March 25. 2021

IT-Personalberatung: Only “digital twins” admitted

Learn how the “IT-Personalberatung Dr. Dienst & Wenzel GmbH & Co. KG” is able to source top candidates for its clients even in highly complex technical fields, assumes the entire talent acquisition for startup companies and why only “digital twins” are admitted. A report by Manfred Wenzel, Managing Director of the IT-Personalberatung.

It all started with a kick-off meeting with Dr. Volker Kreidler, the founder and Managing Director of the startup “Big Data in Manufacturing GmbH” in the headquarters of the IT-Personalberatung in Stuttgart in December 2019. The object of the young startup is the development, distribution and cloud-based operation of innovative analysis and optimization methods in the manufacturing industry. AI algorithms, or more specifically machine learning algorithms, are used to increase productivity, reduce scrap rates and to speed up and automate cause-and-effect chains. Don’t worry, that's it for the technical details!

At the start of the conversation, I really wished I could be Dr. Kreidler’s “digital twin”. A perfect replica, so I would be spared from having to understand and learn even a fraction of his knowledge. Dr. Kreidler charmingly informed me that my only chance at understanding the requirements of the vacant positions would be “deep learning”, i.e. by collecting a maximum amount of information and impressions and by evaluating this data in my analog brain. I therefore supported my neural network with 10 pages of analog data and notes from the conversation. The fact that I carefully listened and asked for details set me apart from a previous personnel consultation that had failed. It goes without saying that having the wrong people on board is a very painful and critical experience for a startup company. To avoid ending up in the same situation, I wanted to gather more information to be able to deliver ideal candidates.

My exciting journey in the world of manufacturing led me to a night tour at the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing plant in Sindelfingen, where I was able to experience the production machinery, robots and conveyor belts up close. I could witness live how an entire vehicle is created in an eerie atmosphere, from pressing the body parts to welding and painting components to the final assembly of all vehicle components. People were rare to find in here.

In front of each robot is a kind of “washing machine”, the electronic control unit, that receives commands from the software telling the manufacturing robot which movements and tasks to perform. This is where the patents of the startup “Big Data in Manufacturing GmbH” come into play. During the manufacturing process, huge amounts of data are recorded by an edge computer and uploaded to the cloud. Using machine learning processes, a digital model of each finished component (a digital twin) is calculated at lightning speed. It can be used to perform various analyses such as virtual measurements or to detect production problems. If the finished component is an exact replica of the model, a “digital twin” has been created and only these are approved.

Now I was ready and my non-artificial intelligence told me: I got it! The next step was to develop a good company story for our client that would pique the candidates' interest and make them excited to work for them. Of course, the story was based on the founder Dr. Kreidler, a genius in the field of mechanical engineering and particularly in manufacturing machines. As his ideas for big data, deep learning and AI were not met with the appreciation they deserved by his former employers, Dr. Kreidler took matters into his own hands and founded the startup “Big Data in Manufacturing GmbH”. He was able to demonstrate his solutions in ambitious pilot projects at market leading companies and filed groundbreaking patents. It was a rocky and trying path, but the founding stone for a successful startup had been laid.

Ideal candidates (m/f/d) for startup companies should have similar genes and skills as the founder (m/f/d). Another twin problem? Founding a new company in this day and age requires lots of self confidence, courage, pioneering spirit, persuasiveness and an excellent product idea. Many things are still in a state of flux, driven by ideas, goals and visions and many patterns and structures still need to be developed. Therefore, the IT-Personalberatung was looking for personalities who see startups as an opportunity and not as a risk.

In over a year of close and trusting cooperation between the IT-Personalberatung and “Big Data in Manufacturing GmbH”, we were able to fill important executive and specialist positions - not with “digital twins”, but with high-profile candidates that are an excellent fit for the company. The IT Personalberatung is very proud to be considered as a sparring partner.

Author:

IT-Personalberatung Dr. Dienst & Wenzel GmbH & Co. KG

Manfred Wenzel

Managing Director

Curiestr. 2

D-70563 Stuttgart

Tel. +49 711 4560584

E-Mail: wenzel(at)it-personalberatung.de

Web: www.it-personalberatung.de

Contact:

Big Data in Manufacturing GmbH

Dr. Volker Kreidler