Cost optimisation in the construction industry: LUXHAUS GmbH
Branch Build
Revenue £60 million
Staff 300
Products Prefab houses
Optimization measures, including:
- Market and supplier research, tenders, supplier days, negotiations
- Workshops with existing suppliers to identify joint savings potentials
- Supplier supplements, among other things, in the areas of: Cast parts, C-parts, personnel services
- Example processed material groups: Castings, contract manufacturing, investments, auditing,
Heiko Jäger, Commercial Director of LUXHAUS GmbH, talks about his experiences with a Kloepfel project in an interview.
Were you sceptical or more open-minded at the start of the project?
Heiko Jäger Ich persönlich war sehr aufgeschlossen, weil ich wusste, dass wir im Einkauf große Einsparpotenziale hatten. Skeptisch war ich, weil es viele Berater in diesem Bereich gibt und am Ende meistens nur der Berater verdient. Eine weitere Herausforderung war, dass wir ein sehr stark technisch geprägtes Unternehmen sind und daher im Bereich Einkauf an die Technik gebunden sind. Besonders gut fand ich, dass die Bezahlung von Kloepfel Consulting zu 100% auf den erzielten Einsparungen basiert; ich hatte also eine 100%ige Kostengarantie. Zudem wurde garantiert, dass die Einspareffekte für zwei Jahre erzielt werden. Dies war mir wichtig, um nicht einfach ein günstiges Lockangebot zu bekommen und kurz darauf über Preiserhöhungen zu reden. Gut war auch, dass sich nicht irgendwelche Berater ans Werk machten, sondern erfahrene Experten. Wichtig war mir auch die Einbindung meiner Mitarbeiter von Anfang an.
What were the main challenges at the beginning of the project?
Heiko Jäger We did not have any data transparency; this had to be created first. This was achieved by Kloepfel right at the start of the project. Long-established supplier relationships were the second challenge and are also a common problem in the construction industry. In tenders, for example, existing suppliers almost always had an information advantage over new suppliers, who were not able to compensate for this so quickly. In addition, the buyers were confident about the price structure; they assumed they were already getting good prices. By taking the purchasers and our technicians into negotiations with new suppliers, for example, the Kloepfel team was able to convince them that a change of supplier was necessary. What's more, a change of supplier needs to be carefully considered and doesn't make sense for every euro. In the case of subcontractors, initial trial construction projects were often agreed before a final offer could be made. This was the only way for the subcontractor to get to know us and for us to get to know them.
How does optimisation have a sustainable impact on your daily operations?
Heiko Jäger By having our people present at the negotiations, they regained their negotiating strength. It was evident that as the project progressed, my employees' ambition was piqued. This is very important, as suppliers want to raise prices year after year. It was also positive that the Kloepfel team expanded our team, giving us more time to concentrate on other entrepreneurial goals.
Konzentriert, effizient, lösungsorientiert
Heiko Jäger Goal-oriented, collegial, and transparent. I'll have to elaborate on the last point, though. This transparency during the Kloepfel project was very important. That way, we always had control, were prepared for every next step, and could also understand it.
Common project successes are also always dependent on the people involved. We talk about being temporary colleagues on projects. How did you feel about that?
Heiko Jäger This is, of course, always highly dependent on the person. But in our case, the right people were involved at the right time.
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?
Heiko Jäger Some suppliers were hesitant, but most were professional and reacted sportingly. In any case, Kloepfel Consulting obtained approval from us before each negotiation step and informed the suppliers in advance.
What is your conclusion after the project has ended?
Heiko Jäger An exciting and successful project that is definitely worth spending a moment of your time on.
Thank you very much for the interview!
