Customers increasingly expect paving stones to have an attractive, permanently consistent appearance. This demand for higher quality is defined by properties such as brilliant colours, avoidance of efflorescence and ease of care, and is colloquially described by the term “better”. On the other hand, the manufacturers of these paving stones have to work profitably, i.e. produce more products in less time and with fewer rejects. As a consequence, their demand arises for production to become “faster”. But how can these seemingly contradictory requirements of all parties involved be reconciled with the help of concrete technology expertise, innovative admixtures and modern testing methods?