Author: Kloepfel
Statutory SAF blending rate of 2 percent in the EU Lufthansa Cargo will include the increasing costs for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the air cargo surcharge (ASC) from January 1, 2025. From 2025, a statutory SAF blending quota of 2 percent will apply in the EU. Other countries are also planning or have already introduced mandatory SAF quotas. SAF stands for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. This is crucial for more sustainable flying and is driving forward the energy transition in aviation. A high use of SAF requires a rapid increase in supply and availability as well as falling prices. Biogenic…
Competition And Partnership As The Key To Success In this interview, Marius Hoppensack, Manager at Kloepfel Consulting, provides exclusive insights into the goals and processes of supplier days. Read about the importance of supplier days for purchasing, but also for our customers’ production. What are the main objectives of a supplier day? The main purpose is to identify ideal suppliers for predefined product groups in order to reduce costs. Often, a supplier day also has the side effect of uncovering opportunities to develop products in such a way that they can be manufactured more cost-effectively. For example, by using cheaper…
How Procurement Can Achieve Its Annual Goals In 2024 In 2024, procurement faces a range of challenges, particularly in cost reduction, risk management, supply chain management, and digitalization. Issues such as the Supply Chain Act and the shortage of skilled workers are also critical. To address these goals, procurement consulting firm KLOEPFEL CONSULTING offers concrete approaches and measures for companies. 1. The Shortage of Skilled Workers as a Central Challenge In many companies, operational processes occupy procurement teams so heavily that there is little time left for strategic tasks such as digitalization, risk management, or implementing the Supply Chain Act.…
Kloepfel Group Comments On Position Paper By 14 Leading Associations The Kloepfel Group, specializing in supply chains and procurement, welcomes the adoption of the AI regulation by the European Union on May 21, 2024, by all 27 EU member states. Marc Kloepfel, CEO of the Kloepfel Group, stated, “The regulations are important for ensuring the safety and trust in artificial intelligence (AI). However, overly strict regulations should not stifle innovation.” The Kloepfel Group examined the position paper of 14 leading German business associations on the implementation of the AI regulation from the perspective of supply chain management using concrete examples.…
5 Questions With Interim Manager Herbert Biedermann For Procurement And Supply Chain Management In this exclusive interview, Herbert Biedermann, an interim manager with over 40 years of professional experience, discusses the current challenges and opportunities in procurement and supply chain management. With a clear focus on technology, leadership, and strong supplier partnerships, he shares his strategies for success. What current trends do you see in procurement and supply chain management, and how do they affect the industry? Right now, digitalization and sustainability are shaping trends in procurement and supply chain management. Technologies like AI and blockchain are revolutionizing transparency and…
Kloepfel Group Named To Forbes’ List Of “World’s Best Management Consulting Firms” For The Third Consecutive Year The American business magazine Forbes has once again published its list of the “World’s Best Management Consulting Firms” this year. The Kloepfel Group is thrilled to be included in this exclusive group of the world’s top consultants for the third year in a row. A total of 232 consulting firms and networks made it onto the Forbes 2024 list of “World’s Best Management Consulting Firms.” In compiling the list, Forbes collaborated with the statistics portal Statista, conducting national surveys in the United States,…
KLOEPFEL Expert Talk 2024 The role of artificial intelligence (AI) is currently central to Kloepfel. With innovative tools such as ChatGPT, we are seeing impressive advances in productivity. But to use these technologies effectively, it is crucial to understand both their strengths and weaknesses. This will be the topic of our upcoming KLOEPFEL Expert Talk on Thursday, September 19, starting at 5 pm at the Skihalle Neuss. We are delighted to welcome outstanding key speakers to this event. Our esteemed alumni Chi Lee and Montécot Ludovic, who work intensively with AI on a daily basis, will share valuable insights and…
The Impact Of Financial Difficulties On Eligibility For Funding The issue of research grants is of crucial importance to many companies looking to drive innovation and strengthen their competitiveness. However, an important aspect that is often overlooked is that companies that are in a financially precarious situation can, under certain circumstances, be excluded from this funding. This can have a significant impact on the company’s long-term innovation strategy and financial well-being. Companies in difficulty – impact on eligibility Companies that are classified as “in difficulty” run the risk of losing eligibility for the research allowance. This classification is based on…
Secure Up To €200 Million Before Your Competition Does! Why should you choose between climate protection and profitability when you can have both? The recently launched Federal Subsidy for Industry and Climate Protection (BIK) offers you a unique opportunity not only to drastically reduce your CO₂ emissions but also to secure significant financial advantages – up to €200 million! Even more impressive is that this funding is part of a total of €67 billion allocated for financial aid and tax benefits, according to the latest subsidy report from the German government. A substantial €49 billion of that is specifically earmarked…
