5 questions with Sven Christian Andrä

What does digital transformation mean to you?

To me, digital transformation means, first of all, that we need to develop the skills required to align a company's value creation process with its customers' needs. The word “digital” is misleading: in this context, technology is only a means to an end and not at the heart of transformation.

You are responsible for the KLiNGEL Group's digitisation strategy. Why is this such an important issue for your company?

The KLiNGEL Group looks back on almost 100 years of history and has repeatedly reinvented itself during this time to adapt to new opportunities and challenges. It is our duty to carry on this legacy and to ensure that the Group continues to live up to its responsibilities towards its customers, employees, shareholders and society. Especially for companies that have been highly focused on optimising their processes in recent years, customer centricity is a challenge. Customer orientation is deeply rooted in the DNA of the KLiNGEL Group, and I am therefore very optimistic that we will succeed in implementing this transformation.

You have worked in Germany and the USA. Do you notice any differences between these countries when it comes to digitisation?

I think that you can clearly see - especially in science and engineering - that the two countries have different approaches in education and training. While in the USA they put more emphasis on things like storytelling and team assignments, Germans focus more on theory, professionalism and "hard skills". As a result, Americans are sometimes more successful simply because they are better at explaining and presenting their ideas than their German counterparts. I also learned that everyday life in the USA, especially in large companies, is much more structured than in Germany, and I have noticed that individuals have much more freedom in Germany - quite in contrast to the general perception and the typical stereotypes that tend to suggest the opposite.

How important is data quality for the digitisation process?

Data quality is one of the key factors that enables us to adapt flexibly to new requirements and to avoid strict dependencies in our corporate structure. Only if, for example, we can rely on the quality of our product data, will we be able to use this data effectively anywhere in the company.

Which trends do you think are particularly important for your industry?

I am looking forward to the upcoming changes in the production of fabrics and clothing and their consequences. Whether, in the end, it's 3-D printing or other technologies, I believe this is where the most significant changes for the fashion industry will occur. For the mail order business, I suppose that sustainability will be the next big thing.