Daniel Saumer reports

Thinking and acting in motion

I can look back on almost 20 years at SEW-EURODRIVE: Now I'm the head of the Motor Production and Assembly department, meaning that I'm responsible for some 170 employees. Starting out my career as a mechanical engineer, it was important to me to join a company in which I could independently complete design tasks. As a leader in technology, SEW-EURODRIVE also gave me the opportunity to benefit from the experience and knowledge of my colleagues.

My first projects as a tool designer were primarily related to developing new equipment for gear unit assembly. Before long, I was able to join the planning team in restructuring the entire assembly setup at the Graben plant. The challenge of coming up with rational workflows for our complex variety of product types was a lot of fun. Many complex projects for introducing new products required interdisciplinary cooperation with developers, employees who are responsible for quality, supplying production areas and of course the assembly employees on site.

To find the optimal solutions for assembly plants worldwide, we have to take different interests into account and develop creative ideas as a team. The seminars offered on subjects such as problem-solving techniques and project management helped to facilitate these processes, while external technical training honed the team's expertise.

When I was made group manager, I had to take on new tasks. "Enthusiasm – Drive for Success" was an SEW-EURODRIVE slogan at the time, and it's still valid today. The management training allowed me to develop personally and set up a network of relationships that helps me to make well-founded decisions.

Another important factor in the success of SEW-EURODRIVE's work is the family business' great willingness to invest – particularly in production in Germany. This allows innovative processes and new production technologies to be introduced quickly and profitably. One good example of this is the manufacturing cells for our largest stators that were set up according to the principles of SEW-EURODRIVE's value creation system. As I was being trained to take on management of the department, I was able to play a key role in the further development of motor production.

Now, with my responsibility as head of department, it's important to stick to this path I set out on and continue to support the employees in the process of optimizing additional new manufacturing cells so that the advantages of these major investments will take effect to benefit the company as planned.

SEW-EURODRIVE is a reliable employer – even during the crisis – but also one that is always moving and changing. After all, our whole way of thinking and acting is all about movement.