DEALERS ONLY: Mr. Bleicher, a year has just passed since bb-net established a second management level. Edgar Merz and Marcel Zitzmann were in charge of production and logistics and Niklas Maier was in charge of the purchasing team as team leader. Now the management level has been expanded further. What are the responsibilities in 2020?
Michael Bleicher: The company is divided into three core processes: purchasing, manufacturing and sales. So far, I have managed the purchasing and production departments as managing director. Authorized signatory Marco Kuhn, known from the IT channel, has been in charge of sales for years. Edgar Merz, Marcel Zitzmann and Niklas Maier acted as team leaders and supported the core processes. Since January 2020, the areas have been handed over to new management. Maier is now in charge of the core purchasing process. He controls the fortunes of the four-person team, which is responsible for both operational and strategic purchasing. Zitzmann takes over completely the areas of production, logistics and customer service and covers another core process of the company.
DO: What was the reason for this change?
MB: The expansion of the management level was a necessary measure of the management, which can be attributed to the steady growth of the company. When a company grows and core processes are expanded, the responsibility for these areas also grows. With the two new department heads, the company, with me as managing director and sales manager Marco Kuhn, stands on four strong pillars, which has created a solid foundation for further growth.
DO: Is this division into purchasing, manufacturing and sales already bearing fruit?
MB: Separating the three areas into individual core processes has proven itself even before the management level is expanded. Now, handing over management responsibility into different hands is certainly bearing the first fruits. The guarantee offer could be doubled through joint, closer interface work of the core processes. Starting in 2020, all tecXL products will now receive a full 12-month guarantee instead of a 24-month guarantee. Another success is the expansion of the product portfolio. Since February 2020, this has been expanded to include the area of processed servers.
DO: The ecological approaches in society can only be beneficial for the business concept of bb-net. What hardware do you offer used and in what condition is it?
MB: The strongest product groups at bb-net are reprocessed notebooks, followed by PCs and TFT displays. By taking over the used hardware from lessors and system houses, this also includes workstations and, since February 2020, used servers. All tecXL devices are carefully checked and every small flaw is documented. After processing, only first and second choice systems receive the tecXL seal. Full technical functionality is required. The quality criteria that we have set ourselves are so strict that even the second choice still qualifies as Premium Refurbished. The differences here are often only visual defects.
DO: Why should customers buy from you? What about the guarantee services for used equipment?
MB: Hardware prepared with tecXL is a real alternative - without having to forego the advantages of new goods. High-quality hardware, professional preparation, precise status definition, complete installation of Windows 10 and ESET Security as well as drivers. This is what tecXL stands for - technology like new. With us, service does not end with the purchase. The customer receives a full 24 months guarantee on the technical functions of all tecXL products. In addition to the existing 24 months, bb-net enables the guarantee to be extended to a total of 36 months. The decision for a reconditioned device is also a decision for our environment. By reusing a new computer does not have to be produced, large amounts of natural resources are saved and less polluting pollutants are released.