All of these awards are even more impressive given the large number of products supplied by the company every year. In 75 plants around the world, Schaeffler produces around 60,000 automotive and 90,000 industrial products in large volumes. In 2016, the company sold more than 7.1 billion products.

At the same time, the complexity of Schaeffler products has been increasing – from bearings to mechatronic systems such as the active roll control system. This requires better and better quality management.

"In spite of increasing customer requirements for product safety and the ever growing complexity of its products, Schaeffler has not only dealt well with these quality challenges but done better than ever before," explains Walter Süß, senior vice president Corporate Quality.

Employees are the key to top quality

One of the keys to Schaeffler's high and further improving quality is the continuous qualification and motivation of its employees.

"We regard quality as a commitment that involves every single employee in their day-to-day work. Worldwide, we have a strict zero-defect goal in each plant, each department and each office," says Walter Süß.

Quality management is supported by internal programs such as "Fit for Quality" program. One of the features of this program is to reward departments and employees that work without any mistakes for more than four years. In addition, all Schaeffler plants around the world have all of the relevant ISO certifications and are audited on a regular basis.

About Schaeffler

The Schaeffler Group is a leading global integrated automotive and industrial supplier. The company stands for the highest quality, outstanding technology, and strong innovative ability. The Schaeffler Group makes a key contribution to "Mobility for tomorrow" with high-precision components and systems in engine, transmission, and chassis applications as well as rolling and plain bearing solutions for a large number of industrial applications. The technology company generated sales of approximately EUR 13.2 billion in 2015. With around 85,000 employees, Schaeffler is one of the world's largest family companies and, with approximately 170 locations in over 50 countries, has a worldwide network of manufacturing locations, research and development facilities, and sales companies.