CC Systems
CC Systems is the one-stop shop
CC Systems develops products and platforms to increase the intelligence and abilities of heavy vehicles, striving to raise the reliability and productivity of its clients’ machines.
Its systems for controlling mobile machines and heavy vehicles are ruggedised electronics, designed specifically for challenging environments, and by managing products and system solutions throughout their lifecycle, CC Systems has earned a reputation for facilitating its clients’ long-term success.
The company offers a unique, comprehensive solution that includes the development and product maintenance of control systems for leading OEMs such as John Deere, Rolls-Royce Marine, BAE Systems Hägglunds and Volvo CE. “We started in 1991 as a small company with seven employees, purely focused on developing control systems for John Deere,” explains sales and marketing director Mats Kjellberg. “We provided engineering services on a consultancy basis but, after a few years, we acquired a small production unit and have been gradually growing ever since.”
CC Systems has been selected to provide NASA with on-board computers because its CC Pilot XS can operate in environments with extreme temperatures, vibrations and exposure to dust and water, making it ideal for use in challenging environments. With a 20 million euro turnover, the company is active in various markets as its technology can be applied across diverse industrial sectors. “Construction equipment is the main aspect of our business but we operate in other sectors as well,” says Mats. “Our differing markets basically use the same technology platform throughout, whether it’s in forestry machines, rock drilling equipment, container handling equipment, construction equipment, marine vessels or military vehicles.”
CC Systems operates a production facility in Sweden and a new facility that will serve the South East Asian market. “We have a Malaysian factory starting up in Penang,” reveals Mats. “Management is in place and production will begin in October. This will serve global customers and is intended for more labour intensive production.”
The company has a process-focused working method and, in order to effectively develop products, it constructs various technology platforms such as electronic products, complete building blocks for hardware and software, and reusable system architectures. Manufacturing efficiency has been improved by applying lean concepts and automation. “We monitor key trends closely and have implemented lean production concepts, allowing us to manage stock and keep processes down. We’ve also made investments in progressing to automation in production processes.”
Describing the business’s R&D activity is complex because, as Mats explains, its entire operation is a continual development process: “Everything we do revolves around developing new systems because we advance new products that go into system solutions. We even develop complete new system solutions for our customers so, in that respect, all aspects are development oriented.”
Importantly, CC Systems differs from other electronics companies by offering total integration: “Besides specialising in challenging environments, we offer system integration services on different levels depending on the kind of support each customer needs. This ranges from providing lowlevel software with the hardware to providing a full application development service that develops the whole system for the customer. That service differentiates us, allowing us to operate as a onestop shop and platform supplier for mobile controls.”
Mats says that whilst its position in Sweden is secure, the company is looking to expand into new markets and believes exhibitions will raise its profile: “We consistently experience growth in Sweden, and the North European market is a forerunner, but we’re aiming to become stronger in the UK by co-operating with a UK partner acting as a value-added system integrator. For other markets such as Germany and the US, we’re focusing on promoting our technology but there are various plans to achieve dramatic growth that involve acquisitions. We’re not particularly active with marketing because customers have always found us, although now that we’re trying to raise visibility in the wider European and US markets, events have become important. Bauma 2007 was a way for us to test reactions and, in the coming years, we’ll attend other exhibitions such as ConExpo in Las Vegas in March 2008.”
Promoting new products will form a key part of the organisation’s expansion strategy, such as its latest innovation CrossTalk, which is a robust, versatile and future proof system platform for manufacturers of heavy vehicles and machines: “Our CrossTalk generic system is a way of packaging our knowledge into a product platform from which it is possible to form a customised adapted control system for different machines. It’s a generic platform that’s modular and open.”
Mats believes that CC Systems can overcome potential difficulties in the future to become a more international company: “Making the move from the safety of our home market to the rest of the world is challenging but we’re confident of our product range, technical know-how and capabilities. New products launched next year will further enhance our portfolio. We aim to obtain acceptance for our technology in new markets and establish a customer base, as well as partners, in the UK, Germany and the US over the coming four years.”
CC Systems
Products: Electronic mobile control systems
Sites: Sweden, Finland and Malaysia
Employees: 180
www.cc-systems.com