Sennheiser 2011 Annual Report Download - page 32

CONSOLIDATED MANAGEMENT REPORT 2011
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CONSOLIDATED MANAGEMENT REPORT 2011
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HUMAN RESOURCES
ENTWICKLUNG
The Sennheiser Group’s average staffing level rose by 3.1% in 2011 to 2,183 employees. This included 75 trainees
(compared with 67 in the previous year). At the end of the year, the number of Sennheiser Group employees
came to 2,248 (previous year: 2,140). On average, 54% of all employees were working for companies within
Germany and 46% for companies abroad. Personnel costs rose by 4.1% in comparison with the previous year.
This increase was in part due to the increased number of employees and in part to higher variable remuneration
on account of the company’s success.
On average, 30 temporary workers were employed in manufacturing over the course of 2011 in light of the
continued improvements in the business situation. A works agreement was also drawn up. The agreement
almost places temporary workers on an equal footing with Sennheiser employees on the basis of an equal pay
scheme.
INVESTMENTS
Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG invested €6.5 million in 2011. €0.3 million of investments in tangible assets
were for technical equipment and machinery and €3.7 million for furniture and equipment. The subsidiaries
primarily invested in the following: €0.9 million for tangible and intangible assets at the Irish production site,
€1.7 million at the Singapore site and €0.3 million at the US production site.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (R&D)
The year opened with the launch of the sophisticated CXC 700 travel earphones, the first Sennheiser travel line
model equipped with digital NoiseGard technology. In order to improve everyday listening pleasure, a total of
seven new models were added to the HD 200 and 400 series, while the earphones IE 60 and IE 80 from the
Professional earphone series, which were presented at the IFA 2011 in Berlin, were aimed at demanding users.
The digital RS 220 headphones, which set new sound quality standards for wireless audio transmission, were
also presented at the IFA.
The lineup of Sennheiser Communications Bluetooth headsets was boosted in 2011 with the addition of the
awarding-winning VMX 200 model. Other new products launched for VoIP applications were then joined at the
end of the year by X 320, a headset designed together with professional “gamers” especially for long Xbox®
gaming sessions.
The award-winning DECT wireless series DW Office, launched in 2010, was upgraded in 2011 especially for certi-
fied version of Microsoft Lync (Soft Phone). This strategic partnership with Microsoft is a Sennheiser Communica-
tions milestone and opens up new Unified Communications channels and business areas. The wired Circle CC&O
headset range was presented at the end of the year; this was met with a very enthusiastic response from our
sales partners.
At the time of the American NAMM music trade fair in January 2011, Sennheiser had already added the MK4
large-diaphragm microphone, a high-quality recording microphone, to its portfolio for professional users. In
time for the German equivalent of Prolight + Sound in April 2011, Sennheiser added new versions of the suc-
cessful evolution-wireless production family in the attractive 1.8 GHz frequency range to its wireless communi-
cations systems.
The two shotgun microphones MKH 8060 and 8070 series were presented for the first time in March at the
broadcast NAB trade fair in Las Vegas; their natural sound mean that these come highly recommended for use
at sports events and film productions as either analog or digital microphones. A Neumann microphone interface
is now available in the form of the DMI-2 portable that supports digital microphones and allows the set up to
be changed directly at the units themselves. In 2011, Neumann also presented the KH 120, the first product
with a new range of Neumann studio monitors. The KH 120 embodies state-of-the-art acoustic and electronic
simulation and measuring technologies, opening up what is a new and very promising market for Sennheiser.
Sennheiser presented a new pilot headset for the aviation market with fully adaptive digital noise canceling
technology in the form of the S1 Digital at the Oshkosh flight trade fair in summer 2011.
Essential functions have been added to the ADN discussion and conference system in the Integrated Systems
portfolio since November 2011. The portfolio has now been rounded off. This system allows up to 400 people
to participate in conferences, which are then saved electronically.
EMPLOYEES
Change from previous year, in percent
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
1,976
2,117
+7.1 %
2,132
+0.7 % 2,117
–0.7 %
2,183
+3.1 %
1,177
Germany
54 %
1,006
Abroad
46 %
[ DEVELOPMENT ]