Page 27 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 6/2017

shorter and more efficient for
Jens Langer both sides. This does not mean
that we will forget the technicians
in the plants but we will have to
re-orientate our sales process to
cover both needs, the commercial
and the technical one.
During Glassman
GMP&A: In this situation how is
in Lyon, France, Heye handling the market?
Langer: We are in a good posi-
we spoke to Heye tion, with a lot of good contacts
with the big companies. Our
International, and aim is to try to understand the
the company’s needs of these customers – or of
brand owners (our customer’s
Director of Sales customers) – because we have a
philosophy: if the customers of
and Marketing Jens our customers are satisfied then
we get the benefits at the end of
Langer and Mark the day.
The other point is that we are
Ziegler gave us an actually moving from a product
provider to a solution provider.
overview of what is This is also valid in terms of digi-
talization, vision and strategies.
happening at the Heye is not only a machinery
manufacturer for the hot- and
company and how cold-ends of glassworks and the

Heye is continuing to assistance that is required in
these areas, but thanks to our
develop its products technical assistance agreements
we also provide not only a prod-
and services for uct delivery and commissioning
but also production support to
glassworks – with ensure profitability and sustain-
ability for our customers.
Heye Robot
Installation safety in mind.
SMART PLANTS AND
THE INTERNET OF THINGS
apart from the 4-5 global play- companies – let’s say 50 – selling We have our new concept
ers. From our perspective as a their products, with fewer big Heye smart plant, which was an
machine manufacturer and ser- companies you are surely going important topic at our sympo-
vice provider there are opportu- to have less choice and less sium this year. In fact, we have a
nities and challenges. A challenge flexibility in price. vision of the future plant behind
is that the suppliers can maintain Langer: From our point of view our products and development.
the contact to the local plants and it means that you have fewer This allow follows a single strat-
their people, if negotiations only customers but at the same time egy – to make container glass
take place in the headquarters. a decreasing number of competi- production more efficient – also
On the other hand, a centralised tors. Both will have advantages: in terms of digitalization, plant
organisation helps to achieve a The supplier will be able to focus management and transparency.
common technologic standard, more on standardisation and This is something we also trans-
helping to reduce costs. develop better products at bet- mit to our customers not only
ter prices with high-technology with regards to smart plant but
GMP&A: How is choice affected? and less variations. The procure- also green plant, which means
If you have a large number of ment and sales process will be environmental protection.

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