Bosch Rexroth moves…you win

Photo: Bosch Rexroth.

In the beginning of the new year, the company – which specializes in solutions for factory automation, mobile applications, machinery applications and engineering – expects to pack up and relocate its sales, product management and engineering staff to a new campus at 3465 North Service Road in Burlington. And that means big things for customers.

The new Burlington Customer Experience Centre, brings together what belongs together, “namely customers and innovations.” The 11,577-square-foot (1075 sq m.) space will house engineering, product management, customer service and sales in a single facility

Why create a one-stop shop?

Bosch Rexroth has established itself as a global specialist in custom gear hydraulics, electric drives and controls, technology, linear motion and assembly technology largely by developing its leading-edge technology in close partnership with customers and users.

The problem: in the past, it could sometimes be difficult for Canadian customers to visualize exactly how the company’s product and solutions could work for them.

The current Bosch Rexroth facility has no space for a showroom or demo area. “We would sometimes use our garage to put on a display,” says Marco-Jose Normandin, director of marketing for Bosch Rexroth Canada. “But it was not interactive.” In addition, engineering, sales and product management were spread between two buildings, making it challenging to work collaboratively from the beginning of the quoting process onward.

The new Burlington Customer Experience Centre consolidates all three functions in one space, creating a kind of one-stop-show for knowledge. Customers can come and “see what we can do with our virtual equipment displays,” says Normandin. Then they can consult the “brains” – the engineers and product managers who can help them design and answer questions related to their own specific projects, as well as get a handle on costs (through sales representatives).

The one-stop shop knowledge center concept also allows for constant two-way communication so that, as the job progresses, clients can request changes and sales staff can easily relay them to the engineering team. The result:  greater transparency, and ultimately a better customer experience.

Customized displays

Bosch Rexroth’s sleek new facility features a customer experience center, with interactive displays that can be customized for each client, as well as dedicated training and consulting space and even a coffee bar.

State-of-the-art audio-visual equipment will link the Canadian customer experience center with a 215,000 square-foot (20,000 sq m.) demonstration facility and model factory (Factory of the Future) in Bosch Rexroth’s Ulm, Germany headquarters.

“Our Canadian customers will be able to view demos and other content from Ulm, without having to fly to Germany,” says Marco-Jose Normandin, national marketing manager for Bosch Rexroth Canada. “But don’t worry,” he adds, “we won’t show you every product we make. We would just be wasting your time.”

Instead, the customized displays will be set up ahead of time. “We will only show you products that can solve your problem or bring your vision to life,” explains Normandin. “And you will be able to see them working in factories similar to yours.”

On-site training and consultation

As Ben Franklin once said, “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” To that end, Bosch Rexroth’s new Burlington facility will offer three meeting rooms for consultations and training sessions.

The rooms are modular, with moving walls that allow for groups as small as five and large enough for 40 so “we can hold our own mini-trade show,” says Normandin. And the main meeting room features a 16-foot screen to help customers visualize how Bosch products can revolutionize the way they work.

Demonstrating a commitment to the Canadian market

The investment in a new Burlington campus comes on the heels of another major project – the two-year-long revamp of Bosch Rexroth’s Welland production facility aimed at enhancing efficiency and positioning the organization for the future.

The Welland modification project added approximately 5,500 square feet of docking, a material staging area and a transportation corridor connecting the warehouse with the customizing/assembly building, as well as more parking and an upgraded HVAC system.

The twin investments clearly demonstrate Bosch Rexroth’s commitment to its associates, customers and industry partners in Canada, according to Normandin. “We see a tremendous opportunity in Canada to help Canadian companies become more competitive by adopting the kind of high-tech solutions we can offer,” he says.

The new facility in Burlington and the redesigned Welland operation “set the tone for our future by providing us with an inspired working space to aid the development of ideas and challenge the norm,” Normandin contends. “They will help us attract and retain the very best associates, as well as giving us the space and organization to ensure our customers continue to love doing business with us.”

Bosch Rexroth’s ingenuity enables customers to clear snow at -0° F, manufacture components with 1000th mm accuracy, and move some of the most famous stages in the world. To find out what Bosch Rexroth can do for your company, visit www.boschrexroth.ca