#1 A Perfect Fit: Identifying, Listening and Meeting Customer Needs
A customer favourite? It wasn't called TECTON 25 years ago. "At that time, ZX was our top product for continuous-row lighting," recalls Daniel Cathomen, Marketing Director for Switzerland at the Zumtobel Group. "ZX was extremely popular, extremely well received and had a top price/performance ratio.
ZX had already made the leap from 5 to 7 poles when it became clear that even this extension would only be sufficient for a short period of time. There was a growing desire to integrate emergency lighting with two independent emergency circuits in the continuous rooflight. The advent of digitalisation opened up completely new design possibilities, but also demanded much more flexibility and variability from the lighting solution.
"With the increasing possibility of using sensors and control systems in lighting technology, it became necessary to increase the number of conductors in the channels from 5 to 11," explains Jürg Zumtobel, long-standing CEO and Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Zumtobel Group until 2020. "The result is a highly efficient and successful lighting system that has outperformed its competitors for more than 20 years.”
With TECTON, Zumtobel provided an 11-pole continuous-row lighting system for the first time - 5 poles for lighting, 2 poles for lighting control and 2 x 2 independent emergency lighting poles. In addition, it was possible for the first time to tap power flexibly over the entire length of the trunking. "The introduction of TECTON gave our customers enormous additional flexibility," recalls Daniel Cathomen. "Thanks to Zumtobel's commitment to innovation, we were able to develop a system that went far beyond the usual applications at the time.
Anticipating future requirements: Zumtobel was able to do this primarily because its product development and sales teams listened very carefully to their potential customers and because the lighting solution was not launched on the market as a "finished" product, but was further developed in focus groups over a period of around seven years on the basis of a continuous exchange of experience and feedback.
It continues to be optimised: The latest major milestones in the history of TECTON include the dust- and splash-proof TECTON IP64/IP54 version available from 2021, which makes the benefits of the tried-and-tested continuous-row lighting system available for demanding industrial environments. The TECTON DC from 2024: the "direct current" version opens up completely new possibilities for the seamless and loss-free use of electricity from renewable energies and intelligent DC networks.
#2 Collaborate: Working across departments and with design experts
A large part of TECTON's success can be attributed to the interdisciplinary collaboration within the company and with external design experts. Internally, the product development process was particularly successful thanks to seamless communication between research and development, product design and other relevant company departments. Heterogeneous and multifaceted - it was only through the interaction of different perspectives that a truly sustainable and integrated product could be created.
Zumtobel received external support for the design development: Nicholas Grimshaw of Grimshaw Architects created the very first luminaire design, which was later finalised by Billings Jackson Design - and updated the first TECTON LED version in 2010. The result is a timeless design language that still characterises TECTON today.
"For us, TECTON was the first product that followed a 'design-led' approach - without us even realising it at the time," says Mario Wintschnig, who accompanied the TECTON launch as Product Manager from the very beginning and was most recently responsible for sustainability at the Zumtobel Group as Manager Corporate Responsibility Strategy & Transformation. "The designers from Nicholas Grimshaw Architects, as well as Duncan Jackson and Eoin Billings, were always present at all team meetings, immediately visualising every idea and rightly challenging a lot of what we took for granted. This stimulated creativity within the team and, most importantly, kept everyone on the same page.”
#3 From the inside out: win over employees, inspire customers
The launch of TECTON shows that the first steps in a new market are the most challenging. Daniel Cathomen, Marketing Director Switzerland: "It took three years from the first trade fair presentation until we were able to establish the product on a broad basis in the market and finally switch from the popular ZX trunking system to TECTON.
The crux of the whole campaign: the TECTON trunking was more expensive than its predecessor. In order to explain the higher investment sum, Zumtobel had to present the future requirements - which very quickly became reality - in a factual and credible manner.
Live events were a key success factor, allowing interested parties to familiarise themselves with the system first-hand. Hands-on: people were able to touch TECTON and try out the simple installation of the continuous-row luminaire for themselves: "Our communication strategy was very progressive for the time," recalls Daniel Cathomen. "We presented TECTON to a large audience, for example at the Light Forum in Dornbirn, at the same time, we cascaded our communication in such a way that staff from our regional sales offices also travelled personally to every suitable electrician. Whether it was a mega-event or an individual local product presentation, the sum of the efforts made the difference, says Cathomen.
A successful campaign for a contemporary product that even earned Zumtobel honest recognition from its competitors: "When we first presented TECTON at ineltec in Basel, the Head of Development of a competitor came to my stand," says Marketing Director Daniel Cathomen. "He said: 'You've done a good job. That was a key moment for me”.
Carina Buchholz, now Senior Brand & Application Content Marketing Manager at Zumtobel and then Head of the new Zurich Lighting Centre, can also recall exactly when the TECTON campaign took off: "When TECTON had not only become a sales argument, but had also won over the hearts of our team. Suddenly our staff wanted to present the product themselves at more and more trade fairs and events, instead of leaving it to the marketing team. They really did present TECTON with conviction and pride - and in doing so inspired more and more customers.”
#4 Neutral: Involve an independent test centre, confirm assembly speed
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The intuitive, quick and easy assembly and disassembly was particularly impressive in every single customer demonstration. A patented joint connector ensures convenient handling. All TECTON components can be mounted without tools and with just one hand. Replacing or upgrading technology: The ingenious system ensures that the lighting situation can be easily adapted to new room layouts with little effort.
