New Innovation & Service Center of the Winora Group

It stands for innovation, the future and new ways of working together - the new Innovation & Service Center was occupied at the beginning of the year. It houses the departments Global I&T, Headquarter Sports, Service, Quality Management and Compliance. With the expansion of the site, the Winora Group is gearing up for the future and underlines its major focus for 2020, which is on strengthening the service offering to dealers and customers.

Closer integration of I&T and service
Under the umbrella of the new Innovation & Service Center, the I&T and Service departments are working together even more closely. This will enable shorter feedback loops and even closer coordination. "I am delighted that we have been able to create a state-of-the-art Innovation & Service Center with a bright and open atmosphere. By closely integrating I&T and Service, we are bundling competencies under one roof and at the same time strengthening our service offering to our specialist retail partners," says Dominik Thiele, Regional Director D-A-CH.

More manpower and 24/7 ticket service & support
Internal resources were also increased and processes optimized in order to offer customers and partners the best possible service. Lisa Vollert took over as team leader for the Service Department on July 15, 2019. With her many years of expertise from various customer service departments, including Google, she is responsible for a powerful team of 19 service employees in Sennfeld, who competently support retailers with service concerns through multiple channels. The new ticket system is currently being used to introduce 24/7 customer service and support.

Concentrated power: The service team in the foyer of the new Innovation & Service Center. Photos: Philipp Träuptmann / XLC

Increased exchange with partners and customers
To ensure a service offering that is tailored to the needs of retailers and end consumers, the service teams are increasingly engaging in dialogue with customers and retail partners. The feedback generated by personal exchanges, regular surveys, and proactive needs monitoring in turn flows directly into quality and innovation processes. And conversely, service inquiries can be clarified more quickly thanks to the proximity and short distances between the service and development departments.

Environmentally and energy friendly building technology
The Innovation and Service Center, with its approximately 2,000 square meters, is located on the company's premises in Sennfeld near Schweinfurt, which cover a total area of around 30,000 square meters. The new building is equipped with state-of-the-art, energy-friendly lighting and air-conditioning technology as well as an environmentally friendly pellet heating system.

Central importance of the Sennfeld and Waldsassen sites
Together with the Waldsassen site in the Upper Palatinate, Sennfeld has taken on a central role since 2019. From both locations, the Accell Central Europe business is managed in both the bicycle and parts areas (HAIBIKE, WINORA, GHOST, LAPIERRE, KOGA, E. WIENER BIKE PARTS and XLC).