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From the world of KWS
Work steps in indigo dyeing
Cultural heritage to take home
300 meters of linen cloth, 27 work steps lasting several weeks, and the centuries-old indigo dyeing method were needed to create the gift for participants in the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on December 17: 800 tea towels in the KWS look made for the company in the workshop of the Einbecker Blaudruck store. Each of these unique items embodies a very special tradition: Indigo dyeing was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in November 2018.
In this technique, which dates back almost 350 years, the desired pattern is first imprinted in a dye-resistant mass, called a paste, using a wooden stamp. Once the mass has dried, the fabric is dyed. The paste is then washed out again, leaving the pattern in the fabric’s natural shade of color. |
Ulf Ahrens is in charge of production at Einbecker Blaudruck. The paste is applied to the cloth via the printing block. The fabric webs to be printed can be up to eight meters long
The paste is applied to the printing block with the pattern
Ulf Ahrens marks where he will imprint the pattern using the printing block
Ulf Ahrens cuts the cloth to size
The paste itself is colorless; however, it is dyed so as to be visible
Now to the dyehouse: The fabric webs are stretched helically on what is called a star frame so that the cloth does not touch itself during dyeing
The cloth is placed in the dye bath (termed a “vat”) with the aid of the star frame
The cloth is removed from the star frame after it has been dyed
The cloth is rinsed out to remove the paste
Various water baths are used for rinsing
The dripping-wet dyed cloths are taken to the loft, where they hang to dry for up to two days. They are then put through the mangle
Customer centricity in Poland
Focus on the customer
“In the past, the three Business Units Corn, Cereals and Sugarbeet have worked independently focusing on developing the individual crops,” explains José Manuel Bustos Aguirre, Lead of the Customer Centricity project in Poland. That’s why each Business Unit was responsible for its own sales, marketing, product development and Agro Service.
Customer centricity puts the focus on the interests of farmers. “No longer thinking in terms of single crops, but looking at things from the customer’s vantage point,” says José Bustos.
KWS is therefore complementing its expertise as a seed specialist with a holistic customer perspective across all crops. The sales teams supplement their approach by addressing farmers’ needs and objectives with KWS’ entire portfolio of products and services – without being confined to one specific crop.
Most farmers grow several crops and therefore often have different contact persons at KWS – which means they do not get a comprehensive overview of the solutions that KWS has to offer, something that is interesting for matters such as feed, for example.
It enables the team to work better together with a joint marketing team, as well as technical and administrative support. Consequently, KWS can strengthen customer loyalty by offering additional services.
After almost two years of planning, KWS is now launching the project for the first time in a real market in June 2020. Poland is a suitable country for that for several reasons: It is the fifth-largest market for KWS in terms of net sales and plays a relevant role in all crops. The agricultural sector in Poland is also undergoing consolidation at present.
The goal is to implement and optimize the model in Poland. Whereas each Business Unit used to have its own management for each country, Poland will be led by one Country Manager for all business segments. The current Country Managers for all Business Units will lead key teams that will likewise work across all the crops. “Having one Country Manager for the whole country is a big step for us,” says José Bustos.
The management team
Łucasz Wawrzyniak will be Country Manager when the project is launched in Poland and will guide the Polish team in implementing the new structure. He has been Poland’s Country Manager at the Business Unit Sugarbeet up to now.
Wawrzyniak will report to a Management Board consisting of the project lead Bustos together with the regional directors of the various Business Units in Poland. Peter Hofmann from the Executive Board will have overall responsibility for the project; Global Marketing & Communications will supply the framework for the basic principles. |
Meeting in Serbia
Logisticians among themselves
The 13th Supply Chain Workshop was held at the Bečej production site in Serbia from September 24 to 26, 2019, and gave the 44 KWS colleagues who attended from all over the world the chance to share notes and ideas for innovations in production and logistics.
The focus for the Business Unit Corn was on presenting RFID technology. Each sack is tagged with an RFID chip and so can be tracked all the way from production to the customer. “That optimizes delivery routes,” says Manuel Grascha, Project Manager Logistics.
Consistent warehouse management
The second technology on view at the production plant was the SAP module WMS. Further locations may soon be able to use this warehouse management system to handle incoming and outgoing goods.
The Business Unit Sugarbeet concentrated on rollout of the product CONVISO® SMART with reports on that from the participating countries.
Other topics included procurement of logistics services, challenges relating to wheat, and country reports from Brazil and Slovakia. |
INTERNATIONALIZATION
myKWS rolls out digital consulting globally
Users of the digital consulting platform KWS CULTIVENT can now enjoy a highly personalized service. At its heart is a new, dynamic homepage presenting content that matches the interests of the specific customer. “Instead of disseminating information indiscriminately, we’re tailoring what is shown precisely to the needs of our customers, the current situation in the region and the course of the year,” says Mario Klass, Lead of Customer Management.
The principle: After farmers register and indicate what crop they are particularly interested in, they are shown related news, calculators and expert tips. They can also find their personal consultant in the region by entering their postal code. “These services are technologically state-of-the-art,” adds Klass. And what’s even better: The digital consulting platform can now also be used by farmers from France, the UK, Italy and Poland under the name “myKWS.” “The wide range of services also includes top tools like Satellite Dry Matter Monitoring, the Beet Seed Service and the Corn Seed Service.”
The goal is to enable even more users internationally to benefit from these digital tools by the end of 2020: “Our objective is to serve ten to twenty new markets moving ahead,” says Klass. |
Info:
Mario Klass
mario.klass@kws.com
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