Author: Kloepfel
Why is a potential analysis of warehouse and shipping departments, the so-called Health-Check, important? As part of the Health-Check, our customers receive an overview of their costs for shipping and warehousing. The turnover rate also serves as a significant and useful indicator for the purchasing department. Examining warehouse metrics goes hand-in-hand with analyzing the workflows of the shipping department. This reveals where workflows interlink and how they contribute to the overall result of the goods flow. This holistic view includes current, objective benchmarks that clearly highlight potential savings. It also reveals opportunities to improve the overall performance of the supply…
The central role of procurement in waste management The topic of waste management is a classic project theme encountered at nearly all of our clients – every company generates waste. Wherever waste is produced, proper disposal or, ideally, recycling is required. Sustainability considerations, which are becoming increasingly important for many companies, along with ever more complex legal requirements, suggest that the topic holds significant importance. However, it is often observed, especially in medium-sized companies, that the necessary know-how and resources within the procurement organization are not sufficiently available. Daily operations dominate, and the focus is placed on high-revenue, direct product…
Food and energy prices drive the index higher at the current edge Hamburg, May 16, 2024 – After the HWWI commodity price index had tended to decline in the last reporting period (November to January), the index also decreased in February, reaching a local minimum of 166.2. Since then, the index has been rising slightly, increasing by 4.1% in March and by 5.7% in April compared to the previous month. In April, the index averaged 182.9, still 4.9% below the level of the same month last year (as of May 5, 2024). Developments in the gas and oil markets have…
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
Intermediate goods remain the main cause for the overall development Intermediate goods remain the main reason for overall development According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), import prices in April 2024 decreased by 1.7 percent compared to April 2023. However, compared to the previous month of March 2024, import prices increased by 0.7 percent. Imported intermediate goods were 4.1 percent cheaper compared to April 2023. Nevertheless, they increased by 0.9 percent compared to March 2024. Thus, intermediate goods reportedly had the greatest influence once again on the overall development of import prices. Energy prices and other categories The prices of…
DIHK calls for measures to strengthen The German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) are calling for measures to strengthen the industrial location in Europe. In their press release, DIHK points out that the European industry is burdened, among other things, by high energy prices and excessive bureaucracy. Volker Treier, Chief Executive of Foreign Trade at DIHK, urges for a swift clarification of the “New European Competitiveness Deal.” According to DIHK’s press release, this call comes following the meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council on May 24. During this session, the Council addressed, among other topics, industrial policy. According to…
Takeover of Captrain Netherlands The ÖBB Rail Cargo Group (RCG) is expanding its network to the Benelux countries. The Austrian logistics group acquired the Dutch railway company Captrain Netherlands B.V. as of May 31, 2024. RCG highlights that this move continues their consistent internationalization strategy Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB, states: “The expansion of the ÖBB Rail Cargo Group continues: After establishing operations in China and Serbia, RCG’s international network is now extended to the Netherlands.” Together, they aim to connect Europe’s economic centers with European ports and thereby with the whole world. About Captrain Netherlands B.V. According to RCG,…
Uncovering savings potential in purchasing holistically Interview with Lana Al-Haidary, Senior Consultant at Kloepfel Consulting, Lina Terhardt, Consultant at Kloepfel Consulting, and Sandra Blanco, Consultant at Kloepfel Consulting. When should a potential analysis of indirect and direct costs be carried out? And what are typical indications that money is being spent unnecessarily in indirect or direct purchasing? There are several signs that optimization is required in the purchasing area. The main indicators are high purchasing costs in relation to turnover. If purchasing costs make up a significant proportion of turnover, this indicates that there is potential for improvement. The inadequate…
Uncover savings with benchmarks Author: Michael Peiffer, Senior Logistic Consultant at Kloepfel Consulting Why is a potential analysis of freight costs important? As part of the potential analysis, we provide the customer with a neutral compass. By means of periodic and objective benchmarks, we show them their savings potential in concrete terms. The aim is to provide the customer with clear guidance, enabling them to make informed decisions regarding possible optimizations and savings in the area of freight costs. What savings are possible? On average, the projects achieve savings of around 15.1%. The results vary depending on the sector, with…
