In a world where many people are standing outside the labour market and the number of unemployed is high, it is difficult to imagine that a few years from now the situation may well be completely turned around. We read warnings from experts in newspapers and magazines – but do we take them seriously?

Competence management and building competencies are important tasks today, but by the year 2010 they will be crucial for the survival of a business. With a shortage of labour, companies will compete for talented, trained people. Retaining staff and developing its competencies will probably be the most urgent mission for a company’s management to undertake.

At SKF we constantly work to increase our expertise within five platforms: Bearings and Units; Seals; Lubrication Systems; Mechatronics; and Services. Our acquired knowledge and competencies in these areas are our most valuable assets these days, when selling a product is only part of the job. Understanding the customers’ problems is the foundation of every successful business relationship, and providing complete, state-of-the-art solutions is the main challenge. This takes competence.

In this issue of Evolution we offer examples of how teaming up with others and sharing competence benefits the customer. Service contracts that include training of staff have proved to be an important means of adding competence and value to the customer’s knowledge bank.

Enjoy your reading!