Our KNF Leitbild Culture
The KNF Leitbild positions us in the market, signals our collective values and offers a reference point for our dealings with one another, with customers and with business associates. It provides the impulse for our business strategy, generates an enthusiasm for creative solutions and points towards our sustained success.
Who we are
We are a family business with an international presence and a tradition of imaginative engineering. Every part of the company is responsible for itself as described by this Leitbild. Together we are the quality leader worldwide in our technology for gas and liquid transmission.
Our understanding of quality
Wherever we interface with our customers, there is KNF quality: innovative products, qualified consulting, first class service, a friendly approach, smooth business processes and a well-organized worldwide network. To us, quality means: ascertaining and sensing the needs of our customers, both now and in the future; understanding and creating customer demands; reaching clear agreements, then satisfying those agreements by meeting our customers’ expectations.
This counts as much within the company as it does externally. We are all at the same time both a customer and a supplier. Our thoughts, ideas and activities are all directed towards the constant improvement of all quality processes. Always as simply and as effectively as possible. The quality of our work is measured by customer satisfaction.
The shape of our internal cooperation
We foster an atmosphere of trust for creativity, job satisfaction and accountability. We respect each other and our differences. What we have in common is the motivation to act for the benefit of the entire KNF group. We work in teams like the organs in an organism. Each team has its own clearly agreed key responsibilities, goals and scope for decision-making. Everyone has access to all the information they need to determine their own operational procedures, to control the results and to organize cooperation with other teams themselves. We strengthen our cooperation through open communication, mutual respect and support, reliability and the will to perform. We share knowledge and experience and rise to meet our tasks. If we make mistakes, we admit them, correct them immediately, and tackle the causes. We will say so when we think something is good, offer constructive criticism and resolve conflicts early. We lead by personal example.
How we perform a customer role in working with businesses associated with us
We choose our business associates carefully with a view to long-term collaboration for our mutual success. Competence, reliability and fairness are essential to us. We respect the interests of our associates, while at the same time stressing our expectations in regard to quality. By regularly sharing experiences, we value the opportunities and results of our collaboration, and we ensure that problems are recognized and resolved in good time.
Our contribution to society
We acknowledge a local and global responsibility. To committed people we offer the prospect of a rewarding career. With innovative products and solutions, we strive to protect the environment and promote public health. We favor environmentally sound production- and logistical processes, and we optimize the use of our resources.
This is how we innovate
Innovation for us means doing new things, doing things differently, or ceasing to do some things altogether. It is by doing all of this that we remain innovative worldwide in products and processes. With courage and imagination we create new ways in business thinking. We seize on every suitable opportunity to innovate. We have high levels of curiosity and are almost always ahead of the game.
Safeguarding our future
The confidence our customers have in us, our enthusiasm and the success of our company all secure a promising future ahead. We invest in our education, research and development. We train to improve our communication and team skills, our ability to solve problems and to make decisions. We strengthen our vitality with a positive mixture of employees of varying age, experience and expertise.
We provide continuity with forward-looking succession planning. We grow step by step. A sound risk-management gives us the confidence to take calculated risks. We realize our Leitbild by engaging in exemplary ways of thinking and patterns of behavior. We remain independent and we are proud of our reputation.
