With all due respect to friends and clients at SKF, the question is not quite as ridiculous as you might think. At least not for this layman. Some background. SKF has provided bearings for over a century, in the process learning just about everything there is to know about how objects rotate – and just as importantly, why they suddenly stop. And guess what they discovered? The vast majority of mechanical breakdowns can be attributed to a malfunctioning rotating part. Who’s the greatest expert on those parts? SKF. And who’s the world’s leading supplier of them? Right again.

No, dear reader, as you’ve already guessed, I wouldn’t dream of blaming SKF. My aim was simply to share with you what an extraordinary company it is. But had the headline been ’SKF is fantastic,’ you would never have made it this far. After all, nothing bores a reader more than bluster and blarney.

What do you think of when somebody says SKF? If you belong to the overwhelming majority, the answer is bearings. Which pretty much sums up the challenge SKF is facing.

Truth is, SKF knows so much more than bearings. The company now has to organize and communicate that knowledge to as wide an audience as possible – otherwise it might find itself in a commodity trap that’s difficult to get out of.

In light of this, SKF has created an organization, called Solution Factory, to house its specialist knowledge in seals, mechatronics, lubrication and related services. As the name implies, these ’factories’ provide customized solutions to very specific needs. The plan is to establish some 20 Solution Factories around the world. Sandberg Trygg is in the process of designing launch materials to help put SKF’s knowledge offer on the map.