Senior Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com Junior Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com
Automaker Adjusts 2024 Annual Forecast BMW AG has become somewhat less optimistic and has accordingly lowered its forecast for 2024. The trigger for this adjustment in the forecast is delivery suspensions and recalls related to the integrated braking system (IBS). The Munich-based company mentions additional burdens in the automobile segment in this context. According to BMW’s explanation, delivery suspensions are leading to negative sales effects in the second half of the year. The automaker also expects high additional warranty costs related to the IBS in the third quarter. Additionally, BMW highlights the subdued demand in China, which is further impacting…
Logistics Expert Takes Over Leadership of Strategy & Transformation at Otto Group As of October 1, 2024, the position of Chief Strategy Officer at Otto Group will be filled. Olaf Schabirosky will assume leadership of the Strategy & Transformation division at the Hamburg-based retail group. The position became vacant following the death of Christoph Schulte, who held the role of Chief Strategy Officer until the summer. Long-Term Experience at Otto Group According to the company, Olaf Schabirosky has worked at Otto Group for many years and has held various positions. Since 2014, Schabirosky has played a key role in shaping…
Threatened German Industrial Value Creation The Institute of the German Economy (IW) has analyzed the transformation pathways for industrial Germany in a recent study. The study examines how Germany can respond to challenges such as high energy costs, shrinking markets, and demographic change. The core findings, presented by the IW in its press release, paint a somewhat alarming picture. Germany is losing ground in two-thirds of the most important indicators in international comparisons. In particular, small and medium-sized enterprises seem to underestimate the need for change. According to the IW, one-fifth of German industrial value creation is at risk in…
Challenges and solutions for companies when applying for the research grant When the topic of the growth opportunities act or, more specifically, the research allowance arises, the first point of contact is often the trusted tax consultancy. However, experience has shown that traditional tax advisors have little expertise in the area of R&D funding and therefore often pass the task on to cooperating funding consultants. Why funding consultants are often indispensable for the research allowance The research allowance is an interdisciplinary endeavor, making it a bureaucratic, commercial, and technical challenge for companies that requires expert knowledge. Many entrepreneurs shy away…
Even old brooms sweep well In the following interview, Stefan Reiterer, Senior Consultant at Kloepfel Consulting, reports on a successful project in the area of facility management. He demonstrates that the client was able to reduce costs considerably as a result. How exciting and worthwhile it can be to take a closer look at facility management becomes particularly clear here. What topics did you work on as part of the facility management project? We mainly dealt with rental carpets, cleaning cloths for production, air purification and scenting of wet rooms (changing rooms and toilets) as well as the maintenance of…
How the Kloepfel Consulting tender team involves suppliers quickly and efficiently What are the main tasks of the Tender Team at Kloepfel and how do they differ from Technical Sourcing? The Tender Team at Kloepfel Consulting, as a specialized development of the Technical Sourcing Team, is focused on the execution of tenders for a wide range of products and services. In contrast to Technical Sourcing, which focuses on specific and technically demanding procurement, the Tender Team handles tenders of all kinds, including those for less complex product groups. This makes it possible to efficiently manage a large number of suppliers…
Alternative to China – setting up a factory for cleaning machines in India Projekt Professionals is a leading consultancy specializing in operational transformation and production optimization. Kloepfel Services is an expert in supply chain management and sourcing strategies. Together, they are the operational transformation professionals for SMEs – and not just in India. The two cooperation partners are able to reliably set up factories and supply chains worldwide. Read in this interview how Projekt Professionals and Kloepfel Services managed to set up a factory in India for Cleanfix, a leading manufacturer of cleaning machines. How did Cleanfix decide to set…
Continental Mobile Robots and Amazon Web Services partner up Continental Mobile Robots is collaborating with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop new software solutions for autonomous mobile robots (AMR). This will enable flexible control of Continental’s software package, which is used in the fields of intralogistics and agriculture. “The innovation-driven services from AWS help us produce state-of-the-art mobile robots with high safety and great reliability. The platform has already been successfully deployed in initial customer applications in the intralogistics sector,” said Rahul Singh, Global Head of AMR Software at Continental. The goal is to further enhance the technological infrastructure for…