“There’s no future in egoism – because collective efficiency is what matters”

There was collaboration long before the current Application Center Partnership was set up. How did this come about and what has made this alliance such a successful one?

Klemens Isenmann: Initially, we worked together with Rittal in our capacity as an electronics wholesaler of components. In 2011, we carried out a restructuring exercise to align ourselves with customer groups and started looking for partners. We were aware that we needed targeted strategic partnerships and a close network to enable us to develop further. As the leading player in the enclosure sector, Rittal became one of our first strategic partners – and this was based on a high level of trust right from the outset.

Would it be true to say that Eplan plays a supporting role in your day-to-day business?

Isenmann: It’s more than that. Over the years, Eplan, as the central engineering tool, has become the interface that has played a major part in driving our own development – something it is still doing to this day. Our employees don’t just create drawings – they use Eplan to produce designs and generate functional circuit diagrams. We go right to the limits of the software and endeavour to get everything possible out of it – and this is valued in the industry.

Why are you entering into this partnership with Rittal and Eplan? What do you expect to gain from it?

Thomas Basler: Not only are Rittal and Eplan strong partners, but they also have the same strategy and the same mindset when it comes to breaking new ground – namely ensuring a rigorous understanding of the entire value chain in switchgear manufacturing and optimising it so customers can benefit. We pull together, because we know that it is by focusing on more efficient, cost-optimised enclosure construction that we will continue to enjoy success in the future.

As – quite literally – an “Eplan Power User”, you recognised the importance of product data at an early stage. Based on what we know now, that was pioneering work for the industry, was it not?

Isenmann: Yes, we contributed about 90 percent of the Eplan data standard (EDS). And, somewhere along the way, we realised that success does not come from guarding secrets, but rather from sharing knowledge. If our customers continue to develop, we benefit from that, too. We take a proactive approach to handling our know-how and work on the basis of trust – including with our competitors. A network is really important to us. There’s no future in egoism – because collective efficiency is what matters. We all need to understand that it’s also about Germany as a business location.

You are now the world’s first Rittal and Eplan Application Center Partner. What does that mean for you and your customers?

Basler: It is a hallmark that attests to absolute top quality. We can’t imagine a better reference. In terms of the state-of-the-art implementation of our specialist discipline, we are currently a long way out in front. We are also one of the few companies to combine electrical design engineering expertise with production know-how. We are therefore proud of what we have achieved and of our en­tire team at Alexander Bürkle. We also take pride in the fact that we have consistently pursued our strategy of modernisation and ongoing development – with our strong partners at our side.

Thank you very much for talking to us!