Zöllner Fensterbau GmbH, a German window manufacturer with 90 employees, has spent 50 years perfecting the hands-on, traditional approach that sets the business apart. “At Zöllner, we design and build high-quality wood-aluminum windows,” explains Frank Severin, Head of Organization and Processes at Zöllner Fensterbau GmbH. Unlike many manufacturers in the market, Zöllner not only designs and builds, but installs its products. “We’re part of the customer journey from A to Z,” says Severin.
While Zöllner’s customers appreciate the hand-crafted windows and the company's old-school customer focus, the Zöllner team recognized the need for a more refined approach to customer collaboration. “Our team is dedicated to making excellent windows and ensuring customer satisfaction, but we were lagging in terms of automation and digitization,” Severin explains. This realization, combined with rising material costs and increased competition for talent, led to what Severin describes as an “obligation to optimize”—resulting in the adoption of Microsoft 365 Business Premium. “We developed a three-year strategy aimed at growing our business during challenging times,” Severin says. “A crucial part of that strategy was investing in modern collaboration tools like those in Microsoft 365.” Today, Zöllner is blending its history of craftsmanship with modern technology, expanding its business, connecting more effectively with customers, and significantly enhancing efficiency. “With Microsoft 365 tools, we’ve managed to maintain the quality of a small manufacturing business while scaling like a much larger enterprise,” Severin concludes.
With Microsoft 365 tools, we’ve found a way to maintain the quality of a small manufacturing business while scaling like a much larger business. – Frank Severin: Head of Organization and Processes
From varied tools and versions to a unified platform
Before implementing Microsoft 365, Zöllner's employees struggled with effective collaboration, both internally and with customers. This was particularly challenging in the field or on the rare occasions when they worked from home—a practice hindered by technological limitations and a traditional preference for face-to-face interactions. “We used to share technical drawings and other documents by email,” Severin recalls. “If changes or clarifications were needed, someone from our team had to drive to the customer site to understand the situation.” This process was time-consuming and resulted in a travel-heavy schedule for employees. Additionally, the various systems in use at the company further complicated collaboration. “The systems we had weren’t consistent, which led to frequent issues with version control and file exchanges,” Severin remembers.
To address these challenges, Severin and his colleagues prioritized harmonizing Zöllner’s systems. “We decided to consolidate everything onto a single, evergreen platform for improved and simplified communication,” says Severin. “Microsoft 365 was clearly the best solution for this.”
To ensure a successful rollout, Zöllner partnered with IT-HAUS GmbH, a member of the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program. Matthias Bender, Competence Center Leader for Productivity and Applications at IT-HAUS GmbH, explains why Microsoft 365 was successful at Zöllner: “Zöllner started with Microsoft Teams and included employees from all areas of the business in early rollout meetings. This showed that it was a strategic decision supported by management, not just another IT project.” This inclusive approach, combined with the simplicity of the Teams solution, led to a quick win for Zöllner. “In the manufacturing industry, not everyone is tech-savvy,” Severin explains. “Microsoft Teams is simple and easy to use, allowing people to focus on creating high-quality products rather than learning new technology.”
Today, Teams is the primary platform for Zöllner employees. “We use Teams for more than just video conferencing and calling,” says Severin. “We collaborate on projects, share files, and have started integrating our enterprise resource planning system into the Teams interface. In the future, all customer orders and confirmations will be managed through the platform.” Following the Teams rollout, Zöllner transitioned to Outlook and Exchange Online for email, replacing an older email solution that lacked the user adoption and functionality of Outlook. “Moving to Outlook and Exchange Online has enhanced functionality, including personal calendars and contact management, and improved the overall user experience,” says Severin. “
The value of a single, unified platform has already become clear at Zöllner. “In the past, we sometimes experienced confusion on customer projects because of issues with sharing documents and information via email and hard disk drives,” recalls Severin. “People often had to ask for clarification about where they could find the latest drawings or information. Today, we’ve improved the process by using Teams to share that information and keep everyone on the same page.”
