Procurement cost optimization vehicle construction: Metz Aerials GmbH & Co. KG
Industry: Special vehicle construction
Products: Fully hydraulic turntable ladders from 18-53 m height, aerial rescue platforms
Turnover: EUR 78 million (2014)
Employees: 310 (2015)
Optimization measures, among others:
- Tenders and supplier days
- Workshops with existing suppliers to identify potential savings that can be realized together
- Change of supplier in the areas of machining, welded assemblies and GRP components, among others.
Topics covered:
- Plastics, operating materials, C-parts, machining, sensors, hydraulics, transportation costs, surfaces, electrics / electronics, drive technology, components
Initial situation:
The special vehicle manufacturer Metz Aerials in Karlsruhe, which has been in existence for more than 150 years, is a manufacturer of turntable ladder vehicles and aerial rescue platforms for mobile fire protection and rescue and disaster services. Its customers include professional, plant and volunteer fire departments operating worldwide.
The vehicles used for high-altitude rescue are characterized on the market by the highest quality and constant reliability, which is proven time and again in the most extreme situations. The products have always performed reliably in icy temperatures in Siberia as well as in the extreme heat of the Arab world, enabling thousands of people to be rescued. The constant further development of products and adaptation to changing customer requirements are characteristics of the globally recognized company within the Rosenbauer Group.
Target achievement:
Kloepfel Consulting was commissioned to critically review the delivery conditions resulting from historically grown supply relationships and to establish new suppliers. Through targeted discussions with existing suppliers, the purchasing conditions were to be scrutinized in order to uncover hidden savings potential. The delivery conditions were significantly optimized by identifying technically oversized product areas, which made it possible to reduce costs by using cheaper materials while maintaining the same quality. Benchmarks with alternative suppliers and the identification of planned quantities also made it possible to achieve further price reductions.
Overall, new suppliers from Germany and abroad were introduced in various product groups, which are now being gradually built up with the customer and are also making a significant contribution to improving earnings. The very high demands on the quality and approval of the materials to be procured are particularly challenging, as they have to withstand decades of use by the fire department to save life and limb under the most difficult conditions.
A special feature of the project is the consistently excellent and exemplary cooperation with all departments such as development, production and sales, and in particular the Metz purchasing department.
