For Ingo Maier, there is nothing more desirable than a satisfied customer. He is responsible for customer service at the Trossingen-based grinding machine manufacturer Adelbert Haas, and you can immediately sense the self-image and expertise with which he has made this task his own. Ingo Maier manages the processes directly at the point of contact with his customers, which ultimately pursue one goal: "That everything runs like clockwork."

With its Multigrind® machines and advanced automation solutions, Adelbert Haas sees itself as an innovation leader in the industry. We are therefore particularly interested in the key to "overall customer satisfaction".

From customer care to technical assistance

Ingo Maier: "For many years, we have traditionally talked about customer service. I personally still like the term, because ultimately it is the service at the interface to the customer that describes our work. But the term customer service is associated with many outdated ideas. Although it illustrates an exemplary attitude, it no longer embodies the entire added value that is created at the customer interface."

Like many market players, Adelbert Haas has previously used the label "customer care" for its customer service. Ingo Maier explains to us what he sees as the difference in the customer care label: "The term customer care is actually an import from the country of origin of the service - the USA. And it is now being coined by companies such as Google, Netflix and Amazon, which ultimately prevents genuine interaction between producers and customers. The customer relationship is largely dissolving in the virtual world. This is not the best possible support and is nowhere near what we have up our sleeve in terms of value creation for our customers."

Ingo Maier: "We see ourselves as partners on an equal footing, without neglecting the fact that the customer is and remains king at Adelbert Haas." "We have a different understanding of service and customers in continental Europe. A balance between personal care and technical support. And that goes far beyond the often empty promises of support based purely on algorithms."

We shouldn't misunderstand him, adds Ingo Maier. "We have been using algorithms to continuously improve our performance for many years, but when the unprepared does happen, our technical service is reliably on hand."

"We solve problems before they occur."

This holistic approach by Adelbert Haas is both an aspiration and a goal. The experts at Adelbert Haas have all processes relating to the machines and software solutions under control down to the smallest detail. This triggers a continuous improvement process, initiated by customer requests and future challenges. By means of software updates and hardware retrofits, customers are always kept up to date on request.

Ingo Maier: "The close-knit network means that our customers only have to make use of traditional on-site customer service in exceptional cases. Thanks to our reactive service, we are now able to reduce production obstacles to an absolute minimum. Our credo: eliminate problems long before they occur."

"Predictive maintenance allows us to look into the future."

Predictive maintenance is one of the most tangible applications of Industry 4.0 for customers. For the machines from the latest series, Adelbert Haas analyzes the machine data around the clock at the customer's request in order to proactively maintain the high-tech grinding centers. An effective combination of real-time analysis and condition monitoring.

Ingo Maier: "We recognize undesirable developments in time and prevent downtime. This ensures the technical availability of the high-tech grinding centers and optimizes the process flow. The result: significantly higher quality and considerable cost savings for customers. After all, economic goals can only be achieved if machines and processes function properly."

The specialists at the Multigrind® Customer Care Center at Adelbert Haas meanwhile use artificial intelligence to evaluate the data collected. The aim is to be able to reliably predict even unknown scenarios to prevent production downtimes. A "Trouble Shooting Guide" has also been developed as a very helpful co-product of the permanent analysis, because immediate help is always also assistance for self-help.

"In future, our customers will have an overview of all vital functions."

According to the plan, by the end of the year, customers who use a high-tech grinding center of the latest generation will have access to all relevant data. This data is already being analyzed 24/7 in the Customer Care Center. This creates a digital information twin for our customers, which creates transparency in real time on the way to a grinding machine that is 100% ready for production.

Ingo Maier adds: "Don't worry, the data is transferred via our own customer control server. This means that data is only sent in one direction and the transmission of sensitive data is not an issue. 

Upgrading the machine and software ensures future competitiveness.

The support provided by Ingo Maier's team promises a significant increase in production. In our interview, Ingo Maier names three current examples and goes into detail.

