Adrian Chang:  Keep moving forward

Adrian Chang, Körber site: Singapore 

I joined Körber in Singapore in early 2004. 

Back then, the service business didn't yet have the same strategic importance it has today. That changed around 2005, when the company established a dedicated role to drive its development in Asia. 

Soon afterwards, I was offered the position. 

At the time, I was a Sales Manager for machines – a role I enjoyed and one in which I could contribute directly to order intake. 

At the same time, I knew that the scope for making a continuous impact was limited. 
Machine sales open the door to the customer.  
Services, spare parts, conversions, active obsolescence management and technical support keep that relationship alive long after the machine has been installed. 

Still, the decision wasn't an easy one. 

Moving into the services business meant stepping into a bigger, more complex world:  
spare parts, maintenance contracts, fast response times.  
Leading field engineers is no easy task.
Every customer situation and set of requirements is unique – and that demands flexibility. 

Despite these challenges, I quickly realized how fulfilling this new role would be.  

Supporting engineers, enabling their work, having their back.  
Creating the conditions to deliver the best solutions for our customers as fast as possible. 
Giving them peace of mind, knowing that our machines will run, day in and day out. 

In 2006, our team consisted of eight people.  
Today, it's grown to more than 50 people across the region. 

We invested deliberately in local presence and brought engineers closer to our customers.  
That foresight proved decisive – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel was barely possible. 

At the same time, we expanded our sales resources for services in Indonesia and strengthened our technical and administrative capabilities. That made us faster and more flexible in this important region. 

One question stayed with us throughout:  
Do we stand still – or actively shape the market? 

For me, the answer was clear:  
Take on the challenge and build something that lasts and can renew itself over time. 

Trust was – and still is – the key. 

People buy from companies they can rely on. 
From partners who keep their promises.  
From teams that are there when it matters. 

But reputation isn't something we can rest on.  
We have to earn it again, every single day. 

By recognizing opportunities where others mainly see uncertainty.  
By demonstrating excellence not just in our products, but also in our service.  
And by proving, again and again, that our customers can rely on us.  

For me, that means one thing above all:  
keep moving forward – and never take the trust we've built for granted.