Kern User-Forum 2024: Great interest and many visitors in Schwäbisch Hall
Innovative products and services of the future. Great interest and many visitors in Schwäbisch Hall.
‘We are delighted that so many customers and partners have accepted our invitation,’ said Rainer Rindfleisch (CEO Kern GmbH), welcoming all guests to the Kern User-Forum 2024 in Schwäbisch Hall. ‘I wish you informative and eventful hours,’ said Rindfleisch, who also thanked the host, Schwäbisch Hall Facility Management GmbH.
Stefan Wüthrich, CEO of the Kern Group, spoke about the vision of the family-run company: ‘We combine tradition and modernity, stand for reliability and rely on a trusting relationship with our customers,’ said Wüthrich, adding: ‘You can rely on the quality of our products and our Kern service.’ Wüthrich emphasised the team and networking concept that is practised at all levels within the Kern Group. The full focus is on the three business areas kernMail, kernService and kernPack. ‘We will not forget the roots of the company,’ said the CEO, referring to the inserting business, which has significantly characterised Kern for many decades. ‘We are there for you and are always available as a contact partner,’ Wüthrich concluded his presentation on the direction of the Kern Group.
‘The overall package is crucial,’ said Daniel Wenger, Head of the kernMail business unit, pointing out that both the products and the service at Kern go hand in hand. The secret to success is the standardised platform concept that forms the basis for all inserting systems. ‘Nevertheless, we always adapt our systems to the customer's wishes, we have this flexibility,’ emphasised Wenger: ’We look at each project individually.’ Wenger presented the Kern 1600 in detail as a highly flexible system that is available in a wide variety of versions, from the simple version with insert feeder only to the multi-channel system. He described the Kern 3200 as a modular multi-format inserting system with maximum flexibility and reliability. ‘This is the best system Kern has ever built,’ said Wenger. The Kern 3600 high-performance inserting system is also still very much in demand because it impresses with maximum efficiency and productivity.
Finally, he presented several cut sheet feeders, for example the Kern 972, which is designed for medium to large job volumes. The document stapling function was clearly presented in the afternoon in the practical part of the user forum. His presentation ended with a look into the future: ‘We are continuously working on selective improvements in terms of accessibility, usability and error handling,’ said Wenger.
Ricardo Posocco Malleiro, Manager Service Germany, spoke about kernService. Under the heading ‘Digitalisation and automation’, he talked about AI-controlled assistants and explained everything worth knowing about the customised kernService. Sustainability and social responsibility play just as big a role in the development of the business environment as flexibility in all areas. Posocco Malleiro introduced the experienced team behind Kern Service, which guarantees high quality with fast response times across the board. He took a detailed look at the service of the future, presenting remote service, augmented reality and omnichannel communication. Marius Rump from Product Support talked about the ticket system: Customer support was expanded this year with the Jira service management software. The web-based application offers customers the opportunity to contact the core service quickly and easily 24/7 and to keep a constant eye on the processing status. Rump illustrated in detail the workflow of the new system, which is already being used in practice by 20 customers and is to be comprehensively established in the future.
Raphael Bartz, Head of Sales and Marketing, concluded the theoretical part by presenting the portfolio of Schwäbisch Hall Facility Management GmbH (SHFM). As a subsidiary of Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall AG, SHFM has a large customer base from many industries and manages the business and daily mail of renowned companies, among other things. The full-service partner offers all services relating to preparation, printing, dispatch, mail consolidation and input management.
The practical part in the afternoon focussed on a Kern 3200 flash and a Kern 1600 fast. Both systems were shown in operation and impressed the guests with their respective strengths. Daniel Wenger explained the various functions and applications and emphasised that the degree of customisation for all Kern systems is closely coordinated with the customer. ‘We see ourselves as partners and work on a solution until you are satisfied,’ emphasised Wenger.
Over 100 existing customers, potential customers and business partners attended the Kern user forum, which was enriched by an exhibition at which a total of ten Kern Group partners presented themselves.
Author
Marketing Kern AG