Challenges and solutions for plant engineering

Regarding the available capacity of well-qualified personnel and of production faciltities one of the core problems in plant engineering is the extremly changing and unpredictable order income. During the boom international sites have been expanded in order to capture new markets in the growing regions, to avoid currency risks and to reduce supplier costs. Utilization of these capacities is also rather difficult in the actual economic climate. In order to keep or even improve their own competitive position, plant manufacturers should concentrate on the following challenges:
 

(1) Professional and efficient customer order processing will be one of the most effective tools for strengthening customer loyality in the near future. We mean the complete chain from order initiation up to customer approval, strictly adhering to delivery dates, complying to performance, availability and quality promises as well as a professional change management.
-> Efficient customer order processing

 

(2) Being credibly able to offer and deliver complete solutions today means that acquisition of special technology, components and (engineering) services is getting more and more important. Their integration into the own portfolio as well as management of customer application projects across the company’s boundary demands a high competence in managing interfaces of organization and processes.
->Interfaces become process accelerators

 
(3) The growing competition et al. from Far East can only be met through innovative and qualitatively strong products. But how can you “overpower” the purchaser of the potential customer who is primarily focused on costs? Transferring quality improvements into cost advantages means to consider capital costs and operating expenses, low failure rates, reduced service and energy costs in one view.
Encourage your sales force with a life cycle oriented cost calculation!