Project interview New Ben GmbH
Branch Handel
Products Clothing, accessories
Revenue EUR 62 million (2014)
Staff 450 (2015)
Interview with Martin Beucker CEO and Leonardo Virzi CFO of New Ben GmbH. New Ben GmbH sells Benetton and Sisley brand textiles through its own Benetton shops.
Were you sceptical or more open-minded at the start of the project?
Leonardo Virzi: Right from the start, I realised the effort behind the project. Particularly in view of the fact that we had already turned over every euro ten times over, I was rather sceptical about the benefits.
Martin Beucker: I was open to the project. Due to the fact that Kloepfel Consulting would be paid by success (profit-sharing principle), we did not take any risks. If the Kloepfel team didn't save anything, we wouldn't have to pay anything either. And I realised that we would definitely learn from Kloepfel Consulting.
What were the main challenges at the beginning of the project?Leonardo Virzi: I recognised that the biggest challenge for me and my team was recording data from accounting and contracts, for example. However, we also realised that data recording and ultimately data transparency were necessary in order to make the optimisation project a success.
How does optimisation have a sustainable impact on your daily operations?
Martin Beucker: At this point in time after the project, it is still quite early to be able to say anything about this. Sustainable successes have certainly been achieved in the areas of recruiting and HR. There has also been a rethink in the organisation in terms of new approaches, which has made us more efficient.
Konzentriert, effizient, lösungsorientiert
Martin Beucker: Professionally and with vigour.
Shared project successes are always dependent on the people involved. We talk about having colleagues on the projects
How did you feel about it?
Martin Beucker: The direct contact with the Kloepfel Consulting team was positive.
Leonardo Virzi: However, there was a lot of pressure from the management of Kloepfel Consulting, as they wanted to complete the project successfully, efficiently and quickly.
Martin Beucker: This was sometimes unpleasant, but tactically positive. Ultimately, Kloepfel Consulting was quick and clear at all levels and they knew what they wanted.
Some suppliers had to get used to seeing new Kloepfel faces at the negotiating table, alongside your company's familiar contacts. How did you experience these situations and what were the suppliers' reactions?
Martin Beucker: I was sceptical about the reaction of the suppliers.
And although the purchasing optimisers were announced, there were a few question marks on the part of suppliers.
Leonardo Virzi: In the end, the reactions remained within the normal range. I had expected more.
What is your conclusion after the project has ended?
Martin Beucker: For contractual reasons, some of the results on the supplier side will only become apparent in 2015. Regardless of this, our conclusion after the end of the project is positive. In fact, we are already in the process of recommending Kloepfel Consulting to others.
Thank you very much for the interview!