The simple act of consolidating solutions on the Microsoft 365 platform also supports new opportunities to modernize, notes Severin. “I see a lot of potential to improve processes even more now that we have everything on one platform,” he says. “It opens up a lot of doors in terms of reporting, controlling, and automation.”
Teams is simple and easy to use, so at the end of the day, people can focus on creating a high-quality product rather than trying to understand new technology. – Frank Severin: Head of Organization and Processes
Improving security and mobility while saving on costs
While Zöllner’s Microsoft 365 journey began with Teams and Exchange Online, the company soon identified SharePoint as a crucial tool for further modernization. “We’re in the final stages of moving all our files to SharePoint from our existing file server and physical hard disks,” says Severin. “SharePoint will soon be our main storage platform for all documents.”
The adoption of Teams and SharePoint has also enabled effective remote work. “Previously, our window installers could only contact colleagues by mobile phone if issues arose,” Severin explains. “Now, they use their phones to connect to Teams and upload photos to SharePoint, allowing real-time problem-solving with colleagues. This new process has significantly improved efficiency for both Zöllner and our customers.”
The Microsoft 365 tools have also reduced the need for travel, making the platform popular among employees. “In the past, employees often had to drive up to three hours to a customer site just to clarify an issue,” says Severin. “Now, they can jump on a Teams call, invite an architect and a customer, share drawings, and resolve issues in minutes instead of hours. This has saved a lot of time and reduced travel, clearing up problems in 10 or 15 minutes that would have taken hours before.” The reduction in unnecessary trips and overall efficiency gains will also result in cost savings. “We’ve already identified future savings from the efficiencies gained through Microsoft 365,” notes Severin.
Moreover, Zöllner has enhanced its security through the implementation of Microsoft 365. Previously, the company lacked central management for mobile devices. The introduction of Intune, part of Microsoft 365 Business Premium, has added a layer of security. “We use Intune to enforce compliance policies on mobile devices and control access for known and compliant devices,” says Severin. “It’s been a significant upgrade for our overall security.”
Appealing to all employees with enhanced hybrid work capabilities
Before adopting Microsoft 365, working from home was rare for Zöllner employees. “When I first joined, we had only basic arrangements for remote work,” recalls Severin. He notes that employees had to sign in to a terminal server, which frequently had connection issues and didn’t provide access to all necessary tools and software for effective remote work. “Now, we aim to offer more opportunities for remote work, and Microsoft 365 has been especially popular among younger employees, as it provides access to all required materials.” This shift is part of Zöllner’s strategy to remain competitive in the job market. “Finding and retaining the right talent is a challenge for everyone, especially for companies like ours in the handicraft industry,” says Severin. “A key driver of our transformation was creating a modern work environment to attract and retain employees. Microsoft 365 helps us offer the flexible work options that employees, particularly those who value remote work, are looking for.”
Just a few months after the initial Microsoft 365 rollout, Zöllner employees are still exploring new tools. “We’ve become avid users of Microsoft Planner,” says Severin. “We use it to track tasks in small teams and manage larger, long-term goals involving the entire company.”
We’ve already identified that there will be future savings because of the efficiencies we’ve gained by using Microsoft 365. – Frank Severin: Head of Organization and Processes
Updating a heritage brand with a modern transformation
Zöllner’s strategy of using modern tools to attract new employees has been successful. “In interviews, the new opportunities and modern work methods offered by Microsoft 365 have been very well received,” emphasizes Severin. “Applicants recognize the ongoing transformation here, and that significantly influences their decision to join us.”
Customers have also noticed the company’s updated, modern image. “We receive feedback from our customers and partners about the professionalism of their interactions with us,” says Severin. “We’re more structured and in control of our processes. This greatly supports our strategy of positioning ourselves as a premium business to work with.”
One of the drivers for our transformation was to create a modernized working environment that makes us more attractive as an employer. We use Microsoft 365 to build the environment employees look for. – Frank Severin: Head of Organization and Processes