Mario Wintschnig, one of the first TECTON product managers, recalls a particularly impressive moment: "I still remember the installation comparison of all competitor products with TECTON. All the sales staff carried out this installation comparison themselves in a hall rented especially for this purpose. Nothing more needed to be said ... the strengths of the TECTON continuous-row lighting system could be experienced directly by everyone present, from that point on, TECTON was a sure-fire success".
"Time is a cost factor," says Senior Marketing Manager Carina Buchholz. "An unbeatable argument in sales. Zumtobel even had the time advantage certified by an external body: "REFA confirmed the installation speed we measured back then," recalls Roman Brandstätter, Application Manager Indoor Architectural and Head of Marketing at Zumtobel Austria. "It was a very important step for us to have the quick and easy installation certified by an independent third party".
#5 Step by step: Develop an industry first, then roll out gradually
The gradual introduction of the system, which remained open to adjustments and optimisation, also played a key role in TECTON's triumphant progress: In 2001, TECTON was launched in a basic version for industrial ambient lighting, warehouse lighting and large-area retail lighting. Additional options for shelf lighting and accent lighting in the retail sector followed in 2002. An industrial version was launched in 2003, and in 2004, Zumtobel added design-oriented optics. Today, TECTON is used in almost all Zumtobel application areas. In addition to industry and retail, these are mainly offices, education, art and culture, as well as the hospitality sector. Emergency luminaires and emergency signage luminaires can also be easily integrated into the system. "Democratic design - for us, when developing luminaires, this primarily means creating a product that guarantees optimum lighting conditions, whether in a factory or a shopping centre," says Nicholas Grimshaw, Duncan Jackson and Eoin Billings.
Gudrun Schach, Marketing & Communications Manager at Zumtobel Austria, explains why TECTON has become so attractive for office applications in particular: "In the past, continuous rows and luminaires in offices were arranged in a complicated way. With TECTON, homogeneous, uniform and, above all, particularly flexible lighting has found its way into the office.”
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#6 Flexible: One system, many functions, no ceiling outlets
The advantages of the TECTON system are particularly evident in design-oriented applications, stylish office buildings or representative rooms: thanks to the 11-pole track, which was also digitally controllable from the outset with an integrated DALI line, advanced functions do not require additional ceiling sockets or unsightly wiring. The smart, architectural look of the room is retained, while the practical value is increased.
Surface or accent lighting, pendant or surface mounted, combined with continuous rows, spotlights or high-bay luminaires, with emergency luminaires or emergency signage luminaires, supplemented by sensors for measuring daylight or presence, TECTON can be tailored to any individual lighting requirement - without major technical effort and without costly structural changes.
"TECTON offers our customers security in uncertain times and makes investment decisions easier," emphasises Carina Buchholz. "We are constantly faced with the challenge of adapting utilisation concepts, especially in new working environments. The flexibility of the track system stands for maximum future-proofing - from the ceiling outlets to the adaptation of luminaires, control technologies or the integration of IoT components, after all, we don't know today what we'll need tomorrow.
#7 Future-proof: Thinking ahead with TECTON, integrating innovations
Refurbishment projects in particular are much more cost-effective and timesaving with TECTON. "The customer can simply replace and renew lighting modules, light sources or optics - without having to question the entire system," says Mario Wintschnig. "Instead of having to make a completely new investment after 10 or 15 years and spending a lot of money, future technologies can simply be retrofitted. Sensors and lighting technology change, but the TECTON track remains the same. The modularity of the system now also enables innovative recycling projects in the construction industry: from high-quality recycling to reuse. This makes TECTON particularly sustainable in the renovation sector - and offers customers a decisive advantage.
For Senior Marketing Manager Carina Buchholz, this fulfils a key customer promise: "Twenty years ago, we promised our customers that TECTON would be absolutely sustainable. With today's refurbishment projects, we are able to keep this promise. This includes the fact that the latest generation of lighting components is backwards compatible - and can, for example, be used with existing tracks. "With the extended range, it is possible to bring installed lighting solutions up-to-date at any time.”
To ensure that the TECTON system remains fit for the challenges of the future, Zumtobel has once again brought external support on board for the new edition of the continuous-row lighting system - TECTON II - announced for 2025: "Together with the Italian design studio Pininfarina, we are currently adapting our continuous-row lighting system to the requirements of the times," says Andreas Fussenegger, Director of Product Management at Zumtobel. "It is precisely this external perspective that opens up new possibilities and perspectives: our common vision is to offer our customers even more individualisation options for their tailor-made TECTON system - and thus take functionality and user experience to a whole new level.
Conclusion: A success story - also for Zumtobel's partners
From 2001 to today, from the first sketch to the completely revised new edition, to this day, TECTON scores with its timeless design, a consistent installation basis - and flexible retrofitting with individual and future-oriented components and technologies. This makes TECTON not only one of Zumtobel's most successful products "The continuous-row lighting system also embodies the aspirations of our brand," sums up Andreas Fussenegger. "Combining lighting expertise, design, innovation and sustainability in a timelessly beautiful solution - TECTON is a perfect example of how this can be achieved and thus not only continues to write its own success story, but also that of Zumtobel's market partners - from electrical installers to building users”.
