Werner Blume, head of GROHE’s data centre

World-class water technology
Founded in 1936, GROHE has a long history and reputation for craftsman-calibre manufacturing. The company is truly international in scope and exports its designer bath and kitchen fittings—taps, showerheads and accessories—to over 185 countries. With substantial print volume being generated for internal documents such as system reports, inventory and stock lists, GROHE needed an ultra-efficient printing solution that would free more resources for its core business.

 

A commitment to improvement
When the company’s leasing contract for printing equipment came up for renewal, a printroom operator at GROHE had a smart idea: he compared the cost of the old equipment with that of the Océ VarioStream 6100. And the Océ VarioStream 6100 won hands down. The comparison showed that the Océ equipment could save GROHE several thousand Euros each year. The company didn’t hesitate. GROHE switched to Océ. And the smart operator was
awarded a bonus.

GROHE has in fact been working with Océ systems since 1993, successively replacing other makes of printing equipment by its brand of choice: Océ. ‘Océ offers clear advantages in customer service’,
states Werner Blume, head of GROHE’s data centre. No stranger to Océ products, Blume was confident that the new Océ VarioStream 6100 would measure up to GROHE’s demands. He was quite right: even during the pilot phase, GROHE enjoyed superb efficiency and glitchfree operation with its new system.

 

Maximum flexibility: SAP compatibility and PCL connection
The Océ VarioStream 6100 gives GROHE huge added value over its previous equipment. For instance, the Océ VarioStream 6100 can handle PCL datastreams, which makes it SAP compatible and able to integrate better into business-process workflows. With its straight paper path and no-contact flash fusing, it can
print unusual media such as vinyl foil, stickers and textiles. And it has a small footprint. ‘It’s a great fit for our premises’, enthuses Werner Blume. ‘But GROHE looks at more than just the purchase price tag and the cost of maintenance. If problems do occur, it’s essential that the service works.’ With a full-service contract from Océ, GROHE is assured rapid response, and ongoing maintenance and communication: all of which helps derive maximum productivity from the investment.

 

 

Reliability and ease of handling
With a speed of up to 100 pages per minute, the Océ VarioStream 6100 prints 300,000 pages every month for GROHE, the bulk of this being at the end-of-month peak period. Since night shifts in the computer centre generally have no operators, GROHE is delighted that the Océ VarioStream 6100 is such a reliable performer.

Werner Blume also marvels at how simple the system is to operate: ‘Handling is easy. Just load the paper, key in a few settings and off you go.’ The documentation is also first class. ‘Océ is the first company to bring out an operator manual that really explains everything step by step’, explains Peter Mock, operations team leader at GROHE IT. Mock has also noticed how clean the system is. ‘The printer catches the toner dust so efficiently that virtually none escapes. And refilling toner is also a clean, quick task.’

 

Beyond printing
Océ, like GROHE, believes its future rests with making the best even better. When GROHE elected to install SAP in order to integrate its business processes more tightly, it decided on a name it could trust, installing the Océ SAPcertified output management system. GROHE can be confident that its printing equipment integrates perfectly into its business workflows. And enjoy even greater efficiency in printing.

 

GROHE facts
GROHE Water Technology AG & Co. KG,
Hemer: