Michael, Administrative Management & Quality Assurance Management, Schnellecke Logistics Wolfsburg
How did you come to join Schnellecke?
"I have been with Schnellecke since June 2012. Before that I worked for a large automotive supplier in Quality Assurance for twenty years. I originally did a cutting machine operator apprenticeship specializing in automatic lathe technology and somehow got into the field of quality. Then I furthered my professional education with training courses and other training measures. In this way, I made it all the way to quality assurance manager for prototypes. After this I was a quality manager at a medium-sized company for four years before I joined Schnellecke. I started as a shift supervisor and then took over the position of quality manager one year later. Now, a team leader and twelve employees report to me directly."
What exactly does “quality assurance” mean?
"That can’t be explained so briefly. In principle, every employee is responsible for quality. There are, however, many types of quality. Our job is to work preventatively and to support our colleagues in carrying out their tasks sensibly and to learn from mistakes that occur every now and again so that they do not repeat. That is one important part of our work. We supply for 4,000 vehicles here every day, and if something goes sideways here, then the production lines at Volkswagen come to a stop. This, of course, has to be avoided by all means."
What is different at Schnellecke than at other companies?
"At Schnellecke many things are different. What I really like about Schnellecke is that you can achieve something here if you can work in a team and are committed. What you did in the past is not important. You have the opportunity to work your way up step by step if you are industrious, and this is specifically encouraged here.
I also think it’s good that there is regular communication, also between the various company sites, in which you can compare notes with the colleagues there and learn from each other. We also support each other. I, for example, have been to Hanover and Berlin when they were in a fix."
Would you recommend Schnellecke?
"There is a picture on the desk that shows my daughters. Both of them learned at Schnellecke and one of them has since moved to a Schnellecke location in Leipzig. Perhaps that answers your question about whether I would recommend Schnellecke as an employer. The best thing that can happen to you is when you get up in the morning and are happy to go to work. And that is the good fortune I have here."