Rotraud Böhm, manufacturing & warehouse management

You are celebrating your 10th company anniversary – what keeps you at ASC for so long?

ASC‘s company culture almost resembles that of a small family: We collaborate seamlessly; everyone supports everyone else. Through this, one automatically gleans nearly everything of importance to our business and our customers. Things can only work that way in an organization not too large. I thoroughly enjoy this environment where I can be fully involved and productive.

How did you start your career?

I was originally trained to become a dressmaker. That may sound funny, for someone who assembles highly sensitive precision engineering components. However, both trades involve a significant degree of delicate manual labor. You have to perform the most sensitive technical steps neatly with your fingers, and be able to fully focus on that very step. Following my professional training, for many years I used to work in the assembly of electrical appliances at Panasonic. Machinery calibration as well as manufacturing and adjustment of tech components runs through my veins.

What are your responsibilities at ASC Sensors?

I work in sensor manufacturing and am responsible for warehouse management. The former means that jointly with my colleagues I build highly sensitive sensors, according to specification. And because we produce the most diverse, complex sensor equipment in manual labor here on site, it is critical to keep a decent stock of essential components in our warehouse. We don’t want to lose precious time waiting for the delivery of key parts.

And how do you deal with special customer requests?

As soon as we receive a new work order from our customer service team that captures the client’s exact needs and specs, the first thing I do is make sure that all individual components required for the production of this sensor model are available. This means that I gather all parts into a designated ‘production box’. Some special components that are rarely used we may have to order. As soon as all individual parts are in that box, in sufficient numbers, we typically start assembling that sensor or series.

In times of global conflicts and delivery issues, has adequate warehouse management become more challenging?

It definitely has for some components. However, at ASC we mostly collaborate with local German manufacturers and suppliers, many of whom we have long-standing relationships with. This usually helps cut down on waiting and delivery times, so that we can often react fast to urgent orders and special customer requests, even at short notice.

What is your favorite sensor to produce?

All of them! The exact sensor type isn’t the critical factor in production. We constantly work on a broad range of diverse models. Having said that, some sensors that went through my hands have now been incorporated into delicate structures including, for instance, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao bridge, high-speed passenger trains in Türkiye or sustainable wind turbines in Germany. That makes me very proud!

Ten years in at this company, are there still things that surprise you?

To be honest, I still never get bored in this role. Every project holds new challenges. Every client has different needs. My work still excites me. Often, I don’t know what the next day will bring … so, even after ten years, there are many new things to learn and discover.