The global headquarters.

Step-by-step guide to setting up a new factory.

One of those responsible for ensuring that CLAAS remains CLAAS throughout the world is Bernd Schapmann, manager of the main combine harvester assembly line in Harsewinkel. He has worked for the Group for 32 years and has helped set up several international production plants. "Every site is treated the same way", he explains. "We implement the same CLAAS standards of quality everywhere."

We do this by guiding each production plant step-by-step along the way until it reaches the point of being able to manufacture independently. New plants start with the ‘semi-knocked down’ stage. This means that the employees on site assemble individual parts on a largely finished machine supplied by another plant. Harsewinkel supports them every step of the way, for example by providing parts lists and work plans.

Then comes the ‘completely knocked down’ stage. Now only some of the components and assemblies are supplied to the new plant. Others are sourced from local suppliers. The next stage is localisation: the plant purchases only individual parts from other CLAAS factories and sources the majority of parts from a supplier network. The final stage of development is reached when the new plant has found suppliers that are so good that other CLAAS plants also use them.

New production plants are closely supervised by Harsewinkel in the first few years. Experienced colleagues from the main factory are on site to provide assistance in all areas: management, planning, production and quality assurance. At the same time, staff from the new site receive training in Harsewinkel. "The main aim is to develop a common understanding of our standards", explains Schapmann. For example, how do you assess a paint defect and decide when it should be reworked?

"It's important to stress that at Harsewinkel we always act in an advisory role, we are never directive", says Schapmann. "If colleagues need help, we provide it, but we are not the centre of the universe."

New suppliers are carefully vetted.

The same is true of quality management, which is firmly embedded in every site as a dedicated function. The QM bosses report both within the matrix function and to Peter Schonefeld in the corporate function. He is Senior Director Corporate Quality & CLAAS Excellence System and is based in Harsewinkel.

But it's not about issuing unilateral instructions. "We work together across all our locations", stresses Schonefeld. The quality managers regularly speak to one another, agree targets relating to supplier performance, for example, or work together on quality-related projects.

When one factory is planning to produce a new product or feature, they select the necessary processes – incoming goods inspections or quality checks along the assembly line, for example – from a group-wide process landscape.

CLAAS also has standard procedures in place worldwide for checking suppliers. New suppliers are vetted as part of a comprehensive auditing process which involves assessing their technological expertise, supplier stability and financial figures.

The quality management departments at the various plants also cooperate during production. If deviations occur at one production plant which exceed a few parts per million, the QM managers agree internally who is to do the troubleshooting with the supplier.

Reciprocal visits.

Consistently outstanding products – that is the objective of the test engineering department under Stephan Dohmann. His department is responsible for working out the routines for testing machines at our locations all around the world. "Our challenge is to ensure that a machine in Harsewinkel is commissioned in almost exactly the same way as in Omaha, for example", explains Stephan Dohmann.

Test engineers at the different plants work with the test engineering centre in Harsewinkel to determine how a certain product should be tested and which hard- and software should be used.

In addition, specialist test engineers from Harsewinkel regularly visit our international locations to see how they operate and to exchange ideas with their colleagues. By the same token, test engineers from other production plants visit the CLAAS headquarters from time to time to keep abreast of changes to test engineering and commissioning procedures at Harsewinkel.

"The basic configuration of the test equipment still happens here in Harsewinkel in most cases", says Dohmann.

Link between Harsewinkel and Omaha.

Working together as equals is something that Lisane Volkeri also experienced during her time in Omaha. When she arrived there in 2018, the site was already in the localisation phase. So her job was to help prepare for the production of the new LEXION 8900–5300 under local conditions with parts sourced from local suppliers.

Volkeri was part of a team of six tasked with production planning. At which point in production is which component assembled using which tool and in which way? How long does this assembly step take? The team's job was to work out the answers to these questions and devise a work schedule.

"In a sense, I acted as the link with the main factory", says Volkeri. "I knew many people in Harsewinkel and could relay questions between the two factories." A small number of this generation of LEXION had already been assembled at the German factory. So there was experience in some areas. But the team in Omaha was constantly coming up with solutions which were of interest to Harsewinkel too.

“I still remember when we turned the keys in the ignition and the first machine to roll off the Omaha assembly line started up", explains Volkeri. “It was a fantastic feeling.” She returned to Harsewinkel in October 2019 with the job done and full-scale production of the new LEXION series about to begin. She would like to visit her old team in Omaha again soon. Hopefully the weather will be warmer this time.

Five facts about Harsewinkel.

1.

Harsewinkel is a town of 25,000 inhabitants in the Gütersloh district of North Rhine Westphalia. It lies in the predominantly agricultural Münsterland region.

2.

The history of the town goes back over 900 years. Harsewinkel was first mentioned in records in 1090. In the Middle Ages the town was famous for the Marienfeld Cistercian Monastery, which survives to this day.

3.

CLAAS has been based in Harsewinkel since 1919. The company's presence in the town has brought it nationwide recognition – and since 2013 it has been affectionately known as the ‘combine harvester town’.

4.

Covering an area of more than 100 square kilometres, Harsewinkel is classified as a large rural community. More than 65 percent of the area is used for agriculture.

5.

As well as machine and tool manufacturing, the town is home to companies in the recycling, food and beverages, automation and plant engineering industries.