Strategy development and implementation for WFL Millturn Technologies

“3DSE’s focus on innovation and R&D as well as deriving the strategy from there has contributed significantly to the successful strategy development.

Norbert Jungreithmayr, CEO
WFL Millturn Technologies GmbH & Co. KG

WFL Millturn Technologies GmbH & Co.KG is the world’s leading supplier in the field of complete machining. The WFL management initiated a new strategy cycle in 2017 together with the board of Autania parent company. The central goals of the new strategy development were significant annual growth, repositioning in the market and to get the workforce on board. 3DSE was chosen to accompany the strategy development mainly for two reasons: the massive response to specific customer requirements, such as the integration of innovative methods for strategy development as well as 3DSE’s technology competence in engineering, in market segments relevant for WFL, in innovation and in R&D.

The strategy development for WFL took place in a series of two-day workshops. In the first workshop, the strategy team, consisting of WFL and Autania executives, developed the trend-setting “North Star” and the growth story. In order to clearly differentiate the company in the market, a competitive profile with the decisive competitive factors for the future was created. The second workshop aimed at developing the “Strategy Map”. The approach of 3DSE about success factors for the achievement of the North Star proved to be extremely helpful and provided in the same breath the essential levers for the achievement of the strategy goals, e.g. a continuous portfolio management, a process-oriented organization or a management culture adapted to it. In the third workshop, the strategy team planned the strategy implementation on the basis of the “Strategy Roadmap” and selected the initiatives to be focused on in 2018 and 2019 from a variety of possible options. Exemplary initiatives are the establishment of a Millturn Innovation Center and the addition of automation solutions to the service portfolio, which was already significantly advanced with the acquisition of FRAI Elektromaschinenbau in 2018.

The jointly developed and coordinated Vision, Mission, Strategy Map and Strategy Roadmap were a tangible and directly communicable result of the strategy development. The way in which consensus was achieved in the three consecutive workshops was positive for all those involved, as was the way in which employees were taken along on the road to strategy implementation. This was achieved through the growth story, a communication plan and a dialogue-oriented integration of employees in the communication events and training sessions.

“3DSE’s focus on innovation and R&D as well as deriving the strategy from there has contributed significantly to the successful strategy development“, says Norbert Jungreithmayr, CEO of WFL Millturn Technologies GmbH & Co.KG. “The technical and social competence of the people in charge and their understanding of WFL and our machines helped enormously to develop the strategic concepts together“.

2018 was the most successful financial year in WFL’s 25-year history. A double-digit growth in sales and an increase in the number of employees to over 400 set the direction for future strategy implementation. The 3DSE Management Consultants are happy to be part of the strategy implementation by means of semi-annual strategy reviews.