“We started from scratch!“ P3 consultant Dr. Stefan Siegler received an order from a tradition-rich plant construction company to redesign the production standardization of a high-grade steel mill. A great challenge, because it was about a complex product, which customers all over the world had ordered in very individual versions and in small numbers. “In this line of trade it’s common that deliberations of standardization start at the building components. We said from the outset, that this can’t be the right way!”

Siegler developed another approach with his team: „The key is always: What does my customer actually want? So we observed the market closely and determined that series for the production of different breadths were in demand.” Based on this the P3 consultants developed a concept for the production of standardized mills, which produced different sheet breadths.

In the process they weren’t afraid of a confrontation with the client. “At first the plant constructer saw the diverse customer demands as a big hurdle. But after we had defined the production series and standard modules, he realized the big advantage of this method”, recalls Siegler. The company was able to meet the customers’ demands and delivered perfectly fitting configurations. If a certain breadth wasn’t available the customers chose the model next in size. Although the steel mill practically was too wide for the sheets to be produced, the acquisition of a standard plant was significantly cheaper than a specially developed solution.

Siegler: “This way we completely turned the product range philosophy of the company upside down. With success!” After one year the development of mill plants was converted completely and concrete experiences were available. The production cost per plant decreased by up to 40 percent. P3 refined the method: “In principle the method can be applied anywhere, where it’s about products which are produced in very small numbers.” The standardization procedure for example was utilized in the shipbuilding sector and during the production of large chemical plants.