Roof restoration and product recall challenge teams
Interview with Katharina Dietrich, Chief Technical Officer
At the end of June, small metal shavings fell into a part of the production process during the roof restoration of Hall 2 in Zeulenroda. The global product recall subsequently initiated has since been challenging the majority of the company. In her interview, Katharina Dietrich, Chief Technical Officer, explains the current situation.
Ms Dietrich, customers affected by the recall have been notified and products are gradually being returned. What’s the current situation in the Production and Logistics Departments?
Our top priority in both areas is to return to the usual high levels of performance and supply. Our colleagues are working really hard on making up for the backlog that has been created by this situation. Unfortunately, this means additional work in Production and Logistics – even at weekends – and I’m grateful to our employees for their willingness to help out because our customers, and patients most of all, are urgently awaiting our products.
What effect does the recall have on everyday work?
Roof restoration, product recall, and all the consequences are considerable tasks that will keep us busy for some time. This results in some other projects being put on the back-burner. That makes the huge mutual support even more impressive.
Do you have any examples?
Yes, there are many, but I’ll just mention three. Hall 2 was cleaned in record time because Purchasing and Site Management brought in lifting platforms and cleaning staff. The Internal Sales Team – that is dealing with an incredible number of calls these days – worked on Saturdays at short notice to reprocess orders. Colleagues from administration spontaneously offered help and provided the Logistics Department with support. I would like to thank you for this commitment and specifically single out, in addition to the Departments already mentioned, Regulatory Affairs, Quality Management, the Legal Department, Bauerfeind Sports, International Sales, and the subsidiaries affected by the recall.
What’s next for the roof restoration that caused the recall?
The restoration of the hall roof is still necessary. Of course, it has to be completed – without production being affected. We don’t currently have a date when we’ll continue.
Work assignment in the logistics center
Last Saturday, 24 colleagues spontaneously supported logistics and helped with picking and packing. After a short training period, the newcomers mastered the task under the guidance of experienced logistics colleagues and helped to reduce the backlog.
