We are the solution task force!

Around 4,500 associates work at GR across the globe. But what exactly do they do? Let’s take five peeks into their daily work routines in Germany, Singapore and the USA.

If you build test tracks, you’re in for an exciting ride! In Inner Mongolia, for instance, where a German engineer is having a lake dug into the permafrost since a lake should be part of a test track. Or in Sweden at the Arctic Circle, in Brazil, in Japan, in Boxberg and in Flat Rock, USA. At all these places, Achim Rosar has built test tracks, so traveling is as much part of his job as the sketchbook in his pocket. “It takes an adventurous spirit,” he says. “You need heart and soul, passion and focus.” And he is very grateful to have a fantastic wife who tolerates this crazy lifestyle. Achim is responsible for planning and implementing test tracks at Bosch. These are complex facilities, some of which feature hills and enormous steep bends, and road surfaces ranging from potholes to polished ice. Bosch tests new vehicle systems on these tracks to determine how robust they are. Achim is regarded worldwide as one of the best in his field. He winks, saying: “I’m no good at anything else.” The 63-year-old has put down his knowledge in a manual because he has good reason to believe that it would be lost if there were no record. He has been with the company for 30 years now, he says, adding: “It’s about time to patch up my first test tracks. Now isn’t that something.”

It doesn’t get any bigger than the solution Morgan Brown is working on: saving the planet. And because it takes a large number of tiny steps to reach a big goal, the first thing she does in the morning is to check her measuring devices. They show her how much energy each building, each area and each production group has consumed in the past 24 hours. Is everything within normal parameters? Are there any deviations? Will Charleston, Bosch’s largest production site in the USA, achieve the Group’s ambitious sustainability targets this year? “I use the data to find how best to reduce the amount of CO2 and save energy at the same time,” says Morgan. The 32-year-old energy manager at GR puts lots of passion into her work. To her, what she does has a lot of meaning. “Everything I do revolves around sustainability.” Morgan is responsible for the numerous energy-saving projects on site. She is also part of the sustainability competence center and heads the corresponding cluster service team. As an energy manager, she knows colleagues from almost all areas of the company and collaborates with many of them – the common theme, naturally, is energy. “There are goals that are bigger than us,” says Morgan, referring to the fight against climate change. Through her work, she makes a small contribution to this cause every day.

Yogeswaran Subramaniam is very discriminating when it comes to spending money. For example, when he needs to find a service provider for a construction project, a supplier for air conditioning systems, or a company to take over integrated facility management (IFM). The 40-year-old purchaser at GR in Singapore is responsible for the Asia Pacific region. Whenever he spends little, this means a job well done. “Whenever I negotiate good conditions and prices, I feel very content,” he says. Just like when he can find solutions for his customers in the world of Bosch: Sometimes he has to set up a new supply chain, and at other times he needs to find an alternative service provider. Or he must launch an order very, very quickly without losing sight of the mandatory process. “It’s a true challenge every time,” says Yogeswaran. And there are also other challenges to tackle: Every weekend, he commutes 700 km from Singapore to Penang in Malaysia, to see his wife and eight-year-old son.

Simon Choo is responsible for facility management in Singapore: He operates, maintains and repairs the buildings and infrastructure. This task may sound dull, but it has a visible impact on every associate’s workday, so it should be appreciated. After all, Simon plays a key role in ensuring that everything runs smoothly at the site. This includes things like keeping every lamp lit, every elevator running, and the building clean. And whenever this is not the case, he dispatches a handyman or cleaning crew. Simon used to work with his own hands, but today the 44-year-old leads a team of around 30 people, keeps track of all assignments, and gives advice. He is also responsible for space management and regularly analyzes to what capacity the factories and facilities are being used. The most important thing for Simon is that associates feel comfortable at Bosch. “I achieve this by keeping our site well maintained,” he says. “When everything is running smoothly, they can focus on their job and be productive.”

Marc Kamps is a controller at GR in Gerlingen-Schillerhöhe, but one may as well call him the “Master of Finance Data” of facility management. He always has all the figures to hand, plans and keeps track of all financial matters related to building management services provided by our contractors – such as expenses for cleaning, or garden and winter road maintenance. He performs these tasks in close collaboration with his associate Christina from Purchasing. “Based on the services agreed with the contractors on site, I handle things like budgeting and work out a commercial concept with my associates and the contractor, if required,” says Marc. Because transparency is valued in facility management, the team often has to develop new commercial processes that, in a best-case scenario, work anywhere around the globe. In this context, Marc can draw on one of his special talents: He is very good at structuring things. “I’m the one who comes up with the road map,” he says laughing. Being the controller of the core team, he sometimes also has to mediate between different GR parties. This naturally requires a delicate touch. Marc’s advantage is that he knows the company inside out: The 28-year-old joined Bosch more than ten years ago as a dual study trainee