Alexander Klein

I am a professor of “Integrated Production Management” at the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kleve. In addition to my teaching activities, I advise companies on optimizing their production by improving business processes, the production concept, manufacturing technologies and on the digital transformation to an Industry 4.0 factory.

In addition to teaching at the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, I also teach full-time MBA and Executive MBA courses at the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT) in Berlin.

My areas of expertise include production management (particularly material flow simulation, digital production, PPS production planning and control), manufacturing technology and quality management. As a member of a working group of the Science Council of the Federal Republic of Germany, I assess other universities as part of the accreditation process.

Before working as a university lecturer, I worked in various positions at the machine tool manufacturer Gildemeister AG (now DMG MORI) and at a business unit in the Industry Sector of Siemens AG. I managed factory expansion projects at home and abroad, developed production concepts and strategic plans, participated in the advance development of manufacturing technologies and was responsible for the sales of automation solutions. Most recently, I was head of an operational unit with its own factory in the spare parts and service business.

I studied mechanical engineering at the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen (RWTH). After completing my diploma thesis at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT), I worked as an employee and later research group leader at the Machine Tool Laboratory (WZL) at RWTH Aachen University and wrote my doctoral thesis on an innovative process for the production of transmission components, for which I received an award. During the first few years in industry (at Gildemeister AG, now DMG MORI), I also completed a part-time Executive MBA degree as part of a cooperation program between the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland) and RWTH Aachen.

As a professor at the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, I was awarded the Kleve Economic Development University Prize in 2015 for my collaboration with industry.

In the summer semester of 2020, I completed a research semester at the Claas company's main plant in Harsewinkel and was involved in the further development of the (already excellent) production management as part of strategic projects.

Advisor

I support companies in making their production more efficient or better and successfully meeting the challenges of digitalization in the long term. My approach is always to provide you with solutions that are as simple as possible and only as complicated as necessary to make your factory better and your business fit for digital transformation. Your employees play a central role in my consulting approach. I always integrate these closely into the projects - with a threefold benefit for you: identification with the solutions developed increases; the knowledge about what was developed in the project is anchored in the company; and at the same time you save on fee costs. Whether it’s a small or medium-sized company or a larger company – I don’t have a “one size fits all” consulting solution. I adapt to your wishes and your environment and offer you tailor-made consulting services and scope.