ROTO: Support for customers, in order to increase their efficiency 

Roto Frank is the leading company in technologic terms for the field of hardware systems designated to equip the thermal insulating joinery. The company was founded 80 years ago in Stuttgart, by Wilhelm Frank and has the headquarters nowadays in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. The operational activity occurs through 13 production plants distributed worldwide, and the distribution network includes 21 sales subsidiaries, as well as an important number of official partners. The product range consists of hardware systems for tilt, turn, tilt & turn, slide, tilt & slide, fold & slide, lift & slide openings. The extended portfolio also includes mechanical and electromechanical multi-point locking systems for entrance doors, superior devices for window shutters, electronic accessories etc. Recently, Roto Frank top management appointed a new general manager for South-Eastern Europe, in the person of Martin Graé, who will further present the new strategy of the group for this region.

 

- In 2014, our company achieved consolidated sales of almost 641 million euro, with 13 production sites and 21 branch sales offices, worldwide.
- Which are the main benchmarks of Roto strategy of development in Eastern Europe and, of course, in Romania?

- The future has always an origin. The company’s founder Wilhelm Frank was an inventor, a technician and a businessman. With his ideas, like the first industrially manufactured Tilt & Turn hardware produced in 1935, he became a pioneer. With this great history we have also a great responsibility. In this meaning, the Roto divisions ensure exemplary customer closeness worldwide, with a high level of expert knowledge, intercultural understanding and personal commitment. We also focus on investments. We bring additional improvement of the ability to deliver, expansion of hardware technology for doors, to a complete product range and establishment of specialist sales for door technology. Roto has secured for itself in the last years a recognized advantage in the „Lean consulting” field. In the near future, we intend to apply this expertise in all the economical areas, including South East Europe, which will strengthen our advantage - of course, for the benefit of our customers.
- Could you make an assessment regarding the Roto market quota in the countries in this region and the prospects for next period?

- In 2013, Roto was able to gain market shares on most of its markets. For the South-Eastern Europe market, we achieved a share of 10.3% from the total turnover of Roto worldwide. We differentiate ourselves by offering our customers more benefits than the competition. This is the basis for a positive economic development in the company. We promote any activities which increase our own performance and are really noticeable for our customers. We support our customers in growing the efficiency of their production. The driving force of all our internal processes is to meet our customers’ requirements.
- How did your company manage to overcome the economic crisis?

- Every crisis has a good part, because people begin to analyze with a more critical approach the results and the actions. And this is how they start to optimize processes, to minimize waste, in one word, to think „lean”. Our main objectives in this period were to improve the customer benefit and performance. To achieve these targets, we developed our workforce individually. With regular employee meetings, we always reflect on the previous year, define new objectives and identify necessary development needs. This is a significant component of our management strategy, because one of the Roto principles is making customer needs „our concern” and we can do this only with high qualified and motivated employees, who are able to live daily the values of Roto.
- What horizon of expectations do you have regarding the evolution of European fenestration industry, in general?

- Besides the economic and social conditions, very different from one country to another, one thing is decisive: the ability of the window and door manufacturers to adapt more quickly their products according to the current requirements. As the years go by, significant changes are happening, the markets are quickly moving from prosperity to austerity. For example, the energy efficiency trend is more and more present, or the preferences regarding the design trends are changing. We are trying to recognize and to react more quickly than in the past to such trends.
- Name several elements you intend to implement on Romanian market in order to give a momentum to this market.

- This year, Roto Romania is focusing on the sliding product groups, such as Patio Lift and Patio Fold, the window handle product group Roto Samba etc. As a service for our customers - Roto Con Orders - the online „hardware configurator” will be implemented to the Romanian market.
At BAU 2015, in Munich, we showed how Roto is investing manpower in projects made by visionary architects. The results are customized solutions, worldwide, perfectly documented and intensively discussed with customers in different markets. So it can develop, from an innovative individual solution to general hardware solutions, which can become series production. Roto Patio Inowa, the innovation for sliding systems is an example. Starting from the idea, to series production.
- Provide more information about the new online „hardware configurator”.

- Through Roto Con Orders, tailored hardware parts lists can be created easily and quickly. This is why the number of window fabricators and dealers making intensive use of the program is growing all over the world. The software is popular with users because it takes just a few mouse clicks and entries to generate a window-specific parts list, along with a technical illustration for all standard window shapes and opening types. Recently there were added elements that allow our customers to adapt the user interface and how results are displayed more closely to their individual needs. Another important issue is represented by the newly designed user interface with customer and material master data management. In this way, Roto Con Orders become a comprehensive system for quotation management. Quotations and orders can be created, parts lists exported, data records imported etc.

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