For several years now, the global automotive industry has been on an unprecedented high, both in terms of the number of units produced and in the development of new vehicles, their exterior and interior as well as the drive concepts.
Regardless of this development trend, automotive companies have always been the drivers of innovation in the area of ​​value chain design for most other industry segments. Nowadays, however, it is not enough to just rely on an optimal, lean value chain. Automation and digitalization must be integrated into production concepts in order to remain competitive. The speed of innovation and investments in R&D activities have gained significant momentum in recent years. This was primarily due to the driving force of the ever-increasing emergence of electromobility, autonomous driving and completely new mobility concepts.

Classic car manufacturers and their suppliers are now confronted with new competitors such as Tesla or Google.
This represents a threat to one's own livelihood, which must be taken seriously. The resulting innovation dynamic has resulted in a massive increase in the new start-up rate in production. These environmental changes and the trends towards “smart factories” lead to a multitude of complex start-up scenarios that are often difficult to map with the parent organization in terms of capacity and content. Until a few years ago, it seemed impossible for globalization efforts in the value chain to gain further momentum. The constant optimization of the “operations footprint” is now a central part of the strategic control loop of most industry companies.

Building on these strategic considerations, the relocation of machines and systems from A to B is now a standard measure and no longer an exception.
In addition to the high level of innovation and globalization dynamics, changes in society and demographics also have a particular impact on companies in the industry. Furthermore, despite strong financial strength, the lack of experienced managers repeatedly leads to situations that have to be filled on an interim basis.