Consumables

Innovative ideas are rewarded: Koehler awards employee suggestions

Monday 25. July 2022 - The aim is to motivate employees to question existing processes and conditions and to develop innovative suggestions for improvement which make everyday work easier or save costs. By using a modern idea management system, Koehler can continuously work on optimising business procedures and processes.

Koehler employees think along with the company and like to contribute their ideas. To encourage this, Koehler has a company suggestion scheme. The aim is to motivate employees to question existing processes and conditions and to develop innovative suggestions for improvement which make everyday work easier or save costs.
By using a modern idea management system, Koehler can continuously work on optimising business procedures and processes. Hartmut Felsch, audit committee chairman for the company suggestion scheme and plant manager at the Oberkirch site: “We are particularly proud this year, as 724 ideas were submitted last year alone, 136 more than in the previous year 2020. This underlines the importance of the suggestion scheme. The creativity and innovativeness of our employees are the driving force behind our continuous improvement. They know the operational processes best and can therefore point out targeted opportunities for improvement.”
Innovative ability is rewarded at Koehler
Around 77 per cent of all ideas from 2021 fall into the categories of work processes, plant safety and occupational health and safety. These include ideas that, for example, save electricity, increase production, optimise production time or improve occupational safety in the company.
A total of about 79,000 euros was paid out to the idea providers. The respective amount of the bonus depends on the assessed benefit of the idea for the company. In addition, a special raffle was held again with prizes totalling 12,000 euros. The main prize winner Martin Friedmann received 3,000 euros for his idea. Second prize went to Simon Riexinger and was awarded 2,000 euros. Third place with a prize of 1,000 euros went to Adrian Marx. The ideas concerned changes in plant technology in order to be able to carry out the respective work and process procedures for maintenance activities more efficiently. Another 24 winners each received 250 euros.