Gesine, you recently started the Spare Part Sales Department for the Americas. What made you want to switch from Supply Chain to Spare Parts?
I wanted a change from working in the Supply Chain. And I saw the benefit of utilizing my experience of being in the client's shoes. The Supply Chain Department focuses on finding the best solution for the best price. I know from experience how important it is to find a reliable partner that provides a reasonable price and workable lead times. Now, as the Director of Spare Part Sales, I know the client's pain points. And I can offer the parts they need when they need them for a fair price.
Let’s be honest. The market for spare parts is very competitive. Why do you think that anyone would choose to partner with Deutsche Windtechnik for their spare parts?
In the industry, we are known for finding hard-to-source parts where others tend to fail – that’s where we stand out. And that’s one of the reasons why our customers chose Deutsche Windtechnik. Our global infrastructure makes us the best-priced in the market. Also, we do more than sell parts. We are an independent service provider. Working with Deutsche Windtechnik will benefit the client by giving them the whole package if they need additional services. When you team up with our Spare Part Sales Team, you will also gain access to our engineering experts to complement our offering.
We pride ourselves on being efficient and transparent. Our clients can always count on us to provide them with the best customer service possible, which is tailored to meet their specific needs. To us, efficient communication is key to keeping our customers informed throughout the project. We believe in transparency and being open and honest about our capabilities as well as roadblocks. That way, we ensure that the expectations set for deliverables are realistic.
What has your experience been so far talking to clients?
Some clients need help identifying their long-term needs. Our experienced Engineers support them by providing data, so our clients can make informed decisions on parts consumption. Also, we practice the Lean Warehouse Principles just as much for Deutsche Windtechnik as for our clients: keeping stock levels according to past usage numbers and identifying which parts to keep in stock. Customers struggle to find reliable partners that deliver on their promises and help them identify the correct parts to maximize availability.
That's interesting. How can we guarantee that we can deliver?
Well, there is no guarantee. I have firsthand experience working for more than 5 years in the Supply Chain Department, so I plan to do whatever it takes to make my deliverables. The supply chain is unreliable, so we do our best by identifying the most critical parts and keeping them available in our local warehouse. A key differentiating factor is often the lead times of parts to reduce downtime.
The department is fairly new. Do you have a team in place? (or what’s the plan?)
Yes. We now have a designated team supporting our customers locally. This team comprises sales experts and technical specialists collaborating closely with our customers. The team's diverse experiences and backgrounds provide different strengths, such as building customer relationships, identifying customer needs, and providing customers with workable solutions. The goals of the Spare Parts Department are to support the entire business by being the one-stop shop for our customers and being their most trusted partner for all their spare parts needs.
