At the Endress+Hauser Annual Media Conference 2021, senior management explained how the company had remained resilient across a challenging 2020, matching customer expectations while doing their utmost to protect employees, and maintaining their key focuses on digitalisation, company diversification and climate ambitions
Taking centre stage, Matthias Altendorf, CEO of Endress+Hauser, explained how financially the company had, so far, come through the pandemic relatively well. Business had suffered more acutely in the Middle East, Africa and the Americas but was much more stable across the European and Asian markets. As a result, although sales did decline globally, profitability was maintained at a relatively high level and the financial strength of the company did not suffer - a positive they put down to the commitment of their employees and the enthusiasm of their customers.
While coping with Covid-19 restrictions, Altendorf continued, E+H maintained reliable service, accommodating for aircraft and ship connection disruptions. At times this called for flexible solutions such as holding back and storing 8,800 European shipments until customers were able to receive deliveries, or utilising alternative transportation such as rail which had the added benefit of reduced climate footprint.
Turning to company expansion, Altendorf commented, “Our goal is to accelerate digitalisation in our products in collaboration with customers and in all internal processes. Without our digital workplaces and powerful IT infrastructure we would never have been able to relocate activities to the virtual space. Today we train our customers by offering online seminars and show our products via virtual trade fairs. Our instruments feature high performance electronics and can be easily integrated into the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). They monitor themselves and thus offer a maximum security against unexpected failures. If faults do occur, the device and diagnostic data help to quickly identify the problem, even remotely.
“On top of that, we launched our visual support app last year enabling our service engineers to remotely support our customers on their plants. Using a camera they can obtain a picture of the situation and show what has to be done on the monitor. We have carried out more than 750 such service calls already, even factory acceptance tests at our plants are being performed remotely. We have also put our own production facilitates into operations digitally. Our customers have long been able to conclude a wide range of transactions, selecting products, obtaining quotes, placing orders, tracking shipments, downloading documents which can all be done conveniently on Endress.com.”
In regards to cyber security, E+H has received three important certifications in recent weeks showing they fulfil the highest standard in this area. This is also evidenced by their CPace technology, a protocol for secure access to field devices through interfaces such as Bluetooth which the IETF has chosen as a recommended method for use in internet standards.
Outside of the digital world Altendorf recounted how the company was pursuing expansion across the globe supported by large scale investment projects in which most of the 200 million Euro capital expenditure went to expanding production at various sites.
Altendorf said, “We also worked on new products solutions and services in 2020 without cutting corners. We filed 276 new patent applications last year, only 42 fewer than 2019, with 40 new products being introduced to the market. This year that number should reach as high as 74.”
New innovative products include the second generation of Memosens for liquid analysis. This features inductive power and communication, can be pre-calibrated in the lab and easily swept out on site for use in IIoT environments. The new generation sensors can record and store an incomparable large amount of data for in-depth analysis and precise process control. This forms the foundation of predictive maintenance concepts.
Also on offer is a new family of laser based gas analysers from Endress+Hauser’s subsidiary SpectraSensors. The new platform utilises a transmitter as well as pressure and temperature sensors manufactured by Endress+Hauser while SpectraSensors contributed by perfecting its own Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) technology that can be used to precisely measure the smallest concentrations of substances. The J22 TDLAS Gas Analyser detects traces of moisture in gases, important to prevent corrosion build up in pipelines for example.
Switching to responsibilities for the company, Altendorf noted that the company has a highly diverse staff already with over 100 different nationalities in employment and a workforce made up of 30% women. However the company is planning to continue this drive for female employment and recruit more women for key positions, expecting to make up 30% management by 2030 (twice as many as today).
Over the last few years EH has shrunk its ecological footprint with the group's CO2 emissions falling from 10.1 to 8.9 tonnes/Euro million in sales. The experience from the pandemic will flow into the new strategy 2027 programme to be rolled out in the second half of 2021. This will update their current strategy focusing on digitalisation, analysis strategy, the internationalisation of the business, and to sustain focus and set the right priorities regarding the environment.
