Product safety and integrity

  • The Schaeffler Group aims to be the preferred technology partner for customers
  • In the reporting year, the company integrated product safety into the newly founded “Technical Compliance” organization

Consistent level of quality

100 %

coverage rate of plants in accordance with quality management systems1)

Part of NFB The company ensures and improves the quality of its products and processes with a variety of tools: All Schaeffler Group production sites1) have certified management systems in accordance with globally recognized quality standards and regulations. The company has successfully implemented the requirements of the following certification-relevant standards in all Schaeffler plants concerned worldwide:

  • IATF 16949:2016 , automotive industry standard
  • ISO/TS 22163 quality management system, with specific requirements for the application of ISO 9001:2015 in the railway sector
  • SAE AS 9100D:2016-09-20 quality management systems, requirements for aerospace and defense organizations
  • ISO 9001:2015 , industry standard

The conformity of the products, systems, and processes is regularly checked and confirmed at the affected locations by internal and external audits. Standard company processes and the integrated product safety management system introduced made it possible to avoid product liability cases2) in the reporting year.

The SHAPE quality program was introduced in 2021 to continue fulfilling the Schaeffler Group’s high-quality standards. The central departments of the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Operating Officer, and the Chief Technology Officer work with the divisions to develop the future structure of Schaeffler quality in the four focus areas:

  • Technical expertise and reputation
  • Agile processes and methods
  • Quality principles and mindset
  • Sustainable quality and performance

A total of 20 initiatives have been defined for SHAPE thus far and are being addressed gradually, with targeted use of the potential provided by digitalization. One of the initiatives is the introduction of a new CAQ system,3) which shall be rolled out at all plants by 2028. SHAPE is an integral component of the “Execution Program 2025” and is represented in the three divisional subprograms RACE, SCALE, and VALUE. SHAPE also helps to achieve targets in two cross-divisional subprograms (Digitalization & IT and Innovation & Technology). Both the Execution Program and SHAPE shall be completed in 2025.Part of NFB Ende

Technical compliance

Part of NFB Product safety and conformity are key quality characteristics for plants and transport systems, which the company would like to ensure with standardized and audited processes. The purpose of the integrated product safety management system developed and introduced by the Schaeffler Group is to effectively and efficiently implement legal and official regulations pertaining to product safety and compliance in line with social expectations. Products that prove to be defective during use are dealt with in accordance with current standards of knowledge and technology. Potential risks that could occur as a result of the development of innovative products are minimized thanks to holistic product safety evaluation during the prototype phase.

The term product integrity is used to describe the combination of product safety and compliance. With the integrated product safety management system, compliance is also monitored in accordance with new European regulations such as Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance and compliance of products, which took effect on January 1, 2021, and the regulation for the safety management systems of maintenance organizations for aviation components, which went into full effect on December 22, 2022.

Consisting of vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, the permanent product integrity working group was founded in the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) under the leadership of Schaeffler product safety with the aim of advancing this issue. The Schaeffler Group’s Product Safety and Conformity Representatives (PSCRs) continuously undergo training in combined online and face-to-face courses. In addition to defining and establishing functional and characteristic safety targets for new products and applications, the topics of the PSCR training program also include information about new or changed reporting obligations that are required by local authorities and refer to unsafe products in circulation. As a result, this information fulfills the product safety-relevant reporting obligations of the new EU Digital Service Act.

The reporting year saw integration of product safety into the newly founded “Technical Compliance” organization as well as introduction of a technical . These measures will not only improve collaboration between the technical departments but also simplify evaluation of product and service safety and compliance in line with the Schaeffler Group’s company values.Part of NFB Ende

Consistent customer orientation

Part of NFB The Schaeffler Group aims to be the preferred technology partner for customers, which is why it has developed a Global Key Account Management (GKAM) organization as a foundation for customer relationships. The issue of sustainability is increasingly important to customers, which is why the necessary measures are regularly defined at GKAM meetings.

The GKAM organization operates in accordance with standardized principles around the world and is closely interlinked with the divisions, regions, and functions of the business divisions. The necessary expertise is pooled from the relevant business divisions for key customers. In accordance with the “one face to the customer” principle, major customers have a dedicated contact person, who manages all of the business activities associated with the Schaeffler Group and the customer. Customer satisfaction surveys are conducted at regular intervals. A global customer survey was conducted in 2022, and its results reported to the Schaeffler AG Executive Board, the regions, and the divisions.

A global customer survey was conducted in 2022, and its results reported to the Schaeffler AG Executive Board, the regions, and the divisions. In the reporting year, the customer satisfaction survey included sustainability for the first time. On average, customers of all the divisions gave the Schaeffler Group’s sustainability performance an above-average rating in a comparison of selected competitors.

In addition to routine operational project communication, the Schaeffler Group also uses individual customer events for customer interaction, including in-house trade fairs, innovation days, the Schaeffler Colloquium, and international trade and consumer fairs and conferences. Virtual trade fairs and events, digital showrooms, and multimedia trade communication with a growing percentage in social media form another pillar of customer communication.

Transparency for customers and certification associations form the basis for collaboration based on trust. Every year, the Schaeffler Group receives numerous awards for customer satisfaction and product quality from its customers. The company sees this as an indicator of its positive reputation in global markets. In the reporting year, the Schaeffler Group received 67 (prior year: 75) awards.Part of NFB Ende

1) According to the scope of the Schaeffler Group’s management manual and valid certification rules.

2) Product liability cases (pursuant to product liability law) are claims by end users against the Schaeffler Group for compensation for damage that occurred at the end user’s location as a result of a safety-related product defect.

3) A computer-aided quality (CAQ) system is responsible for implementing all quality management processes such as interfaces to planning and management systems.

Quality Management System (QMS)
A quality management system (QMS) is a part of the holistic method of enterprise management. The goal is systematic quality management and process control. The quality management system ensures that corporate quality, system quality, process quality and product quality are established, inspected and improved within an organization. The aim of a quality management system is to achieve lasting improvement in business performance and customer satisfaction.
Quality Management System (QMS)
A quality management system (QMS) is a part of the holistic method of enterprise management. The goal is systematic quality management and process control. The quality management system ensures that corporate quality, system quality, process quality and product quality are established, inspected and improved within an organization. The aim of a quality management system is to achieve lasting improvement in business performance and customer satisfaction.
Industrial (IND)
The Industrial division develops and manufactures precision components, both rotative and linear bearing solutions, drive technology components and systems, as well as service solutions such as sensor-based condition monitoring systems for a variety of industrial applications. In addition, the division is working intensively on new products and solutions for the hydrogen economy.
Compliance Management System (CMS)
The Compliance Management System describes all measures, structures and processes established at a company to ensure compliance with legal and ethical requirements.