We muddle through
2011 Strategy Prize for koziol
koziol »ideas for friends GmbH from Erbach, Germany, has just been awarded the 2011 Strategy Award by the German StrategieForum e.V. The jury was impressed by the outstanding execution of its corporate strategy and the successes achieved as a German-based manufacturer – in a market otherwise dominated by Asian players.
The presentation ceremony took place on November 12 at a gala event during the organization's Fall 2011 Strategy Conference in Frankfurt.
"The secret of our success: We muddle through. That's the principle underpinning our strategy," says company owner Stephan Koziol. To make this work, every employee needs to be implanted with an instinctive "inner compass" which enables him or her to make the right decisions even in the midst of total confusion. One core component in developing the koziol strategy has been the establishment of a corporate ideal: Make your world a better place and yourself a happier person. koziol has enjoyed global success with this concept for many years.
"We follow our guiding star, our clearly formulated goal: koziol is the premium brand among design products for people’s homes and personal spaces – made in Germany," Stephan Koziol adds. "Our strategy for reaching this goal is so flexible that it can adapt almost immediately to market changes and, particularly, to specific customer requests and unforeseeable complications. Above all, it also communicates what we don't want very clearly. In many cases, it is the untrodden path that leads to success."
Since 1927, koziol has developed and manufactured all of its products at its headquarters in Erbach, Germany. What makes it unique is the extreme vertical integration of its production activities. This single site provides all the expertise and management for the entire production chain – from the initial idea and design through to mold construction, toolmaking, manufacturing, assembly, dispatch and even worldwide distribution. The company's deep regional roots are also a key factor in its success, because they supply the century-old tradition of craftsmanship which, in conjunction with modern, state-of-the-art technologies, forges the inimitable products that have carried the koziol message to over 50 countries around the world.
Every year the German association StrategieForum e.V. awards its Strategy Prize for the outstanding implementation of corporate strategies. Established in 1970, the federation is the only network in Germany that focuses systematically, and with a practical orientation, on how to improve strategy skills in the private sector. The energo-cybernetic management strategy (EKS®), which was devised by Wolfgang Mewes during the 1960s, lays the foundations for creating these strategies.