Working together, they digitised tool management (left to right): Martin Nolle (GÜHRING) with Rimon Abd-Elseid and Wolfgang Epple (both Getsch+Hiller).
A look at the history of Getsch+Hiller Medizintechnik GmbH, a medical technology company, reveals how the requirements for tool management change when a company expands. With Gühring Tool Management Software (GTMS), the company has found an attractive solution for its introduction to digital tool management and one which can grow flexibly with the company. This saves it valuable time, costs and manual work.
In 2003, Arnold Getsch and Werner Hiller laid the foundation for an impressive company history: They founded the company Getsch+Hiller Medizintechnik GmbH. What started with one machine and a few employees has evolved into a specialist for the manufacture of a wide range of medical instruments. The product portfolio comprises around 6,000 articles used in various fields of endoscopy. All instruments are developed and manufactured in-house at its site in Nendingen, Germany.
To meet the high requirements in the field of medical technology, Getsch+Hiller relies on reliable, precise tools from Gühring from the outset, such as micro-precision drills and reamers. “A tool management system was impossible to imagine back then,” recalls sales representative Martin Nolle, who has been Getsch+Hiller’s contact person for around 20 years now.
Challenges in tool management grow with the company
But the industry – and thus the business – developed extremely well and the young company grew rapidly: Getsch+Hiller not only expanded its product portfolio, but also its machinery and workforce too, which led to the company moving to new headquarters in Nendingen in 2016 – complete with modern production facilities.
To begin with, there was one thing that went unnoticed as the company grew: the number of tools used every day. After all, instruments made of titanium, plastic or steel, for example, place a wide range of demands on cutting tools. “The tools were spread across the company. Almost everyone had their own tool drawer,” recalls Rimon Abd-Elseid, head of the CNC turning department at Getsch+Hiller. “Sometimes, we even ordered tools that we actually had in our warehouse – just because we couldn’t find them.” But to be able to deliver products flexibly, quickly and on time, the tools have to be available at the right time and in the right place. Otherwise, the company will not only incur unnecessary tool costs – it will also experience delays in the production process or even production downtime. It quickly became clear that something had to change to help the company keep track of its tools. In light of this, Getsch+Hiller began a manual trial: One employee kept Excel tables to track consumption and take care of orders for new tools. But it’s not just the company that had become too big for manual monitoring – it was also the effort involved.
Every tool has its place in the TM 326 tool cabinet.
“If you want to work in a way that doesn’t involve constant searching, you need Gühring Tool Management Software,” says sales representative Martin Nolle. When he learnt about the problem that was troubling by his long-standing customer, he presented them with the Gühring solution – and to great success: “The Managing Director Arnold Getsch was won over straight away. He wanted to order the dispensing system on the spot,” Nolle recalls. “Since Getsch+Hiller has been purchasing tools from us for several years, it made sense to work with Gühring to find a tool management solution. The quick decision to purchase GTMS was a real sign of confidence.”
The perfect starting point: The TM 326 with logistics module
Getsch+Hiller opted for the TM 326 dispensing system. “The dispensing system is perfect for getting started with digital tool management. The heights and divider variants for the drawers can be customised – depending on which articles the customer wants to store,” explains Martin Nolle. The GTMS logistics module is available for the dispensing system cabinet, which is ideal for the digital management of tools, measuring instruments and other items in production. These are stored in the electronically locked drawers. The integrated card reader as well as a QR code and barcode scanner enable the respective employee to identify themselves via a chip card and select, remove and scan the desired article on the monitor. This means that it is always possible to trace which tool has been taken by which employee. Access rights can be defined individually.
The dispensing system is perfect for getting started with digital tool management. The heights and divider variants for the drawers can be customised.
Martin Nolle sees a decisive advantage in this modularly expandable variant: “Often, high acquisition costs are a hurdle for the customer when considering a tool management system. They found it hard to estimate how much space they need in the first place and which software modules they will really need. Together with the logistics module, the TM 326 is a cost-effective entry-level model that can be expanded at any time – and exactly at the pace that suits the customer,” says Nolle. This means that the customer can purchase additional dispensing systems or software modules at any time – such as the tool data module or the order module. Since Gühring offers both software and hardware from a single source, these additions can be flexibly combined with each other.
In 2019, Getsch+Hiller began implementing GTMS and welcomed its first dispensing system into production. The relief quickly became clear: “Implementation took some time, but it didn’t take long before we realised it was worth the effort,” recalls Rimon Abd-Elseid. While the dispensing systems ensure controlled removal, GTMS monitors the minimum stock levels specified by the customer in the background. As soon as a minimum stock level is reached, production employees are informed by e-mail. The purchasing team is also informed so that colleagues can take care of follow-up orders directly. “New tools only need to be input once – the system takes care of the rest,” says Rimon Abd-Elseid. “GTMS makes life a lot easier.”
Modular design for maximum flexibility
Just a few months later, it became clear that one dispensing system was not enough. Getsch+Hiller therefore opted to add two dispensing systems. Not a problem at all for the flexible GTMS: “In 2023, we decided to manage our measuring instruments via GTMS as well. At the moment, we have implemented around 90% of all our stock,” says Abd-Elseid.
The investment has paid off: Thanks to GTMS, Getsch+Hiller can manage its tools efficiently and save on unnecessary tool costs. In addition to the time spent searching for tools, checking stock levels and placing follow-up orders, the medical technology company no longer has to worry about production downtime due to missing tools. “Getsch+Hiller achieved considerable growth within a short period of time,” says Martin Nolle. “This is not only a prime example of how the requirements of a company’s tool management can change within a short period of time – but also how Gühring, as a long-standing partner, can support them with this.”
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