Compressed Air Best Practices-August 2008

F cus Indu Focus Industry COMPRESSED AIR AUDITS P SSED D UDITS | 08/08 | Hasn’t Kaeser invested a lot in compressor controllers? Comprehensive system controls is the area with the most potential for energy savings. End-users can save thousands of dollars annually in utility costs — and in today’s competitive environment that’s money no one can afford to leave on the table. But rather than requiring expensive, one-of-a-kind and custom-programmed control systems, Kaeser was the first company to offer an off-the-shelf master air system controller. Our Sigma Air Manager (SAM) monitors and controls up to 16 air compressors plus system accessories. SAM balances service hours, prevents simultaneous motor starts and, unlike cascade sequencers, maintains tight pressure control for great energy savings. What are some challenges facing Kaeser? Fortunately, the challenges we face are the ones businesses want to have. Now that we are successfully established in the Western Hemisphere, we must continue to offer all customers the same level of service and professionalism they have come to expect from Kaeser, and we must provide the same level of service in all markets. When we invoice or quote a customer, it must be in a consistent manner. A large corporate account wants to see the same kind of detailed invoice in Miami as they do in Georgia. In the early 1990s, we invested in a comprehensive SAP system which allows quotes to be built into orders and factored into inventory management. This decision not only played a large role in helping us manage our growth successfully, it is the backbone of our ongoing efforts to standardize operations worldwide. What kind of people does Kaeser hire? Kaeser employees are smart, hard-working and loyal. We place the highest priority on hiring the right people and doing everything we can in the interview process to make sure we have the right person for the job. It doesn’t help to have a good product and the right strategy if you don’t have the right people. Education is important, but education levels are usually pretty similar. Between the two of us, we have personally interviewed every manager who works at Kaeser because it’s often more of an intuitive feeling. How do you feel when you interview them? What do they bring to the table? We listen to what they say about teamwork experience — about loyalty. How do they talk about their family or their prior job? We look for longevity and consistency and people who portray persistence. Can we see them working for us 20 years from now? We recruit people who have the mindset that if one works hard and the company does well, they will also be successful in the long run. That’s how it is at Kaeser. That’s the type of person we hire. The Kaeser Sigma Air Manager Why are Kaeser products so well received? As a company, Kaeser invests a great deal of research to develop features which help customers — and we are often “ahead of the market.” In the 1980s, we offered features some of our competitors have just recently introduced. These traditional “Kaeser product features” include TEFC motors, standard sound-attenuating enclosures, pre-filtration, Wye-delta starters, belt-drives with automatic belt-tensioners, rubber feet, vibration isolators, floor panels — the list goes on and on. Our attention to detail and global standardization on equipment that brings value has really made the difference. Today, Kaeser is leading the way with true direct drive machines — not gear drives — all the way down to 25 hp. These one-to-one drives give our customers an extra efficiency in each machine. We were on the leading edge in units with space-saving integrated air dryers and variable speed drive units as well. How has Kaeser built such a loyal organization? While skills can be learned, loyalty cannot be taught. It must be earned. Kaeser has always been willing to hire young people, develop them and grow them in their career. We did this when we started the business and we do it today. This takes time and a lot of patience. It takes a lot of work from management as well and investments in training. The result, however, is our employees and distributors realize how important they are to us. Invariably the return on our investment is tremendous and a big part of that is loyalty. www.airbestpractices.com 39 http://www.airbestpractices.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Compressed Air Best Practices-August 2008

Compressed Air Best Practices- August 2008 Contents From the Editor Utility-Air News The August Audit of the Month: A Vacuum System Audit Energized for Savings at Seattle City Light and Tacoma Power Know Your System CASE: Compressed Air Supply Efficiency Ecos Air: Managing Incentive Programs Kaeser Compressors: Loyalty, Energy and Growth Building Relationships at Cummins-Wagner McIntire is Moving Forward The 2008 A.I.C.D. Conference & Exhibition Tuthill Vacuum and Blower Systems Resources for Energy Engineers: Training Calendar & Product Picks Wall Street Watch Advertiser Index Job Market

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