35th FVI Expert Breakfast

Topic: "Outsourcing as an Efficiency Driver?" – When it makes sense to outsource maintenance.

In this session, Dennis Lubsch (Bilfinger) presented the advantages and risks of outsourcing. The thesis: Outsourcing can increase efficiency by 8% – but only if the conditions are right.

• The Efficiency Lever: Bilfinger has cases (e.g., in the pharmaceutical industry) where outsourcing has reduced costs and increased availability. The reason: A specialized service provider can leverage synergies that a single plant does not have (e.g., expert pool across multiple locations).
• The "Sweden Model": Dennis reported that outsourcing is much more common in Scandinavia. There, employees move smoothly between operators and service providers. In Germany, the "master and servant" mentality often prevails ("The service provider must do what I say"), which prevents true partnerships.
• Interfaces are the Risk: Oliver (participant) warned of the interface chaos. When the internal employee explains to the coordinator what's broken, and he explains it to the service provider, knowledge is lost ("Chinese whispers"). The more interfaces, the less efficient.
• Strategic Decision: Outsourcing is not just an operational question. It's about core competence. Do I want to keep the know-how for this specific facility in-house? If yes, I must do it myself. If it's a "commodity" (e.g., building technology, standard pumps), I can outsource it.
• Plan for Reversal: An important tip from Dennis: Contracts should always have a "reversal clause". If it doesn't work out, I must be able to bring the staff and knowledge back into the company. Otherwise, I am vulnerable to blackmail.

Classification: No matter who does it, the data belongs to the customer

This episode plays into our hands because we sell independence.

• ADAM as a Neutral Platform: Whether the work is done by your own employee or the service provider, documentation must be done in ADAM. When you outsource, you often lose data sovereignty. The service provider documents in their system, and when they leave, the data is gone. With ADAM, you force the service provider to work in your system. This way, you retain control over the history.
• Quality Assurance: Oliver asked: "How do I ensure that the service provider works well?" ADAM gives you transparency. You see in real-time when the service provider was on-site, what they did, and how long it took. You pay for performance, not for presence.
• Onboarding External Forces: When external technicians come, they don't know the facility. With ADAM, you scan the QR code on the machine and immediately have all the information (history, plans). This enables the service provider to be productive immediately without you having to brief them for hours.

Conclusion: Outsourcing is a valid model, but it carries the risk of losing control. ADAM is the tool to maintain control, even when others do the work.