Averna, powered by Spherea

When you already meet internationally recognised quality management systems like EN9100, how can you add another layer of best practice to your processes?

When Spherea in Ulm (now Averna, powered by Spherea) was carved out of Airbus in 2014 to build test-benches for safety-critical sectors like aviation, the thirteen teammates chose to develop their processes from scratch.

They achieved the aerospace industry’s EN9100 quality standard within an enviable six months. But soon realised they wanted to aim higher.

So they started looking for a framework that would move them beyond their industry benchmarks.

In 2016, Averna found its answer: The EFQM Model.

While certification audits determine whether you pass or fail, the EFQM Model asks a harder question: Are you actually getting the results you want, the way you want them?

The Model’s RADAR logic gave the company a disciplined method and a shared language for improvement, and a way to look at the whole organisation at once rather than one standard at a time.

The first external assessment “was hard but fair”. Even when starting from a position of compliance and success, it still identified areas for improvement.

The management team took a breath. And then set out to address those gaps.

What that initial assessment called out as weaknesses are today among the company’s defining strengths.

The Model also helped the company as it grew. Through innovation and transformation cycles, bringing in external and staff perspectives to key decisions. From mega-trends to improving relationships with staff, suppliers and clients.

Most of Averna’s customers are in defence and government, so off-the-shelf satisfaction surveys were never an option. The Model encouraged the company to build its own way of carrying out detailed consultations – including asking suppliers ‘what could we do better?’ The external reviews coming back today are strongly positive.

The internal feedback is very strong too. The systematic approach to managing and retaining staff is cited as one of the reasons Averna has been rated a top employer in Germany on the Kununu platform for five years running, among the top 3 to 5 per cent.

And the local community also benefits from this new outlook. Averna’s engineers run robotics training days for local young people keen to learn new skills.

Working closely with EFQM, Averna shaped an assessment process that delivers genuine external insight: the external perspective that a leadership team cannot get from discussions inside the boardroom.

Martin Kugelmann, Managing Director of Averna Ulm, powered by Spherea, is now also an EFQM assessor himself. He champions the EFQM Model, particularly as a way to benchmark and improve against others.

“If you play football alone in your garden, yes, you will always keep the ball,” he says. “But if you only play alone, you will lose your skills. And it won’t be as fun.”

For Averna, powered by Spherea, hitting the world’s strictest quality standards was never the end goal.

Building on those results to benchmark and continually improve their performance motivates the leadership team.

Martin sums up the difference that EFQM makes brilliantly. “Having a driving licence means you can drive legally. It doesn’t mean you’re a good driver.”

“But, if you use the EFQM Model properly, you know you’ll become a good driver.”

Martin Kugelmann, Managing Director, Averna Ulm, powered by Spherea

Notes:
The company was awarded 5 Stars by EFQM in November 2025
Spherea was rebranded as Averna, powered by Spherea in June 2026

“Are those processes really the good ones? Are they the right ones to achieve results? That was my question.”

Martin Kugelmann, Managing Director, Averna Ulm, powered by Spherea