mfl: So the Beumer Group is even closer to the word challenge than the word catastrophe?
Beumer: Definitely . Our supply chains have held up, but things are different on the travel side. We can arrange a lot of things via video conferencing and don't always have to put a group of six people on a plane. I think we have done our job well and are also in a good financial position. This is the result, and I say this with some pride, of the conservative policy of a family business. We will get through the coronavirus phase, it will not throw us off course.

mfl: In your words, is the difficulty in initiating new projects due to general skepticism or also to the sometimes limited possibilities of a video call?
Beumer: In terms of processing, the challenges can be overcome quite well. Let me give you an example: We recently had the task of commissioning a packaging line in Azerbaijan and were unable to travel there. Supported by Beumer Smart-Glasses, we were able to support our customer's employees via the Internet and, for the first time, commission a complete line without the presence of a Beumer technician on site. Corona is also a real opportunity to push projects that we already had on our radar. After all, there was no other way around the situation! The situation is somewhat different when it comes to acquiring new orders: Many customers have simply suspended their investments. This makes filling the backlog a challenge. I assume that many companies will realize in Q3 and Q4 that the world is still turning and that they will invest again. But the dip is there. There won't be a catastrophe for us, but: nice is something else.

mfl: How long is the backlog still full?
Beumer: It's still good enough for this year. We can smooth a lot of things out or bring them forward, even prefabricate them.

mfl: One of your favorite topics is digital transformation, which you declared a top priority years ago. Tell me more about it ...
Beumer: Digital transformation is a cool thing. It's a lot of fun and I'm excited about working with the young teams that are involved in it. As a 57-year-old, it's like a fountain of youth for me every time (laughs). We have already formally founded three start-ups in Berlin. One deals with the pooling of spare parts, another with an interface between logistics service providers and retailers and the third with the optimization of the connection for passengers who book connecting flights outside the airline networks.
More will follow!

mfl: According to you, the aim of the start-ups was also to allow them to attack the Beumer Group's business model. What has become of this?
Beumer: The spare parts management project - where a manufacturer-independent platform was set up - initially startled our organization because it thought that business would be taken away. Instead, Beumer was the first customer of this platform. When people deal with issues openly, projects emerge that would otherwise have been blocked.

mfl: How would you rate yourself when it comes to digitalization?
Beumer: Since I am responsible for it, an excellent one, of course. Joking aside, we have been investing money in these issues for three years and have changed the mindset of employees and customers in a number of areas. We have succeeded.

mfl: Mr. Beumer, thank you very much for the interview and the many exciting thoughts.