2020 was a year with special challenges. When the new year began with many expectations, no one could have foreseen that a global pandemic would present the world economy with new challenges. Wikus has responded by making ordering easier for customers.
Wikus customers can rely on the availability and on-time delivery of all products at all times, despite the lockdown and further restrictions in production and administration, and can thus maintain planning security.
Further developments in the field of digitalisation
In order to further optimise the ordering processes for customers, Wikus has developed the WIstore developed. This is a dynamic tool management system that ensures delivery and supply security by automating ordering processes, while helping customers to focus on their core processes and reduce process costs in purchasing and logistics.
The WIstore portal also provides customers with a transparent, daily updated overview of stock levels as well as consumption analyses. This means that three phases of tool management, i.e. replenishment, warehousing and intralogistics, are digitalized at the same time.
The WIstore is only one digital tool of several from the existing Wikus offer. This also includes the band selector, with which customers can determine the optimum saw band in just a few steps and request a quote, as well as the ParaMaster, which is also available as a free app. The ParaMaster website is now available in a new design and is even more application-oriented. The most important functions include saw band selection, determination of cutting parameters and cutting cost analysis.
Digital tools can make the sawing process within production more efficient. However, they cannot fully replace the quality of a direct exchange based on partnership. Wikus therefore attaches particular importance to personal and continuous cooperation with customers, especially with regard to service and advice, in order to achieve the best possible sawing solution for the application.
In 2020, when travel activities and on-site appointments often did not materialize due to the pandemic, individual customer support as well as technical advice took place online. Customers and partners were able to benefit from the services and know-how of the Wikus experts without restrictions through digital collaboration.
The seminars of the WI
kademy
were offered online for the first time in 2020 in the form of webinars. The aim of the Wikus training centre is to impart competence and practical knowledge on the current state of technology in sawing and on the possibilities of increasing performance while at the same time reducing costs for every level of knowledge. And so both beginners and experts were able to find the right content for them in the webinars.
Especially in times of short-time work and cancelled business trips, customers and partners took the opportunity to further qualify themselves digitally via WIkademy. For 2021, it is therefore planned to further expand webinars as an alternative to face-to-face events.
Wikus remains a driver of innovation
Wikus sees itself as a technology leader, setting trends with its high-tech sawing tools. Thus, the commitment to research and development continued in 2020, and Wikus was awarded the research seal “Innovative through Research” by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft for research and development work for the fourth time in a row.
Wikus continuously invests in innovations in order to be able to offer customers sawing solutions that are specifically tailored to their needs. Numerous developments have emerged from this, which are used in current trend areas such as the machining of high-tech materials or post-processing in additive manufacturing. Both are markets that place particularly high demands on precision in the sawing process and will continue to grow after 2020.
From Spangenberg to the home office and all over the world
The worldwide lockdown in the spring and around the turn of the year will certainly remain in many people’s memories for a long time: suddenly, topics such as health and social responsibility were and are the focus of attention.
At Wikus in Spangenberg, extensive protective and hygiene measures were taken and mobile working was established in those areas of the company where it was possible. This enabled WIKUS employees in all production areas to continue to produce saw bands safely, process customer orders and create new opportunities for cooperation.
One of the things that helped to implement the new working methods was the company headquarters’ guiding principle of “openness in mind and space”. It expresses what Wikus is all about: the sawmill is always consciously breaking new ground in order to remain sustainable and fit for the future. This continuously generates new impulses on the way to becoming a META (Most Efficient Technology and Administration) Company.
Accordingly, Wikus has already created new production areas, installed powerful machines and created modern working environments in the administrative headquarters WI.com administrative headquarters. Conditions that enabled Wikus in the exceptional year 2020 to manage its national and international activities in an agile manner and to reliably supply customers near and far with precision band saw blades, circular saw blades and services.
Outlook for 2021
With more than 60 years of experience, WIKUS will continue to work intensively on innovative sawing solutions “Made in Germany” in 2021, which sustainably improve the sawing process and make it more efficient. In a time when numerous companies and institutions have come under pressure during the Corona pandemic and will have to deal with the consequences in the months and years to come, the goal of cost reduction is becoming increasingly relevant. This is an issue that has already led to the restructuring of the company at WIKUS in order to be securely positioned for the future.
In 2021, WIKUS will continue to support its customers in meeting the challenges and developing strategies and measures to further increase efficiency in the sawing process. Cooperative partnership continues to play a central role: the past year has shown how important an intensive exchange and intensified cooperation are in order to position ourselves for the future. Topics such as digitalization, automation, artificial intelligence and energy efficiency will continue to gain in relevance.
Customers who want to stay informed about Wikus activities and news can register for the new Wikus newsletter. Information on topics, products, customers, events and webinars is also available on LinkedIn and on the YouTube channel.
Web:
www.wikus.de