Interview with: Frank Schönrath, Managing Director European Beverage Sourcing Alliance (EBSA), the interview was conducted by Alexander Hornikel, Country Manager Kloepfel Consulting and Dr. Stephan Hofstetter, Partner Kloepfel Consulting. An insight into the innovative purchasing community for the beverage industry and its purchasing optimization EBSA is pursuing an exciting business model. Could you pick it up for the reader? The European Beverage Sourcing Alliance (EBSA) is a purchasing group that focuses on procurement and supplier management for beverage producers. We negotiate framework purchasing agreements with suppliers that enable our limited partners to purchase goods and services under fixed conditions.…
How a Trainee grows through practical projects at Kloepfel Engineering Interview with Konstantin Rudel, Trainee at Kloepfel Consulting. Can you tell us about your time as a trainee at Kloepfel Engineering and describe your specific tasks and role? During my time as a trainee, I went through various departments, including two weeks at Kloepfel Engineering. Initially, the focus was on introducing me to engineering in general. I was introduced to the tool by Manfred Esser, which allows for creating cost calculations from various complex constructions. Additionally, the tool enables an international comparison of labor costs. This enables precise pricing of…
Changes to the AGVO make classical grants significantly less attractive For the longest time, Germany has pursued a strategy of subsidies in its funding landscape. While tax incentives and tax credits dominated funding in the rest of Europe, with grant funding only available for specialized, highly innovative projects, grants were the sole funding option in Germany until 2020. And for good reason: an analysis conducted for the Ministry of Finance prior to the introduction of tax incentives (Research Allowance) found that grant projects had a return on investment of about 5, while tax incentives in the rest of Europe only…
Specialist consultants have arrived in the industry: Kloepfel Group named “Best Consultants” for the ninth year in a row Düsseldorf, 14.03.2024 – Since 2014, the “Best Consultants” award from brand eins and Statista has highlighted how important specialist consultancies are for the economy. Management consultancies with a special focus and outstanding expertise for special cases are increasingly being considered by consulting clients in the selection process and are receiving greater recognition. This is also reflected in the Kloepfel Group’s award for “Best Consultants” – for the ninth time in a row. In the “Purchasing / Supply Chain Management” category, the…
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
Decline mainly due to intermediate goods According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), import prices fell by 3.6% in March 2024 compared to March 2023. In contrast, import prices rose by 0.4% compared to the previous month of February 2024. Imported intermediate goods were 5.9% cheaper compared to March 2023. Compared to February 2024, however, they rose by 0.6%. According to the data, intermediate goods thus had the greatest influence on the overall development of import prices. Energy prices and other goods classes Energy import prices fell by 15.1% in March 2024 compared to March 2023. Compared to February 2024,…
Study by the VDMA Competence Center Future Business The German Engineering Federation (VDMA) sees carbon management as a pioneer for a climate-neutral future. This is according to a press release on the presentation of a new study on the subject by the VDMA Competence Center Future Business. The industry association conducts trend research for its members via the VDMA Competence Center Future Business. The VDMA’s new future study is entitled “Carbon Management 2035”. According to the association, it examines the role of mechanical engineering and possible development paths. Transition to a green economy According to the VDMA, carbon management technologies…
Rising revenue with simultaneous decline in EBIT Lufthansa Technik, a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, generates a profit in the three-digit million range in the first quarter of 2024. The company was already able to achieve such an amount in 2023, making it the global market leader in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). Dr. William Willms, CFO of Lufthansa Technik, emphasizes: “Of course, we are pleased to have earned more than 100 million euros again in the first quarter of 2024. Ultimately, however, it should be noted that our adjusted EBIT fell by 14% compared to the same period…
The most important questions about short-term support for medium-sized companies The need for competent and effective purchasing management is essential for companies. In many cases, however, there is a temporary need for experienced managers, whether due to staff shortages or special projects. This is where interim purchasing managers come into play. As interim managers, they offer short-term support and assume responsibility for the purchasing department. In this interview, Sven Schützek, Head of Interim Recruiting at Kloepfel Consulting, answers the most important questions posed by these specialized managers. What are the most important challenges for an interim manager? The typical challenges…