The Transformation Phase Is on Its Way
Dear Colleagues,
In February of this year, following the initiative of CEO Markus Spanner, PI took over PGW, the Japanese specialist for precision granite. The Management Board sees PGW as a strategic extension of the technological basis of PI. In addition, the system competence of PGW allows for additional possibilities, to expand the business in the Asian market besides China. With the successful take over negotiations, a multilevel integration program started at the end of February.
The first phase, which is officially called Integration Phase, was completed at the beginning of July. The Transformation Phase starts now. The goal of this phase is to generate synergies between PGW and PI's existing business and so utilize the expertise of PGW as best as possible. Primarily to increase the benefits for our customers – from which the entire PI Group will profit.
"Many sets of issues had to be elaborated during the Integration Phase to be able to move into the Transformation Phase, which has now started," explains Dick Moerman, who leads the project together with the General Manager of PI Japan Takuma Yagi. Moerman points out: "We dealt with topics in Technology, Operations, Marketing & Sales, HR, company culture, and leadership. The goal was to integrate PGW into the PI Group so that the day-to-day business of PGW could go on as undisturbed as possible – and in the future prospectively within PI".
The Transformation Team must now make the value that PGW has for PI transparent in the entire company group and so generate synergies. For this purpose, a Leadership Team, a Technology Team, and a Communication Team were formed.
The goal of the Leadership Team is to explain the "big picture" and to shape the future focus of PGW. Defining the continuously growing company structure is part of this process. Takuma Yagi, who in the future has the overall responsibility for PI Japan and PGW, and NI Wang from PI Japan work in the Leadership Team with Markus Spanner and Dick Moerman from Headquarters and with Tomofumi Muraoka and Yasuhiro Iwata from PGW.
To collaborate in the Design Centers, a team was created with one representative each from the four locations: Japan (PGW): Mr. Muraoka; China: Yin, Hailong ; USA: Greene, Phil ; Eschbach: Meienburg, Dr. Wolfgang . The original strategic approach remains unchanged: PGW will become the "Design Center Engineered System (ES)" for the Asian market (with the exception of China). The basis for this decision is PGW's expertise in precision granite and the already existing system know-how. In collaboration with the other Design Centers, customer projects will be assigned according to region, competence, and resources. Each Design Center must provide its know-how in order to handle customer projects in the best possible way. The project ownership remains in the region where the project originated. Furthermore, PGW's know-how in precision granite will form the basis for the business in Japan and the ES activities. In addition, PGW shall become the preferred supplier of precision granite within PI – at least for Asia, but ideally even globally.
The Communication Team, consisting of Frueh, Laura and Manabe, Michiko, will accompany the progress of the Transformation Phase and will strategically manage the communication activities.
"I would like to thank everyone involved that the Integration Phase was successfully completed within the project schedule. With the start of the Transformation Phase we proceed with the next important step in further developing and completely integrating P•G•W, " Yagi, Takuma is certain of it and Moerman, Dick confirms it.
Best regards
| Takuma Yagi | Dick Moerman |
| Managing Director PI Japan | Corporate Development |