Dennis Sandig先生—MAPAL集团阿伦总部产品负责人和应用程序经理
MAPAL集团不仅仅在金属切削这个核心业务领域，而且在数字化领域的技术进步都得到了全面的推动。但是，这具体意味着什么？Dennis Sandig先生自2018年以来一直在公司工作，他对MAPAL集团在IT-领域执行的项目娓娓而谈。
“有时，我们必须为客户设计一些形状上堪称史无前例的专用刀具，这样的刀具通常是针对于特定业务合作伙伴的专业应用目的而制造。Dennis Sandig先生解释到：比如说，我们提供各种变量配置和数字化流程方面的技术支持。Sandig先生作为MAPAL集团主管应用程序的经理，大学攻读经济信息学专业，目前正在一个商业云项目中担任产品负责人。但是他同时还参与了当前MAPAL集团其它数字化项目——因此他对于数字化发展的目标和挑战聊熟于心。
在MAPAL集团的数字化进程中，这些案例不胜枚举：广泛的产品组合同时也意味着——和刀具一样——仅仅使用标准解决方案是不足以应对的。“我们既有 '普通的钻头'，也有高技术含量的专用刀具，例如：刀刃是通过压力或者离心力被推动到其最终位置；因此可以说我们生产什么样的产品以及这些产品将用在哪里，有时真的是令人难以置信的，”Dennis Sandig先生感慨地说。在MAPAL集团内部，在附带有各种不同的需求的情况下，数字化项目也相应广泛地扩展辐射。
“有时，我们必须为客户设计一些形状上堪称史无前例的专用刀具，这样的刀具通常是针对于特定业务合作伙伴的专业应用目的而制造。Dennis Sandig先生解释到：比如说，我们提供各种变量配置和数字化流程方面的技术支持。Sandig先生作为MAPAL集团主管应用程序的经理，大学攻读经济信息学专业，目前正在一个商业云项目中担任产品负责人。但是他同时还参与了当前MAPAL集团其它数字化项目——因此他对于数字化发展的目标和挑战聊熟于心。
在MAPAL集团的数字化进程中，这些案例不胜枚举：广泛的产品组合同时也意味着——和刀具一样——仅仅使用标准解决方案是不足以应对的。“我们既有 '普通的钻头'，也有高技术含量的专用刀具，例如：刀刃是通过压力或者离心力被推动到其最终位置；因此可以说我们生产什么样的产品以及这些产品将用在哪里，有时真的是令人难以置信的，”Dennis Sandig先生感慨地说。在MAPAL集团内部，在附带有各种不同的需求的情况下，数字化项目也相应广泛地扩展辐射。
“当时我想——啊哈，MAPAL公司，就是个做钻头的厂家”。但是真的必须这样说：在公司产品平台内，拥有如此之高的专业化程度水准，也只有你身临其中，才知其妙，真的无法用语言说清楚。”
集团公司的所有领域都涉及数字化发展
例如：有一个项目，其中需要对切削过程的力曲线进行实时测量，并借助大数据对夹紧工具的状态进行建模和分析。另一个项目涉及数字化采集各种维修订单。“例如：我们为一家客户创建了一个专用界面，通过该界面，他们可以以数字方式预先通报自己的维修要求。Dennis Sandig先生笑着说：“这样的方式对于客户应用来说是非常舒服的，但是对我们却是一个高度复杂的技术课题。因为我们生产的刀具直径如此之小，要在刀具上还要设置一个QR-代码（快速响应矩阵码）是超乎有难度的。”如今数字化应用在MAPLE已经非常广泛，从产品开发和产品质量，再到与客户以及合作伙伴的合作，数字化过程已经渗透到集团公司的所有领域。例如：面对MAPAL公司客户群内的中型企业，研发-团队正在开发一个集成平台，目的是藉此将各种数字化维修服务报价打包作为Hub。除此之外，面对规模较小的客户，MAPAL集团还创建了一个商店-解决方案。和大型B2B客户不同，这些客户没有自己的企业资源计划（ERP- Enterprise-Ressource-Planning）-系统，但是，仍然希望便捷地找到并购买合适自己的产品。
期待着更加广泛和深入的了解
Of course, such multi-layered digitization projects are a demanding challenge for a developer who is involved as a product owner in a digital commerce cloud project. When Dennis Sandig applied to MAPAL at the time, he was not aware of the immense scope of the MAPAL product portfolio: “I thought to myself: ‘Oh, yes, MAPAL. They produce some kind of drills’. But one must really say: This high level of specialisation in the product range cannot really be described in words.” Despite or precisely because of the high level of specialization in many areas, MAPAL would like the workforce to acquire both broad and in-depth knowledge. The internal academy with its training program prepares 'newcomers' accordingly for the company and its products. "You get a 14-day introduction to the MAPAL product world - that is of course excellent, because how else should you build a shop system for products that you don't know." The fact that there is such extensive product training is a sign of the appreciation that MAPAL has for new employees, says Dennis Sandig.
“It's really nice here at MAPAL. There’s always one person who can fully address a technical question, there is always someone to share something with. That’s the only way you can develop as well.”
International team spirit
Dennis Sandig now knows the MAPAL world well - not least because of the close cooperation in the team, where people actively support each other. “This is really nice at MAPAL: There is always someone who can answer a technical question in full, there is always someone to talk to. This is the only way to develop further."
The diverse team, consisting of colleagues and service providers, not only works at the MAPAL headquarters in Aalen, but also in Bremen, Morocco, Spain or even further afield. The official project language in the development team is English. An advantage, because from Dennis’s point of view many things can be expressed more concretely, as: "The development language is always English - I don't want to have to read a line of German Java code".
Right in the middle of digitization
In addition, this internationally tested way of working was certainly particularly advantageous during the lockdown period of the coronavirus pandemic. “Our development team are spread out all over the world anyway, so (sort of like before) we’ve been doing all our meetings online.” Digitally analyzed machining processes, shop systems, digital repair registration: if he had to describe all current projects in one sentence - how would Dennis summarize digitization at MAPAL? He only has to think about it for a moment, then he says: “We build digital touchpoints for all our customers. Our aim is to really provide every customer with the right access to our company.”
And you believe him immediately, the product owner from the Commerce Cloud project: Technical progress is being driven not only in the world of machining, MAPAL's core business, but also in digitalization.
And you believe him immediately, the product owner from the Commerce Cloud project: Technical progress is being driven not only in the world of machining, MAPAL's core business, but also in digitalization.
