Every second industrial company sees significant potential for improving financial performance in its manufacturing processes. According to the latest industry study "Shaping the Future," sales, procurement, and research & development follow closely behind as key performance drivers. This also applies to the industrial valve sector.
For the industry study, the consulting firm Staufen surveyed more than 300 companies in the DACH region.
"International competition, high energy prices, excessive bureaucracy, and the looming threat of punitive tariffs are forcing companies in the DACH region to make significant efficiency and profitability improvements. While waste in production is often the most obvious, the untapped optimization potential should always be leveraged across the entire value stream," says Wilhelm Goschy, CEO of Staufen AG.
The surveyed companies share this assessment. While 54 percent see the greatest potential in production as expected, sales (48 percent), procurement (39 percent), and research & development (37 percent) follow closely behind.
"This shows that performance improvement is a task that extends far beyond the shop floor," adds industry expert Goschy.
Combining Traditional Optimization with Digital Capabilities
The study participants also have a clear vision of how to improve their performance across departments: 59 percent cite more efficient processes as the most important solution. This is followed by personnel development (44 percent), optimized lead times (39 percent), and increased digitalization (38 percent).
Staufen CEO Goschy advises combining traditional levers with digital capabilities: "When six out of ten companies demand more efficient processes, but only four out of ten drive digitalization, potential remains untapped. Traditional process optimization is essential but not sufficient. A fundamental transformation that integrates digital tools is necessary. From AI-supported real-time analytics to innovative product design, data-driven solutions open up entirely new dimensions for the industry."
This would also improve labor productivity at domestic locations, which only 22 percent of the surveyed companies consider fully satisfactory.
Industrial Valve Manufacturers See High Optimization Potential
Efficiency improvements and digital transformation are particularly in focus in the industrial valve sector. Companies such as ARI-Armaturen, KSB, Samson AG, AS-Schneider, and GESTRA are increasingly leveraging innovative technologies to optimize their production processes and supply chains.
By using AI-powered analytics tools and automated manufacturing methods, lead times can be reduced, and costs lowered. Additionally, many of these companies are investing more in sustainable production methods to meet increasing environmental regulations while enhancing their competitiveness.
According to the study, many industrial valve manufacturers see significant opportunities in enhancing the networking of production and supply chains to enable more efficient material management and faster responsiveness to market developments. Digitalization and automation play a key role in this.
About the Industry Study "Shaping the Future"
For the industry study "Shaping the Future," Staufen AG surveyed a total of 313 industrial companies in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as an additional 280 companies in the USA at the end of 2024.
