Design is strengthened through partners’ support
With board products seeing high demand globally, factory capacities are increasing. Outstanding products and continuous development of the machinery base guarantee that Dieffenbacher remains at the forefront of developments in its field. The company’s strategy for this includes collaboration with carefully chosen partners, such as Makron.
“All projects involve design activities. Our in-house design experts act as chief designers and product managers in addition to product-development engineers, while the detailed design is procured from our collaboration partners,” explains Kimmo Kakkonen, who is in charge of Dieffenbacher Panelboard’s projects and procurement.
Makron delivers manufacturing drawings for machines under a fixed-priced package agreed upon with Dieffenbacher. The professionals at Makron also participate in the product-development phases of the design process. Makron’s team has extensive experience of a wide range of machines, which greatly facilitates cost-efficient design activities. Depending on the extent of the project, one to several designers are assigned, in a flexible manner. Thanks to solid long-term collaboration, those involved know one another well, so communication is seamless.
Dieffenbacher’s work is made easier also by having a designated contact person at the other company, who is responsible for project realization. For years, a mechanical engineer from Makron has been based at Dieffenbacher’s facility, acting as the head of Makron’s design team. This model has proven successful. The team leader has convenient access to the ERP system and databases, takes care of communications and allocation of tasks to Makron’s designers, and makes sure Dieffenbacher has high-quality drawings available in line with the agreed schedule.
Makron carries out the most demanding manufacturing
“Makron Estonia’s factory takes care of the most demanding manufacturing,” says Kakkonen. He explains that Makron is an ideal partner for the manufacture of large machines, which involves large amounts of assembly work.
In the choice of manufacturing partners, quality is a priority. According to Kakkonen, Makron has met these high-quality requirements year after year, which has made it one of the main manufacturers for Dieffenbacher. Of course, in a competitive market, the pricing must be competitive also.
Going back decades, the collaboration between the companies has continued without any interruptions. “Makron has a great overall package to offer. We consider Makron one of our main collaboration partners,” explains procurement and logistics manager Juuso Mäkiaho.
He has particular appreciation for Makron’s excellent ERP system, which offers up-to-date information on various aspects of production status. Transparency is boosted further by open communications between Makron’s project management and Dieffenbacher.
Meticulous testing guarantees high-quality machines
Dieffenbacher carries out an inspection for all the machines when they are completed, to be certain they meet project requirements as soon as they are received. New machines are tested thoroughly before delivery to the customer’s facility. Also, individual machines may receive additional testing on Makron’s premises, for example.
Customer satisfaction is the central goal
The outlook for Dieffenbacher is stable, and slight growth in turnover is expected as a result of new products and after-market sales. The key to success on this path is customer satisfaction. Every step of the way, Dieffenbacher takes pride in putting great care into its products so that the machines always reach the required performance levels, thus guaranteeing high satisfaction and customer retention.
The foundation of the products’ premium quality is a strong German brand, with family ownership ensuring the continuity of the operations. Dieffenbacher’s plans for the future involve even closer collaboration with Makron.
″The main criterion in our manufacturing is quality. Makron supplies the most challenging machines for our projects.″
Kimmo Kakkonen
Head of Projects and Procurement
Dieffenbacher Panelboard Oy
