This month, we are celebrating 26 years of Bartels Mikrotechnik. We take this opportunity to look back at over two decades filled with micropumps, microfluidics and microtechnology.
Today, Monika Kremer, CFO at Bartels, is taking a trip down memory lane. Read here what it was like for her to join the company and how things have changed in the past 20 years.
I joined Bartels Mikrotechnik in 2000 after studying economics and gaining several years of experience in corporate customer service at a major bank. I have been a shareholder and general manager of the company since 2006.
In the beginning, I really had no idea about technology. For my job interview, I first had to find out what microfluidics is and what this technology is used for! The team was only 8 people big when I joined, structures were almost non-existent, as is the case with many start-ups. This was my playground! Dr. Frank Bartels – the creative, enthusiastic physicist – gave me free reign to organise the company.
We focused on digitalisation from the very beginning. We started with the introduction of CRM and ERP software, which automatically established processes. In addition, we introduced a quality management system – with a digital manual from the very beginning.
Dr. Bartels and I as a management duo have also evolved over the years. In fact, I now understand a lot about our technology. My accolade in this respect was when I was entrusted with the sole supervision of a medical trade fair in China a few years ago. In return, Dr Bartels now knows a lot about business administration. I guess this is called a win-win situation.
In the 22 years, I have seen many employees come and go. I saw how young people – often directly following their studies or training – developed in our organisation. Looking back, it is probably what I enjoy most: accompanying and supporting people on their way to their full potential.
Seeing our team define their goals together, strive for them and then enjoy achieving them is very satisfying. My credo has always been that work should be fun – then you automatically achieve a good performance.