weig
Tel: 04 31 / 24 84-136
bweig@kiwi-kiel.de