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Global player in the heart of southern Germany
WMF has stood for "Made in Germany" for almost 170 years.
Most of the premium coffee machines from WMF Professional are still produced at the company’s site in Geislingen (Steige). It pays off: With over one million commercial coffee machines produced, today the WMF brand represents German engineering and unparalleled quality worldwide.
At home all over the world, made in Geislingen
When a coffee machine leaves the WMF Professional Coffee Machines factory, all employees feel certain that they have done a good job and made an outstanding product. This is true, not only because strict quality control puts every machine through its paces, but also because every employee contributes a passion for precision and perfection. At the production facility in southern Germany, traditional craftsmanship and state-of-the-art manufacturing technology come together and complement each other as perfectly as coffee and milk. All steps along the value chain are coordinated and largely implemented in Geislingen: from the first sketch to delivery of the finished machine.
Alexander Schlee, Vice President Production Coffee Machines, sees this as an opportunity to guarantee the proven WMF quality: “The centralization of our development and production affords us transparency, agility and flexibility. We can in turn translate these factors into tailor-made, promptly implemented complete solutions for our customers.” Indeed, customer proximity and satisfaction are the measure of all things in Geislingen. According to the company motto “Designed to Perform,” the highest-quality machines are constructed here, which captivate consumers time and again with technical innovations and, thanks to numerous configuration options, precisely meet customers’ requirements. Globalized markets and digital networking also facilitate flawless communication with international customers.
Efficient manufacture from a single source
The fact that both quality and productivity are consistently high at WMF is also due to particularly close cooperation across all departments. Wolfgang Putz, Vice President Quality Management Coffee Machines, adds: “Our employees are very well trained and exhibit high technical competence, a sustained vision and unique commitment. Thanks to closed quality control loops, they can apply their expertise precisely where it is needed.” This makes individual production particularly efficient. This is how it usually works:
1. Interdisciplinary coordination
The machine configuration requested by the customer is designed. Various departments such as sales, product management, service, production and purchasing are involved in this process.
2. Pre-production and pre-assembly
Required components and modules are pre-produced and pre-assembled just in time. In contrast to “in-stock” production, this provides the necessary flexibility and agility that allows even complex requirements to be implemented on short notice.
3. Manual final assembly
The machine is then assembled –carefully, by hand. For a technically advanced product such as a coffee machine, it comes down to intuition, years of know-how and technical finesse.
4. Control and delivery
Finally, every machine is thoroughly checked during quality assurance. If everything meets WMF’s exacting standards, the device is encased, packaged and shipped.
What matters is what makes the difference
Another advantage of the Geislingen factory is the regional and, to a large extent, in-house supply chain. Thousands of different sheet metal parts for various functional and design elements are produced on site. For individual assemblies and services, WMF Professional Coffee Machines also uses external partners, both nationally and internationally. “To produce the best possible end product, we also need the best possible individual elements. We can achieve maximum quality for many components. In other areas, there are companies that have more expertise and we like to fall back on them. After all, it’s about delivering the best possible end result to our customers,” asserts Alexander Schlee.
The rapid availability of components also plays an important role in reacting quickly to customer requests. After all, a professional coffee machine consists of 600 to 800 individual parts.
Developed with digital expertise
Software for myriad purposes – for example machine control, telemetry or digital payment systems – is mainly programmed in Germany and predominantly “in house.” A separate IT development department is a rarity in the industry and perfectly reflects WMF’s innovative spirit. Solutions are conceived in the context of digitalization and the Software department is included in all processes. In order to always stay up-to-date, knowledge is also actively exchanged with universities and research institutes. The interaction of these factors forms the ideal basis for technical revolutions.
German engineering at its best
The concept of customer proximity is therefore not just an empty promise, but a guarantee that customers can rely on. Just like they rely on the distinction “Made in Germany”: It is no coincidence that Geislingen’s engineering and quality work have resulted in a number of WMF patents over the years, with many more being likely to follow in the next 170 years.
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