After a guided tour of the compounding plant, the digital and material prototypes workshop and the testing of finished products, Peter Binner, Thomas Hansen and Peter Massury from BOGE Rubber & Plastics, in the BOGE manufacturing hall, took part in an exciting exchange on the subject of Leadership, change and talent development in times of internationalisation and digitisation. The discussion was facilitated by Ralf Karabasz and Claus Pakleppa.
BOGE products can be found in almost any car in the world. At the same time, the company operates in a highly competitive market. In the wider, international context, this long-established company handles business with impressive straightforwardness. In the course of the evening, the Bonn-based company, with a Chinese owner, vividly illustrated the importance of continuous willingness to change, consistent strategy, internationality and customer orientation in order to achieve success.
Success factors at BOGE:
- Permanent willingness to change: Since the company’s incorporation, BOGE have re-invented themselves several times. In these processes, the management for example paved the way for a change from traditional department thinking to project management under the responsibility of international project teams. “At each step of the process, we take out walls.”Changing requirements mean a “huge shift of competence” within the workforce. In today’s world, in addition to the traditional toolmaker, the business also needs mechatronic engineers and graduates of dual study programmes, as well as continuing professional development, e.g. through training on the job. The Chinese partners, too, regularly attend training courses when visiting BOGE. Like many other companies, BOGE also need to find a way of dealing with the prevailing cost pressure in the global market place. They regularly implement restructuring measures throughout the plant network, within Europe and overseas. As they point out: “These days, development is a question of the smallest amounts, often mere pennies. Therefore, entrepreneurial thinking must be shared by everybody. Employees must detect early on, when something gets out of hand.”
- Consistent strategy: Already years ago, BOGE decided to go for a move from basic products for chassis applications to the production of complex high-tech products, thereby developing an entirely new portfolio – not, without getting a bit ruffled: “If we had known all of what was coming our way, we might not have started it. However, it is important to at first pursue a core strategy continuously. And from today’s perspective, it was absolutely the right thing to do. It takes a few topics for demonstrating that change is also an advantage.”
- Internationality: At BOGE, this starts with a workforce in Bonn that can communicate in all of the customers’ languages. The headquarters’ location is perfectly suited for international requirements due to its first-class infrastructure, and therefore highly attractive for employees from abroad. Peter Binner: “Our partners like coming to Bonn, because here we have all nationalities, international companies, our international school, a cinema showing movies in their original language …”
Attitude of esteem and trust: The company develops its prototypes in constant alignment with the customers. “In our business, the customer always comes first. Our fundamental attitude can be summarised as ‘friendly expertise’. Customers need to be able to trust in what we are proposing, and our people need to understand what the customer wants. There is no room for “That isn’t possible”, our motto is: ‘They are paying; hence I will help them.’ …” – “Oh yes, that is ‘agile working’ and ‘design thinking’, without calling it such.”concluded facilitator Ralf Karabasz.
With their Chinese owner, BOGE are experiencing a win-win situation: In particular through the Chinese owner’s approach, BOGE have gained a lot of freedom. “They really want to understand how we work, and their approach is one of great respect.”
BOGE perceive the challenge for the future in the task to create values as a company, of which even the fast learning Chinese will continue saying: “That is what we need!” Thus, the evening’s conclusion is the insight that, especially internationalisation opens numerous opportunities if a company continues to successfully meet the challenges in a positive way.
