The story: I started my career at the DRÄXLMAIER Group exactly 20 years ago. For two years, I took a break from logistics and experimented with day-to-day life as an entrepreneur. Still, in the end, I chose to return to DRÄXLMAIER being convinced by the company’s values, organizational culture and countless opportunities for professional development. At first, I focused on logistics out of curiosity, but I realized very soon that it suits me very well, having found exactly what I needed: to use and develop my technical knowledge, communication skills, logical thinking and, last but not least, to energize myself every day. I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to choose, and I am grateful to all those who believed in me from the beginning and trusted my professionalism. My parents and educators were my first mentors, and they played the foundation for my growth as an individual. Working in several DRÄXLMAIER Group locations directly with hundreds of people from different cultures and educational backgrounds around the world, I learned from each and every one. The results started to show gradually over time and helped me become the person and professional I am today.
Being Logistics Manager at DRÄXLMAIER Brașov
As a logistics department, we ensure the supply chain’s functionality with an extended team’s help. We are responsible for securing raw materials and maintaining relationships with suppliers; receiving and warehouse processes; production planning and communication with customers; functioning of complex production planning systems; planning the packaging of materials and transport operations; and delivering components to customers according to their requirements. My role as logistics manager is to coordinate the team and activities so that we can honour customer requirements while meeting the performance indicators of the DRÄXLMAIER Group. We are all an essential part of the complex system of a production plant. A logistics manager in the automotive industry must first understand the production processes and then apply the specific knowledge of supply chain management. He or she must possess also organizational and leadership skills. A team has a chance to succeed when it is backed by adequate and flexible logistics that understand all requirements.
Hard skills vs. soft skills in logistics
There are several skills needed to integrate people into a logistics coordination team. For our colleagues working in warehouses, there are different selection criteria. The first necessary condition is good knowledge of a foreign language like English or German. Technical, economic or IT studies are also important, but not absolute criteria. I have had several opportunities to work with people with different backgrounds who have adapted well to the requirements and brought added value and creativity. Soft skills are also necessary. I am convinced that every newcomer to our team has the chance to improve these skills through personalized training and with the support of colleagues. Trust, understanding and the right guidance can work wonders in the development of a professional.
2020-2021 …. The challenges
The biggest challenge was the pandemic itself, as there were no clear alternative concepts or solutions from the beginning. I think we have adapted very well to the situation at all levels of the organization. This transition to remote work and digitization has already found us ready with the necessary equipment (hardware, communication networks, internet connections, etc.), and the flexibility of our colleagues has completed this adaptation process. The safety measures that were implemented made it possible to return to work in the office and close to the production lines. Our production and logistics processes have been harmonized. We have been and are ready for digital transformations and challenges of any kind. The road to implementing the Industry 4.0 concept in the DRÄXLMAIER Group began many years ago. Digitization, automation of logistics processes, integration of collaborative robots are clear directions within the Group. We pride ourselves on being innovation leaders in sustainable technologies in the automotive industry.
The objective for 2021 and beyond
We will focus on the dynamic adaptation of the logistics services portfolio to the clear trends of electromobility in the automotive market, but we will also continue to focus on managing our resources in an efficient way.
