LEONI Experts unite for Strategic Collaboration

Experts from 8 countries and central LEONI functions gathered to align roadmaps and exchange best practices in areas such as production infrastructure management, process optimization, and automation. 

In April LEONI Serbia had the honor of hosting, at its plant in Kraljevo, an important international workshop focused on production infrastructure management, process optimization, and cross-functional collaboration within LEONI WSD. The event brought together Heads of Production & Infrastructure Management from eight Small and Mid-sized Countries (SMC) — Egypt, Mexico, Tunisia, Portugal, Slovakia, Romania, China, and Ukraine — as well as experts from LEONI’s central functions in Germany, and the local PIM team from Serbia as the host.

Designed as a strategic platform for aligning local and central initiatives — and for advancing the development of Production Infrastructure Management (PIM) as a key contributor to operational excellence and P&L performance — this was the first workshop of its kind, bringing together these expert groups in this format.

The new COO of LEONI WSD, Dr. Anis Kammoun, addressed the participants at the beginning of the workshop, and then LEONI Serbia’s General Manager, Aleksandar Petrović, warmly greeted them. Throughout the week, the event was hosted by Petar Bojović, Head of Production & Infrastructure Management Serbia, who ensured the smooth organization of the meeting and actively participated in the workshop.

Program also included a Gemba walk through the Kraljevo production floor, providing an opportunity for direct observation and discussion of real-time operations. This hands-on approach enabled valuable exchange of ideas, identification of improvement potentials, and a deeper understanding of local best practices.

The event was also marked by an excellent spirit of collaboration and mutual support, laying the foundation for future quarterly digital follow-ups and an annual face-to-face workshop in a different country. 

LEONI Serbia is proud to have hosted such a significant gathering and expresses sincere gratitude to all participants for their commitment, contributions, and partnership.

After the workshop, we had a brief conversation about the significance and scope of the workshop with Roland Schlaghaufer, Head of Production Operating Systems Management, and Ulrich Diefenbacher, Head of Automated Production Applications.

What was the purpose of this workshop, is this a regular annual meeting, or was it organized for a special reason?

R. Schlaghaufer: This was the first time that such a workshop was held in this format – a new round of collaboration following the recent restructuring of our organizational setup. It’s important to clarify that this was not a global workshop per se, but it included participants from eight countries. Our primary objective was to build a collaborative network and platform for knowledge sharing. This includes not only exchanging information but also best practices. We aim to work jointly on standardization and process alignment.

We also assigned clear responsibilities – for instance, appointing process champions who will drive specific topics forward.

Another major focus was understanding our impact on the Profit and Loss (P&L). That includes evaluating how our activities – whether process-related, equipment investments (CapEx), depreciation, or efficiency improvements – affect productivity and overall performance… all of this directly ties into our operational speed and effectiveness.

What were the key takeaways from the workshop?

U. Diefenbacher: The workshop allowed us to align our strategic roadmaps – particularly around automation, as well as production infrastructure development within each country. Our goal is to leverage existing know-how, combining it with central functional guidance. As we emphasized repeatedly during the workshop, it is essential that we utilize the expertise and capacities already present across the countries, and orchestrate them centrally so the whole organization benefits.

R. Schlaghaufer: And to add to that – the room gathered a high level of competence and experience from both local and central functions. It was a great opportunity to bring everyone to the table and go deep into specific topics – from automation to process improvement.

U. Diefenbacher: We also took the opportunity for Gemba walk, visit the production site with the Serbian team, observe the processes firsthand, and discuss potential improvements and ideas. So, the Gemba walk contributing valuable insights.
Are you satisfied with the outcomes of the workshop? And how do you plan to track the progress of the initiatives discussed?

R. Schlaghaufer: I am absolutely satisfied with the results and we’re already looking forward to the next workshop. We also agreed to establish a regular meeting structure. That means quarterly meetings via Teams, and one in-person workshop per year, each time hosted in a different country and plant – so we can truly come together face-to-face

U. Diefenbacher: We assigned specific countries to take ownership of key topics. Some countries even volunteered to lead certain areas.

R. Schlaghaufer: For instance, Industrial Engineering and Automation were two such focus areas. We now have a structure in place to ensure progress, with shared ownership between central and country-level SMC functions. This kind of alignment and collaboration is exactly what will generate long-term value for LEONI.
Finally, I’d also like to highlight the exceptional hospitality and support provided by the LEONI Serbia and Kraljevo team. The entire workshop was excellently organized and everyone truly appreciated the effort and dedication that went into it.