From horse riding course to production strategy

Pure goosebumps. Last week it was that time again. The great World Equestrian Festival (CHIO) took place here in Aachen once again. Every year, the world's best riders come to the imperial city to compete in dressage, show jumping, eventing, four-in-hand and vaulting competitions. The event attracts thousands of spectators from all over the world every year and even those who may not have much to do with horses get their money's worth here. But the CHIO doesn't just shine with its competitions, but also with the surrounding area and the unique atmosphere. This was also the reason for me to visit the CHIO again this year. A home game for me. But why am I telling you about it today and what does it have to do with tetys? Read on to find out. 

The course

My favorite equestrian discipline is show jumping. I used to ride myself for years, but nowadays I prefer to watch from the stands and from a safe distance. But what still fascinates me is the fact how high the horses can jump and how quickly a mistake can happen with the slightest carelessness.

The phrase “the slightest carelessness” could set off alarm bells for one or two production managers. After all, just as a big success on a jumping course can be over with just one small mistake, a small error in production can also result in an entire batch being faulty, for example. The production hall also has parallels, with the obstacles as individual work steps. In addition, like the Parcour Bauer, the production manager has the task of creating the “perfect path” to a product. Just like the Spring Parcour. Where are there tight turns that cost time or where is there a triple combination of interdependent critical processes? The parallels are obvious.

Man and machine in harmony

However, it is not only the course that is similar to a production, but also the team. Horse and rider must be in harmony in order to implement the game plan precisely. The rider sets the direction, he is the strategist who has the plan in his head. But the horse is the athlete. It has to muster the strength, accept the instructions and surpass itself at the decisive moment.

It's exactly the same in the production hall. The experienced machine operator is the "rider" and knows the plan and the figures. But his machine is his "horse", which carries out the instructions. Man and machine must be in harmony so that production can run smoothly. 

Skills shortage on the course?

Creating a course or taking over the planning in a production facility is not easy. Especially in times like these, when the shortage of skilled workers has a decisive influence. With the help of an external planner, manufacturing companies can concentrate on their core competencies. Instead of the production planner spending hours or days trying to manually reconcile all orders, machine capacities and delivery dates, tetys takes over the entire planning process. This not only saves time, but also costs in the long term, which also promotes sustainability.

Conclusion

What can we take with us when we look into production halls from Aachen? Definitely the realization that success, whether in top-class sport or in industry, is never the result of just one single factor. It is the perfect harmony of well thought-out strategy and good execution. A plan, no matter how brilliant, is worthless without a team that brings it to life with experience and passion. At tetys, the passion starts at the planning stage and we combine years of expertise and technical implementation with seamless support. Our focus is on “digital processes - thought humanly”. 
Once again, I had a great day at the CHIO and the parallels to production planning have stayed with me. The more I got to grips with the topic, the clearer the similarities became. But of course, at the end of the day, it's not the same, because machines have an impressive performance, but no trust that has to be earned, as is the case with a horse. What remains is the passion with which both employees and riders go to the starting line.