The Stoelzle glass group has been manufacturing high quality for more than 200 years packaging glass for the areas pharmacy, perfumery and cosmetics, spirits, food and beverages.
The Department Medical laboratory glass offers comprehensive Laboratory equipment, instruments etc.
- Headquarters: Koeflach, Austria
- Around 200 employees
- Sales in 2021: EUR 416,5 million
- 9 production and decoration sites across Europe
- Since March 2021 also Stoelzle Glass USA (first American production plant)
"There is now a framework for innovation that we can build on to generate new innovative ideas in a targeted manner."
Digitization offensive and innovation management as drivers
The company was already aware of where the greatest potential lies: "The placement for Enabling Digital Innovation was carried out by the human technology cluster Styria, which repeatedly presents us with valuable funding offers. We saw untapped potential both on the part of digitalization and in the management of innovations, which we wanted to tackle in the course of the project - supported by specialist consultants," explains Niklas Zwettler, Head of Research & Development at the Stoelzle Glass Group, how the entry into EDI came about .
Win factors AI, QA in production and innovation tools
Thanks to EDI, the lack of awareness or the insufficient connection between buzzwords such as artificial intelligence, industry 4.0 and actual production, as well as innovation management that could still be expanded, could be placed on a new foundation: "We divided the project at our company: one part consisted of workshops to identify potential for artificial intelligence with employees from all areas of production. In the meantime, we have also started a pilot project in production that deals with the detection of irregularities," reports Niklas Zwettler. In the area of innovation, Stoelzle also dealt with the innovation strategy in workshop settings and sharpened it, especially with regard to the internal dimensions. In addition, the company was able to work with the EDI consultant to develop individual tools in order to be able to generate ideas more effectively itself.
EDI bears fruit
Thanks to the production employees who are now better integrated, it was possible to establish a first pilot project. The increased awareness and understanding of digitization and AI allows Stoelzle to think actively and jointly about possibilities, says Niklas Zwettler: "There is now a basic structure for innovation and ideas that you can build on. Because in an innovation workshop we learned how we can generate new, innovative ideas in a targeted manner. The basis for some exciting ideas in the areas of customer satisfaction and sustainability, such as refillable bottles, was already found in this workshop.” In order to be able to collect and implement these and other ideas in a structured way, a digital ideas platform was established, among other things .
Cooperation
"The cooperation was above all very uncomplicated," says a satisfied Niklas Zwettler: "HTS was more involved in an advisory capacity during the offer and selection phase, after which there was a lively exchange directly with the consultant for reports. We've got a lot of effective tools in our hands and now we have to build on them internally. In other words: The basic structure is there, now it's time to constantly develop further in order to advance digitization and innovation!"
