Geberit has ploughed a tremendous amount of resources into process optimization. At its plant in Givisiez, the specialist in sanitation equipment manufactures some 30 million meters of multilayer composite piping every year. The figures speak for themselves: in the space of five years alone, the Fribourg company has slashed its consumption of water (-97%), gas (-92%) and electricity (-35%), as well as drastically reduced its industrial waste (-75%), CO2 emissions (-89%), occupational accidents (-94%) and even employee absenteeism (-96%).

The upshot is a 210% rise in productivity. Reducing waste and inefficiency is all part of the lean management philosophy and its principle of continuous improvement. As Michel Pittet, Managing Director of the Givisiez plant explains: “To be able to manufacture goods in Switzerland for a globalized market, you need to keep a tight rein on your production costs.”

To help it achieve its ambitious goals, Geberit has embraced the Industry 4.0 concept and uses management, decision support and production tools that are becoming ever smarter and more connected: a real-time diagnostics system („Pulse“), digitized and systematized document management, automated data exchanges with the Group’s logistics center and suppliers, to name but a few. “Today, we are able to do more, and do it better, and all this with a smaller workforce. At the same time, our employees are better qualified, make better use of their skills and, above all, are more involved in the company”, the Managing Director proudly declares. “Before, we would spend entire days pouring over graphs, crosschecking data. New technologies provide us with some relief from this stressful analytical, allowing us to dedicate more time and energy to production and our working group activities. All in all, they allow us to be more in touch with our workforce.”