The way we work

Digital tools are a mainstay in office environments around the world. Robotics are streamlining operations in factories, while evolving creative processes are driving innovation across industries. Amid this evolution, a new star is rising: AI. As the landscape of global business transforms, GF is at the forefront of integrating advanced technologies and innovative work styles to stay competitive and create a stimulating environment where its employees can grow and thrive.

Through the experiences of four employees across our divisions, we explore what it means to work efficiently, creatively, digitally and with connection. Their stories show how new approaches are not only improving individual performance and well-being, but are also driving our company toward a promising future.

Martin Drechsler is the team leader for dispatch coordination at GF Casting Solutions in Altenmarkt (Austria), and he‘s always on the move. His smartwatch records around 14,000 steps on a normal working day. “Apart from the physical exertion, the real challenge is keeping an eye on everything,” he says. “I have to be up to date with all the processes, and know where every single load carrier is at all times.“

Load carriers are the containers, pallets, lattice boxes and such used for the die-cast aluminum and magnesium components that GF produces on-site for well-known car manufacturers. The cast parts are heat-treated and polished, dip-coated, assembled, packaged and dispatched. Every day, 20 to 35 trucks must be loaded or unloaded at the three plants in Altenmarkt and St. Gallen, 14 kilometers away.

Since the introduction of a new forklift guidance system (SLS) at the site, load carriers and goods are now digitally networked. Each of the 12 forklift trucks in Altenmarkt has been equipped with a scanner and various sensors to provide information such as load carrier type, product number, degree of production and number of items contained in each load carrier. As soon as a load carrier is detected, the driver is guided to the exact storage location. Floor markings make orientation even easier. This is the key to efficiency: it could previously take up to an hour to find a specific pallet cage.

Martin learned all about the SLS when he was still a forklift driver. He joined GF in this role in 2013. “My first station was machine production, followed by automation, then logistics, and two years ago I moved into shipping.” He has been responsible for organizing the supply of the external plants at the site since 2021.

Learning from the scratch and passing through all the different stations has paid off. Today, a team of 11 forklift drivers relies on him and his experience. And when colleagues are absent, he still likes to climb on the forklift himself.

Martin sees the modernization measures, such as the forklift guidance system and the continuous development in his area of work at GF, as making his job easier. As a manager, however, he also understands what this means for employees who might find change more challenging. “We actively involve all employees to hear their ideas on how to improve processes and work more efficiently. If colleagues suggest ideas that get implemented, we celebrate their contributions and express our appreciation by awarding a bonus.”