External Consultant

Responsible for procurement (raw, auxiliary and operating materials, equipment and services), logistics (inbound/intra/outbound), order processing and SCM

Procurement volume €80 million; headcount 50 FTE, 3-level hierarchy

Introduced material group structure, procurement controlling and organizational segmentation into operational and strategic procurement

Introduced lead purchasing functions within the group

Early integration of strategic buyers at the start of innovation projects

Introduced total cost (product/transport/quality)

Supported make-or-buy and insourcing of manufacturing technologies

Eliminated agency procurement by establishing direct sourcing in Asia

Re-sourcing various A-items to best-cost regions (China/Eastern/Southern Europe)

Insourced various product ranges to use free manufacturing capacities of acquired companies (5% ratio)

Streamlined assortment in close coordination with product management and sales (-2% COGS ratio)

Established networked annual project planning process with quality and R&D to ensure required personnel resources

Stabilized supplier-transport-delivery chains during the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine conflict

Strengthened inventory controlling to reduce COVID-related excess inventory (-8%)

Renegotiated COVID/Ukraine price increases (-4% of procurement volume)

Created transparency over procurement projects using JIRA project management

Optimized the entire logistics service provider network for inbound/outbound logistics (30% ratio)

Introduced new fleet service providers (12% ratio)

Reduced inventory coverage by 10%; achieved average annual reduction in inflation-adjusted procurement costs of approx. 1.5% p.a. until COVID; improved supplier OTIF by 12%

Planned, built and transferred logistics systems, processes and staff for new production sites (engineered systems/respirators/sports)

Implemented a robot-controlled small parts storage system (-4 FTE)

Developed a drawer concept for an automatic pallet storage system, including new building construction and cost estimation (increased space utilization efficiency)

Implemented 5S, including KPIs

Introduced market-based wages and bonus system to reduce FTE by approx. 30% while largely eliminating temporary workers

Took over the customer service team and introduced a KPI system to prevent errors and ensure timely order entry

Implemented advanced planning software (DISKOVER) to better connect planning in procurement, production, sales, logistics and sister companies

Improved the S&OP process to ensure mid-term manufacturing capacities and materials

Increased customer delivery reliability from 70% to over 90%

Project lead for the new respirator business unit (2021): selected factory site, activated all SCM functions and managed new product developments (20 FTE); handed over to the new business unit manager

€400 million revenue; newspaper production industry; 600 employees

Responsible for wholesale/retail, rail/airline distribution, sales marketing, shipping, IT service for sales and order processing

Revenue responsibility €25 million; headcount 35 FTE, 3-level hierarchy

Achieved reduced trade margins with the wholesale association (-5%)

Restructured the national field sales organization with 20% FTE reduction

Redesigned the complete range of promotional materials for retail

Slimmed down the organizational structure by centralizing subscription management, IT service and secretarial functions

Established an innovation forum in sales for systematic innovation projects

Implemented SAP data warehouse technology to create data transparency and sales controlling

Introduced a professional complaint management system for logistics service providers

Co-developed an interdepartmental sales/marketing/editorial database

Built a national distribution system for F.A.S.; initial revenue approx. €12 million, most successful newspaper launch since the 1990s

Held F.A.Z. shareholder roles in seven wholesale companies; association memberships in VDZ and BDZV

Implemented Hilti's procurement strategy in central purchasing as part of the management team

Developed and successfully implemented the procurement strategy

Reported to procurement management and the overarching supply chain committee