Example 1: The control system upgrade increases productivity and closes safety gaps.

A simple control upgrade via updates and a small hardware upgrade to a new IPC saves valuable computing time. Ingo Maier uses the example of calculating a flute to illustrate the upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 10, because the new hardware allows the full potential of Multigrind® Horizon to be exploited. This reduces the computing time from over 9 minutes to 1.5 minutes.

The update with the control upgrade to Windows 10 offers even more added value. The increase in computing power means that productive features such as macro or parameter programming can be used in future. This is a huge step towards greater quality, productivity, and competitiveness.

Ingo Maier also points our attention to another important point. Microsoft no longer provides security updates for Windows 7 or XP. Some customers do not take this seriously in time. Upgrading to Windows 10 also closes a security gap.

Example 2: Upgrading existing machines opens up new perspectives.

"We face the challenge of our customers implementing new processes on a daily basis. Competition forces our customers to regularly adapt their existing machinery. However, thanks to the modular design of our Multigrind® machines, expanding production options in this way is no big deal. In most cases, manufacturing a completely different product only requires a new clamping device, a new software module, a common process design and, of course, employee training. And that's already most of the work done, because the machines have already integrated this flexibility," reports Ingo Maier.

"The purchase of a machine is always associated with large investments. The desire to utilize the maximum performance of an existing Multigrind® machine over its entire life cycle is evidently important for our customers. That's why our Customer Care Center has grown so enormously in recent years. Simply to offer our customers investment security. 

The changeover to automated unmanned operation is the economic imperative of the hour. Depending on the machine type, increasing productivity through 24/7 production is possible at a reasonable cost and quickly pays for itself during operation.

And to extend the life cycle of an existing machine even further, Adelbert Haas also offers comprehensive reconditioning at its customers' premises with its retrofit service. After all, following a comprehensive inspection or replacement of all relevant components, nothing is more sustainable than a completely retrofitted Multigrind®.

Example 3: Hot on the heels for the future with software updates.

The source of technological progress today is software with its continuous updates.

Ingo Maier: "As a learning system, we continuously pass on our latest developments to our customers via software updates. We increase productivity by optimizing processes in advance. A good example of this is our visualization software, which offers a 360° view of the grinding process. Multigrind® Styx enables process design as early as the work preparation stage. This avoids long, capacity-intensive test runs on the machine. Based on the visualization of the material removal rate, existing grinding processes can of course also be critically examined and then optimized.

The customers of Adelbert Haas have also recognized this and support the development department with their questions. The valuable findings flow into the further development of the Multigrind® software. A real win-win solution that ultimately benefits the customer. At the same time, we also ensure that our customers do not lose touch. In our webinars and our G:Xperium, we present the new developments to our customers and answer their questions.

Ingo Maier: "Interested users can get an overview of our development timeline, with all current and previous updates."

The future of digitalization and automation is not feasible without continuous exchange at eye level.

The goal of digitalization and automation is an error-free production process. This can only be achieved if customers and manufacturers are much closer and more open to each other than before. This is anything but a one-way street. For many machine manufacturers, this means a change of heart. The growing needs of customers must be served in the long term over the entire service life. Only those who really know their customers and can accurately transform all relevant machine data into service products with real added value will be able to participate in joint value creation. This proactive approach results in an exemplary image, a relationship based on partnership and a high level of customer satisfaction.

"In the Customer Care Center, we have created an ecosystem in which our customers feel they are in good hands."

Ingo Maier and Adelbert Haas have understood this. At Adelbert Haas, no algorithms replace people's common sense. The basis for the service promise are clear rules, transparent processes and a sustainable exchange. 

The Customer Care Center's service portfolio is characterized by a constructive, value-based customer relationship. The self-commitment to compete with a future-oriented machine concept is continued in trend-setting services that guarantee this claim for decades to come.

We wish Ingo Maier and his team every success.