Hornby's Simon Kohler interview at Warley 2010

[micklner]

See here for a Q and A session with Simon Kohler

 

http://www.modelrail...topic=15132&hl=

[Guest dilbert]

An interview ? Seems like a bunch of questions with no meaningful structure was launched... next ? ...dilbert

[The Stationmaster]

Seems to be a sort of wish list - with answers (well that's different I s'pose ).

[7013]

Completely useless if intending to enlighten us about future announcements. SK is a past master at saying nothing by saying a lot.

[Steve K]

Was that cursory, rather dismissive set of replies really Mr Kohler's whole answer? Quite disappointing, if so, but then, what do we expect him to say? Many of the questions, as originally posed, were quite sarcastic and badly written, so maybe answers in a similar vein were to be expected.

 

The only reply that really make me take notice was to the question (quite a good one, I felt) about offering tenders as separate items. Not "no immediate plans" - just "no". Odd, but I'm sure Hornby have their reasons.

[7013]

Hornby are not very receptive to supplying spare tenders, chassis etc. (At least Bachamnn chassis are available). Hornby do appear to want to control very tightly what we can and cannot get from them. I know financial considerartions have to be taken into account, it is a good job we have a cottage industry in this country that can satisfy virtually all our needs.

[Flying Pig]

The only reply that really make me take notice was to the question (quite a good one, I felt) about offering tenders as separate items. Not "no immediate plans" - just "no". Odd, but I'm sure Hornby have their reasons.

Likely that the demand would be (relatively) miniscule and not an efficient use of production slots. Margins would probably need to be lower than on complete locos, too.

[Andy Y]

I think, to be fair to Simon, that the transcription of the questions and answers is less than verbatim and somewhat condensed. I'm sure that anyone who knows Simon would say that he normally gives measured but meaningful responses (and forthrightly honest ).

[Shedmaster]

I'd have to say that I personally find Mr Kohler fine to get along with, even if I don't get the answer I would want sometimes, he's a brilliant guy to have facing the customer at exhibitions......I can think of others who I would not want to see in that same position !

 

However, as far as new products etc are concerned, I don't think the whole decision rests with him as to what will or will not be produced, as there are so many other factors involved as with the running of any big, well known brand such as Hornby.

 

I honestly think they've got their work cut out at Margate though, what with all the Olympic product lines that will inevetably hit the shelves for 2012, maybe with this and the 2011 catalogue items, we will as ever just have to be patient and see what is in store for us and not try to "reach for the secret too soon" ?

 

 

 

Dave

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Likely that the demand would be (relatively) miniscule and not an efficient use of production slots. ...

That's really the issue. The production operations set up is very tightly specified. Gone forever are the ' good old days' where it was feasible to knock out an extra hundred units of a tender or loco body (or whatever other part of a complete product was desired) simply by a verbal instruction to the production shop foreman. I went through this transition in manufacturing, and it was very painful for those long accustomed to traditional methods. No more could you turn round to the factory and say 'up the output' of product line 'X' effective immediately' or 'do me a quick run of a variant like this'. The various feedstocks and supplies come 'just in time' on pre-planned schedules, the work force and machinery are present only to deliver planned volumes, the slots for the planned product mix are allocated.

 

All very cost effective, as there is practically no inventory in the manufacturing operation, and the plant and workforce run continuously at a very high percentage of capacity. The raw materials and components arrive in a continuous stream, and are through the process and away to retail as fast as the manufacturing process can run. (My favourite was one where the trailer bringing in the main feedstock was off-loaded over 4 hours and departed loaded 4 hours after that with finished product to go to distribution, the last 30% of the load containing material that had been on the trailer as feedstock.) But flexibility is lost, there is lttle slack in such a system; and it is the slack which constitutes the capacity to perform variants to plan.