Author: Kloepfel
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…
Foreign trade surplus of 20.4 billion euros in June 2024 According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), exports in June 2024 decreased by 3.4 percent compared to the previous month. Compared to the same month last year, exports fell by 4.4 percent. In contrast, imports rose by 0.3 percent compared to May 2024 but decreased by 6.3 percent compared to June 2023. In total, german exports amounted to 127.7 billion euros in June 2024, while imports to Germany reached a value of 107.3 billion euros. This resulted in a positive foreign trade surplus of 20.4 billion euros. Trade within the…
New intermodal connection between Kyiv and Duisburg Duisport has announced a strategic partnership with Joint Stock Company (JSC) Ukrainian Railways. This collaboration will enable regular intermodal traffic between Ukraine and the Duisburg hub, as well as other European Union countries. Additionally, there are plans for further joint development. Markus Bangen, Duisport CEO, stated: “With this strategic partnership, we are supporting Ukraine in becoming more strongly connected with European markets. As one of the most important logistics hubs in the heart of Europe, we want to leverage the strengths of our extensive network to establish fast and stable supply chains between…
Senior Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com Junior Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com
High Savings in IT and Mobile Communications What specific challenges are there in IT procurement compared to other purchasing areas or product groups? In IT procurement, there are specific challenges that differ significantly from other purchasing areas or product groups. The biggest challenge is ensuring the operational readiness of IT, as a failure can cripple the entire company’s activity. While a faulty laptop is only a minor issue, the failure of the central IT system would halt the entire operation, as no external connections would be possible. Therefore, it is crucial that changes in providers or suppliers do not cause…
In recent years, due to supply chain disruptions, many companies have increased their inventories to shore up their ability to deliver. With the economy turned around, priorities have fundamentally changed. In the face of significant declines in orders and sales, as well as expensive financing, the capital tied up in inventories is becoming more important. In addition to the targeted management of inventories, optimized payment terms for receivables and payables can significantly improve a company’s liquidity. In this article, we offer you a practical guide to optimizing working capital. Net working capital refers to the difference between current assets on…
Senior Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com Junior Procurement Consultant (f/m/d) www.kloepfel-karriere.com
New logistics centers and 40,000 jobs by the end of 2024 Amazon has announced plans to invest 10 billion euros in Germany. This investment will further expand both the logistics network and the cloud infrastructure in the country. The initiative is also intended to strengthen Amazon’s 25-year relationship with Germany as a location for innovation and business. The company plans to create 4,000 new jobs in three new logistics centers by the end of the year: Operations will begin in Horn-Bad Meinberg (North Rhine-Westphalia) in late summer 2024, in Erfurt (Thuringia) in May 2024 and in Großenkneten (Lower Saxony) in…
Supply Chain Pulse Check by Deloitte and the BDI The Federation of German Industries (BDI) and Deloitte have presented their latest Supply Chain Pulse Check. This is now the third edition of this report on supply chains. The current version of the Supply Chain Pulse Check was produced in collaboration with the service association ISLA. According to Deloitte, more than 120 supply chain managers were surveyed between April and May 2024. The participants are predominantly employed in large companies in the mechanical engineering/industrial goods, automotive, chemicals, construction and transportation and logistics sectors, according to the consulting firm’s press release. Pessimistic…