KNF 2025 Strategy
In 2010, the year that KNF sets its objectives for the coming years, the world is on the brink of great change. Following the global financial crisis of 2008/2009, international data exchange has accelerated dramatically. The economy has entered a new phase of globalization. KNF, too, finds itself in the midst of a radical transition. Analyses show new opportunities for growth opening up all over, from already familiar territory to the Asian market. But growth alone does not suffice in a world where enormous amounts of data have begun to race through ultra high-speed broadband networks and artificial intelligence is turning the work environment on its head. KNF has to think outside the box and restructure its organization. This gives rise to the idea of a long-term roadmap – the KNF 2025 strategy with its overarching target of ambitious growth. Now, in 2021, we have come to recognize two things: The financial objectives seem to be achievable, but the driving forces are not the ones that we expected.
KNF executive staff meeting 2010. Martin Becker looks around the room at the KNF company general managers from all over the world. He shares his plan for an ambitious 15-year development strategy that extends well beyond measurable target figures. He also talks about the immense amount of work that lies ahead, about the courage to change and about foresight. Martin Becker has steeled himself for objections and reservations. But to his surprise, his idea is met with great enthusiasm. “It was as if everyone had been waiting for a starting shot the whole time,” the company group owner remembers.
After this executive staff meeting the real work begins. The KNF 2025 strategy is discussed and filled with life at regional meetings across the globe, from the Black Forest to Cape May, New Jersey, to Hong Kong. Concrete plans are made, detailed plans of action are developed. Guiding the way is the objective of tripling the KNF Group’s sales over the next 15 years.
But non-quantifiable objectives are set, too. Thus, the KNF Group Board gets founded. This new management level creates functions in strategic leadership and makes space for fresh momentum, as the Group Board members have previously held operative and strategic responsibility in their KNF companies. “We eventually reached our limits there.”
The digitalization strategy is one of the first successful projects led by the Group Board. They begin by taking stock region by region. Then, up to 40 participants of a wide range of ages from numerous different cultures come together in international meetings. They manage to lay the foundation for a new company culture focused on transparency and open communication – a true success. Implementation follows suit immediately. New tools are introduced that allow employees to work from anywhere, an advancement which has proven particularly beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic. KNF also introduces an internal social media platform and founds the KNF Digital Acceleration Center (DAC) in Hamburg. The DAC supports the company group in its efforts to better connect with its own members of staff as well as customers and partners in industry and research. And that is where the future lies. “We cannot possibly specialize in every single field,” Martin Becker explains, “so we have to collaborate strategically with specialists.” This allows KNF to be where the action is, for instance in the development of innovative materials or new areas of application in medicine.
In 2021, KNF’s 75th anniversary year, CEO Martin Becker is taking a look at the progress made toward achieving the objectives of the KNF 2025 strategy. He comes to the conclusion that, while the company may have changed course many times due to unforeseen events and new turning points, KNF is growing just as planned – just in different ways.
“Founding a separate company to act as an internal service provider for the digital transformation of the KNF Group was certainly not part of the plan when we created the KNF 2025 strategy. The same is true for the establishment of KNF Micro as a product center for micro gas pumps to resolutely concentrate on the growth potential of this market.”
Who knows which obstacles might lie ahead? After all, the world is still in constant change. But if we have learned anything from the KNF 2025 strategy, it is that good times always follow the bad. And that it is worth keeping our eyes on the common goal on the horizon. This has always been motivation enough for the KNF Group’s team, even when the going gets tough. “It is for this exact reason that I don’t like to sail by sight,” says Martin Becker. “In the fog I better carry a compass. And possibly a nautical chart as well, come to that.”
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