Veth Propulsion is an international manufacturer of innovative (additional) propulsion systems for ships, that derives its name from its founder, Cornelis Veth, who started his welding and fabrication company and engine repair activities in the 50s. Thanks to its innovative way of working, Veth grew steadily, which, 10 years later, resulted in the representation of Scania, a leading Swedish manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles, buses and industrial and marine engines.
The end of the 60s marked the introduction of the first Veth-Jet. These days, Veth is known, among other things, for its bow thrusters and the Z-Drive, an advanced propulsion engine mounted underneath ships that can rotate 360 degrees. This disposes of the need for separate rudders, thus making ships much more manoeuvrable and reducing their production costs.
In addition to its proprietary portfolio of rudder propellers, bow thrusters and generator sets, Veth supplies and maintains diesel engines manufactured by Scania and Sisu Diesel, which is why it can truly claim the ability to take care of a ship’s overall propulsion.
Veth, a family company of Dutch origin, is a global player with an excellent reputation for innovation, quality, service and durability. Veth is located in Papendrecht, the Netherlands, and has a staff of 160 employees. We spoke with Kees Kornet, Senior Technical Purchaser & Procurement Officer.
Veth is highly regarded. What is its secret?
Kees: “At Veth, quality is paramount. Our products comply with strict international standards, which was already the case in our early history, due to the fact that we also supply naval institutions. Furthermore, we rapidly respond to questions and issues raised by clients, regardless of their location. We ensure that essential propulsion system components are always in stock, allowing us to replace parts immediately.
We also continuously strive for improvement. To make good on this promise, we have a ‘lean’ production process that focuses on:
- Product quality control;
- Processing time reduction by properly aligning department activities;
- Delivery of components precisely when they are needed;
- Encouraging innovation and improvement, all Veth staff members contribute ideas;
- Preventing material and energy wastage, as well as responsible use of chemicals;
- Proper workplace design and its ergonomic aspects.”
What is the role of ICT at Veth?
Kees: “To Veth automation is essential. We use CAD software to design mechanical installations and electronics, and Microsoft Dynamics NAV (2009R2 Classic) and Exsion Reporting for our administration. NAV is used, among others, for sales and procurement, as well as project, finance and stock management.”
And Exsion?
Kees: “Thanks to Exsion, we can closely monitor product flow within Veth and combine the right data, so required components for production can be made available to our staff sooner. This enables us to deliver when needed.”
How do you like working with Exsion?
Kees: “Exsion is very user-friendly and popular among several departments. NAV is less user-friendly, which is why we are looking to renew our business software. A step that makes sense, as efficient automation and fast processing of large amounts of data are vital to Veth’s future. Partly for this reason, we are also exploring the possibilities of Power BI.”
This case is taken from the book ‘Reporting Refreshed – Financial Experts Speak’