Celebrations are going on in the Black Forest. The traditional, family-run company, Wiha Werkzeuge, competed against successful businesses from throughout Germany in the highly regarded benchmarking competition within the context of the Manufacturing Excellence Award (MX Award). Now Wiha has been crowned the victor amongst a wide range of well-known competitors as winner in the category "Best SME" (the best small and medium-sized enterprise). This year's awarding of the distinguished prize took place on 14th November at Axel-Springer-Haus in Berlin.
Proud of the result and the strong Wiha team
Best SME in Germany: An award that was the culmination of a successful year for the Black Forest tool manufacturer. Wilhelm Hahn, executive partner of Wiha, believes the company is on the right track. "We are extremely proud of this result, and of course of our productive and motivated team. This award confirms that our process optimisation of the last few years and our strong and competitive in-house production, which in Germany is mainly characterised by a high degree of vertical range of manufacture are correct and important strategy vehicles for Wiha." Since its formation in 1939, a stable and healthy company has been built up, which due to its continuous process improvements, keen sense for growth drivers and dauntless use of the most modern manufacturing and logistics concepts, has always fulfilled the current market and customer demands. In addition to an already substantial number of diverse awards in the field of product design, such as the recent "iF product design award" and "Red Dot: Best of the Best" for top design quality and groundbreaking design for one of their latest product innovations, the MX Award now also confirms the perceptible energy and integral quality of the tool specialists.
Committee persuaded by longstanding implemented approaches
A distinguished panel of academics and professionals has scrutinised a number of applicant companies in a process consisting of research, analysis and evaluation that has lasted for several months. The aim of the process is to identify and spread successful methods, practices, and procedures regarding companies. "In Wiha the sporting spirit has always been deeply rooted. Competing with others, exploring our strengths and weaknesses and drawing positive consequences from this keeps us alert and strong compared to our international competitors", said Hahn. Wiha convinced the committee with its skill as well as complex manufacturing and customer claims to combine high flexibility and implementation speed. After a thorough analysis of Wiha's initial situation and its specific challenges and market conditions, they were convinced of the problem-solving approaches and practical implementation measures. A Kanban methodological production process control (from Japan) or the use of lean principles are not just theoretical considerations at Wiha; there are already systems that have been lived and used successfully and which determine and shape everyday work. Consequently, not only were the manufacturing and logistics areas scrutinised, analysed and evaluated. All "stations" in the so-called value chain were screened and were potential starting points for transformation and improvement towards making the company leaner and increasing effectiveness and efficiency. The MX Award for "Best SME" reinforces the place of the company, which has approximately 350 employees in Germany, in the top league of medium-sized global players in Germany.
The MX Award and its significance for Wiha
The international subsidiaries of Wiha and the sales and production sites abroad of course are also delighted. The MX Award for their German parent company, Wiha Werkzeuge GmbH, of course also reflects well on them indirectly. Established process and logistics approaches and optimisations are naturally already being conveyed and accelerated in accordance with the wishes of the MX Awards. The benchmarking competition Manufacturing Excellence Award, which was transferred from the UK to Germany in 2004, provides the participating companies, along with a self analysis, a measurement of their concepts, procedures and solutions to the competitors. Thereby, the strengths can be collected and condensed into cross-industry standards through the targeted exchange of experience and knowledge. Like Wiha, the companies located in Germany are therefore in a position, to maintain and strengthen their position in a globalised economy.
Proud of the result and the strong Wiha team
Best SME in Germany: An award that was the culmination of a successful year for the Black Forest tool manufacturer. Wilhelm Hahn, executive partner of Wiha, believes the company is on the right track. "We are extremely proud of this result, and of course of our productive and motivated team. This award confirms that our process optimisation of the last few years and our strong and competitive in-house production, which in Germany is mainly characterised by a high degree of vertical range of manufacture are correct and important strategy vehicles for Wiha." Since its formation in 1939, a stable and healthy company has been built up, which due to its continuous process improvements, keen sense for growth drivers and dauntless use of the most modern manufacturing and logistics concepts, has always fulfilled the current market and customer demands. In addition to an already substantial number of diverse awards in the field of product design, such as the recent "iF product design award" and "Red Dot: Best of the Best" for top design quality and groundbreaking design for one of their latest product innovations, the MX Award now also confirms the perceptible energy and integral quality of the tool specialists.
Committee persuaded by longstanding implemented approaches
A distinguished panel of academics and professionals has scrutinised a number of applicant companies in a process consisting of research, analysis and evaluation that has lasted for several months. The aim of the process is to identify and spread successful methods, practices, and procedures regarding companies. "In Wiha the sporting spirit has always been deeply rooted. Competing with others, exploring our strengths and weaknesses and drawing positive consequences from this keeps us alert and strong compared to our international competitors", said Hahn. Wiha convinced the committee with its skill as well as complex manufacturing and customer claims to combine high flexibility and implementation speed. After a thorough analysis of Wiha's initial situation and its specific challenges and market conditions, they were convinced of the problem-solving approaches and practical implementation measures. A Kanban methodological production process control (from Japan) or the use of lean principles are not just theoretical considerations at Wiha; there are already systems that have been lived and used successfully and which determine and shape everyday work. Consequently, not only were the manufacturing and logistics areas scrutinised, analysed and evaluated. All "stations" in the so-called value chain were screened and were potential starting points for transformation and improvement towards making the company leaner and increasing effectiveness and efficiency. The MX Award for "Best SME" reinforces the place of the company, which has approximately 350 employees in Germany, in the top league of medium-sized global players in Germany.
The MX Award and its significance for Wiha
The international subsidiaries of Wiha and the sales and production sites abroad of course are also delighted. The MX Award for their German parent company, Wiha Werkzeuge GmbH, of course also reflects well on them indirectly. Established process and logistics approaches and optimisations are naturally already being conveyed and accelerated in accordance with the wishes of the MX Awards. The benchmarking competition Manufacturing Excellence Award, which was transferred from the UK to Germany in 2004, provides the participating companies, along with a self analysis, a measurement of their concepts, procedures and solutions to the competitors. Thereby, the strengths can be collected and condensed into cross-industry standards through the targeted exchange of experience and knowledge. Like Wiha, the companies located in Germany are therefore in a position, to maintain and strengthen their position in a globalised economy.
