The history of PrüfExpress
How a vision became the leading software for work equipment testing!
Where do we come from?
The history of the Graubner company is an impressive example of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. Sebastian Graubner showed exceptional entrepreneurial skills at a young age. Together with a friend, he founded a mobile bicycle repair service that quickly became well-known thanks to clever advertising in the regional press. With tools in their saddlebags, they drove to their customers and repaired the bikes directly on site.
Sebastian Graubner developed a passion for building sailboats and, after graduating from high school in 1986 at the age of 20, he first went to sea as a dishwasher before moving to Italy to learn the art of wooden boat building at the renowned Sangermani shipyard in Lavagna. Despite initial language barriers, he managed to establish himself in this demanding trade. In 1989, he founded the Graubner company in Italy, which specialized in the construction and repair of boats.
Sebastian Graubner developed a passion for building sailboats and, after graduating from high school in 1986 at the age of 20, he first went to sea as a dishwasher before moving to Italy to learn the art of wooden boat building at the renowned Sangermani shipyard in Lavagna. Despite initial language barriers, he managed to establish himself in this demanding trade. In 1989, he founded the Graubner company in Italy, which specialized in the construction and repair of boats.
The company received its first major order in the same year it was founded: the refit of the Italian yacht Gatorade, which took part in the Whitebread Round the World Race, the forerunner of today’s Ocean Race. From 1989 to 1992, Sebastian Graubner was also involved in the construction of the new fast cruiser Wallygator . The Wallygator was also the first fast cruiser in the Mediterranean to be equipped with a carbon fiber mast.
With the economic crisis in Italy, Sebastian Graubner returned to Germany in 1993 and transformed his company into a consultancy specializing in the automotive industry. In 1995, he founded Technische Dokumentation Graubner, which later became Graubner Industrie-Beratung GmbH.
With the economic crisis in Italy, Sebastian Graubner returned to Germany in 1993 and transformed his company into a consultancy specializing in the automotive industry. In 1995, he founded Technische Dokumentation Graubner, which later became Graubner Industrie-Beratung GmbH.
The company has developed into a leading provider in the field of environmental protection and maintenance management. Significant projects were carried out for a major automobile manufacturer, including the development and administration of applications for maintenance management, which received the Environmental Leadership Award in 2002 and 2005.
In 2005, they introduced the first tablets with a specially developed maintenance management application. Two years later, in 2006, PrüfExpress Version 1 was launched, a paperless application for the mobile inspection of work equipment that works with PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and RFID tags (Radio Frequency Identification). This innovation was honored with the Europa Auto ID Award in 2008.
In 2005, they introduced the first tablets with a specially developed maintenance management application. Two years later, in 2006, PrüfExpress Version 1 was launched, a paperless application for the mobile inspection of work equipment that works with PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) and RFID tags (Radio Frequency Identification). This innovation was honored with the Europa Auto ID Award in 2008.
In the following years, Graubner continuously expanded its range of services in the field of occupational safety. From 2011 to 2014, they managed a major project to create risk assessments for technical building equipment at a major automotive manufacturer and were awarded the seal of approval from the Gesellschaft für Qualität im Arbeitsschutz mbH in 2014.
The project management for the construction of new gearbox assembly plants in Detroit and São Paulo demonstrates the company’s international reach and expertise.
From 2016 to 2017, work was carried out in collaboration with Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences on the development of PrüfExpress Version 2, an iPhone app for testing work equipment. In 2017 and 2019, the company was again certified with the GQA quality seal and continued its international activities, in particular with the establishment of a gearbox assembly facility in Brazil.
In 2020, the company celebrated its 25th anniversary in style, followed by renewed GQA certification. In 2021, Graubner introduced the e-learning platform Samadi.
In 2022, they entered into a new partnership with a team of developers in Pune, India, to further develop PrüfExpress.
From 2016 to 2017, work was carried out in collaboration with Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences on the development of PrüfExpress Version 2, an iPhone app for testing work equipment. In 2017 and 2019, the company was again certified with the GQA quality seal and continued its international activities, in particular with the establishment of a gearbox assembly facility in Brazil.
In 2020, the company celebrated its 25th anniversary in style, followed by renewed GQA certification. In 2021, Graubner introduced the e-learning platform Samadi.
In 2022, they entered into a new partnership with a team of developers in Pune, India, to further develop PrüfExpress.
In 2023, they presented their new PrüfExpress Cloud with SaaS application and celebrated the signing of an important partnership agreement with Dolezych. This partnership enables the worldwide distribution and implementation of the PrüfExpress software and represents a milestone in the company’s history.
In 2024, PrüfExpress took an impressive second place in the prestigious Technology Olympics of a major car manufacturer. This significant award underlines the outstanding innovative strength and practical added value of PrüfExpress. The award not only confirms the technical excellence of PrüfExpress, but also underlines its valuable contribution to improving processes and systems in the automotive industry.
