Kaba's newly consolidated market positioning in Europe enhances distribution efficiency by allowing customers and partners to conduct all their businesses through a single sales organisation (‘one face to the customer'). The conversion is effective as of July 1 2006 in Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria, while the other markets will follow later in the financial year. In Switzerland, the Door Systems organization will remain independent.
The successful channel-management model, which combines direct and indirect distribution, will be transferred to regional market organisations (RMOs) in order to function closer to customers. Cooperation with distribution partners will be intensified, as they will receive all the products and solutions from a single source.
"We want to become more effective in the market by simplifying our business processes and working closer with our customers. We will coordinate our activities more efficiently, serve our customers better and optimise synergies between door systems, access control and data collection solutions", states Ulrich Wydler, Head of Access & Data Systems EMEA division.
In Germany, a consolidated regional market organisation has been created by merging the sales organisations of Kaba Door Systems and Kaba Benzing GmbH with Kaba GmbH, headquartered in Dreieich near Frankfurt. This subsidiary is headed by the general manager, Michael Hensel. His deputies are Karl Göhlert, former general manager of the Kaba Benzing sales organisation, and Dr. Reinhard Schramm, head of the operational unit for international contracting business.
In France, the merger took place between Kaba Benzing S.A.S and Kaba S.à.r.l., creating a new company Kaba S.A.S., stationed in Paris. This company is led by Jean-Daniel Rohmer as President; his deputy is Christophe Conan as Director General. The door systems unit, already part of Kaba S.à.r.l., is headed by Bertran Fournier, Director.
In Switzerland, Kaba Benzing AG was merged into Kaba AG, located in Wetzikon near Zurich. The company is headed by Hanspeter Padrutt. Daniel Christen, former head of Kaba Benzing AG takes over the leadership of the Data Collection unit within Kaba AG. The door systems unit, Kaba Gilgen AG remains independent, headed by Jakob Gilgen, who is also member of the Executive Committee and global head of the Door Systems division.
In Austria, the newly combined sales organisation encompasses Kaba Benzing GmbH and Kaba GmbH, in Herzogenburg near Vienna, headed by Thilo Deutsch and his deputy Jörg Riedl, former general manager of Kaba Benzing GmbH.
Technological developments and an increasing need for integrated solutions have led to rising demand for harmonised components and complete solutions available through a single source. Operational comfort and cost control are among the customers' core requirements. But customers do not wish to forego the services of local locksmiths. Neither do they want to limit their options by accepting only the standard software packages of system providers. They want customised software solutions, selected out of a wide range of options. With the new organisational structure, which is based on the concept of regional market organisations (RMOs), Kaba secures the premise to satisfy these needs with optimised costs and in their entirety.
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