Heidelberg’s radical cure: expert opinions from all over the world!

The most important points from the public discussion, described objectively

By Andreas Weber

„Heidelberg stands fro system relvance," as CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer said in an INKISH.TV interview with Morten B. Reitoft. This is undoubtedly — whether you like it or not.

The maxim has been valid for decades: if Heidelberg is doing well, the industry is doing well — or at least quite OK.

My current analysis of the current decision for an “ADHOC Action Package”, which was announced yesterday (March 17th, 2020) evening in a press release and was explained today via webcast by CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer and CFO Markus A. Wassenberg, has triggered ad hoc reactions from top experts worldwide, market experts and consultants as well as technology and printing specialists. And from partners and competitors.

The new financial concept (including debt relief to increase liquidity, etc.) is unanimously questioned. Even if that becomes painful with the reduction of around 2,000 employees. But it is the collateral damage that causes the necessary savings.

The most important points from the public discussion, described objectively:

What should you believe now? —Heidelberg has lost a lot of trust in the eyes of many in the past 20 years. There was always something new in series: strategy changes, cost-efficiency programs, organizational changes and restructuring. Much sounded promising, but was not implemented consistently, but was replaced by new ones or abandoned.

In no case did the innovations result in a cultural change at Heidelberg at the same time. This means that the experts always seem to have broken the essentials. This started in the era Mehdorn resp. afterwards and continues to this day.

Heidelberg's innovative strength is hardly questioned, but Heidelberg isn’t able “getting the horsepower on the street”. If it now says: "Back to the core business with which you also earn money", the question arises: What exactly is the core business resp. the core competence of Heidelberg? The offset printing machine construction? The IoT capability? Print process management?

There are also objections to technological developments: there is talk of ignorance and stupidity when it comes to changing perspectives, especially for important technical details such as INK control as well as multi-color color management and workflow processes in the pre-media area.

Unanimously, the termination of Primefire 106 production is seen as a big mistake. However, the end is not yet clear, as Heidelberg is intensively looking for partners for inkjet printing. However, it is unclear who that should be because others are already much further ahead than Heidelberg.

How much scope does Heidelberg actually have to get rid of the old corset, to turn from product sales to digital solutions and, above all, to become a platform service provider?

Do Heidelberg innovations only serve to enable customers to produce commodity products faster and in higher productivity, especially by digitizing production & business management as well as automation? From an expert's point of view, this shouldn't be the goal, since it doesn't solve problems, but at most postpones them.

And last but not least, not only affects Heidelberg: "Will the #Coronavirus cause the crisis to sweep Heidelberg off the market because hardly any sales can be made?" — A question that many manufacturers and printers have to face.