How was the product created?
The development of PrüfExpress began with the identification of a major need: the safe, efficient and legally compliant testing of work equipment in an industrial environment. This requirement was defined by the German Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV), which stipulates regular testing of all work equipment in order to ensure the safety of employees and support occupational health and safety.
The development of PrüfExpress began in 2004 with a comprehensive process analysis. The aim was to digitize and standardize the previous error-prone and time-consuming inspection process. In a first step, over 10,000 index cards were scanned and photos of all new work equipment were recorded in a central database. This step enabled a continuous digital data flow without media disruptions.
In 2005, the decision was made to equip all relevant work equipment with transponders in order to simplify testing and documentation. In 2006, the introduction of mobile inspections began, with pocket PCs (PDAs) being used to carry out the inspections on site and transfer the results directly to the SAP system. This synchronization enabled immediate availability of the test reports and significantly reduced the administrative workload.
In 2005, the decision was made to equip all relevant work equipment with transponders in order to simplify testing and documentation. In 2006, the introduction of mobile inspections began, with pocket PCs (PDAs) being used to carry out the inspections on site and transfer the results directly to the SAP system. This synchronization enabled immediate availability of the test reports and significantly reduced the administrative workload.
Over the years, the system has been continuously expanded and improved. In 2008, PrüfExpress received the European Auto ID Award for the innovative use of RFID technology in maintenance. By 2011, PrüfExpress had been introduced in several plants of a large automotive group and now supports the inspection of more than 50,000 items of work equipment.
Between 2016 and 2017, they worked in cooperation with Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences on the further development of PrüfExpress, an iPhone app for testing work equipment. This collaboration resulted in the second version of PrüfExpress, which has evolved into a versatile and modular system. Now it no longer only worked on PDAs, but also on iPhones and Android devices. It also enabled direct data synchronization via the Internet. This adaptation was necessary to meet changing requirements and to support the Group’s strategy of switching from Windows smartphones to Apple iPhones.
Since 2018, PrüfExpress has been continuously developed and new functions have been added. In recent years, the work equipment inspection software has established itself as an indispensable solution for inspection management and work equipment controlling. Thanks to continuous innovations such as the introduction of the cloud-based SaaS application and the customization of the user interface, PrüfExpress now offers an impressive range of functions. These include comprehensive master data management, efficient inspection management, targeted work equipment controlling, the introduction of public websites for each work equipment and the proactive recording and processing of fault reports.
Since 2018, PrüfExpress has been continuously developed and new functions have been added. In recent years, the work equipment inspection software has established itself as an indispensable solution for inspection management and work equipment controlling. Thanks to continuous innovations such as the introduction of the cloud-based SaaS application and the customization of the user interface, PrüfExpress now offers an impressive range of functions. These include comprehensive master data management, efficient inspection management, targeted work equipment controlling, the introduction of public websites for each work equipment and the proactive recording and processing of fault reports.
Together with the dedicated development team in Pune and its partner Dolezych, Graubner works tirelessly to continuously improve PrüfExpress and adapt it optimally to the needs of its customers. A particular highlight in 2024 was the impressive second place that PrüfExpress won at the prestigious Technology Olympics of a leading car manufacturer. This award not only underlines the exceptional innovative strength of their solution, but also demonstrates the practical benefits in the industry. They are excited about the future and look forward to the continuous development of PrüfExpress in order to offer their customers the best possible support in the years to come.
What makes PrüfExpress so unique?
PrüfExpress is an innovative software solution for the digital documentation of work equipment inspections that is characterized by efficiency, user-friendliness and legally compliant documentation. Its unique selling point lies in its ability to speed up inspection processes by up to 70% while minimizing manual errors. With state-of-the-art RFID technology and seamless integration into existing systems such as SAP, it offers a comprehensive and reliable solution for managing and monitoring work equipment.
What makes PrüfExpress so unique?
The software stands out from the competition thanks to the following features:
What makes PrüfExpress so unique?
The software stands out from the competition thanks to the following features:
These unique advantages make PrüfExpress the first choice for companies that want to optimize their inspection processes and at the same time ensure that all legal requirements are met.
The solution enables efficient, flexible and user-friendly digital testing of work equipment.
The cloud-based application reduces time and costs thanks to automated and digitalized testing processes.
Powerful functions such as master data management, fault message management and the maintenance of public websites ensure that you always have an overview – and at the same time improve safety and efficiency in your company.
Test reports can be created in a structured, legally compliant manner and without manual effort.
A reliable software solution for modern, optimized test management.
The cloud-based application reduces time and costs thanks to automated and digitalized testing processes.
Powerful functions such as master data management, fault message management and the maintenance of public websites ensure that you always have an overview – and at the same time improve safety and efficiency in your company.
Test reports can be created in a structured, legally compliant manner and without manual effort.
A reliable software solution for modern, optimized test management.
