Cost optimization L.B. Bohle Maschinen GmbH
Industry: Special machine construction
Products: Coating machines, granulation systems, mixing systems, crushing machines, containers, lifting systems, weighing systems, roller compactors
Turnover: 42 million euros (2014)
Employees: 250 (2015)
Optimization measures, among others:
- Tenders and supplier days
- Workshops with existing suppliers to identify jointly realizable savings potential, supplier changes in the areas of machining, welded assemblies, laser cutting, screws and packaging, among others.
Edited topics:
- Supply air systems, exhaust air filters, geared motors, diaphragm valves, pneumatics, hydraulics, switch cabinets, semi-finished products, abrasives, electrical supplies
Kloepfel Consulting optimized the purchasing department of L.B. Bohle Maschinen + Verfahren GmbH. The company grew into a leading specialist machine manufacturer in the pharmaceutical industry and is still an independent medium-sized company today. Dipl. Ing. Lorenz B. Bohle is the owner and managing director of the company, Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing. Jörg Mühlenbein is the commercial director.
Mr. Bohle, how satisfied are you with the project result and did you expect it to be as high as it was?
Lorenz B. Bohle: At first I was skeptical as to whether the reference values could also be achieved here. And if so, with which methods? In the end, the implementation and the results were convincing.
Mr. Mühlenbein, at the beginning there was scepticism about the additional workload for purchasing staff as a result of a Kloepfel project. What are your experiences now that the project is over?
Jörg Mühlenbein: There was extra work and additional hours, but no additional workload. The initial skepticism was very quickly dispelled by the rapid success of the project. The team results were mostly directly tangible for our employees, i.e. practical and not just mathematical/theoretical.
Mr. Bohle, how would you describe the way the Kloepfel project team works in three words?
Lorenz B. Bohle: Swift, tried and tested and sustainable.
Mr. Mühlenbein, joint project successes are always dependent on people. We say that we are temporary colleagues in the projects. Will you have three fewer colleagues now that the project is over?
Jörg Mühlenbein: The "Kloepfel colleagues" have contributed a great deal of personal commitment to the project, but more importantly to the L.B. Bohle team. We are talking about seven months here, after which you can answer your question with a clear "yes". The analyses and detailed supplier discussions in particular, which do not take place to the same extent in day-to-day business, have made a decisive contribution.
Mr. Bohle, some suppliers first had to get used to seeing new Kloepfel faces at the negotiating table alongside the familiar L.B. Bohle faces.
How did you experience these situations and what were the reactions of the suppliers?
Lorenz B. Bohle: From the suppliers' point of view, this was of course an unusual situation. New faces, new arguments, different methods and approaches in the discussion. But the well-prepared and objective discussions and negotiations have convinced our suppliers, both existing and new, of the merits of the temporary Bohle-Kloepfel team.
Mr. Mühlenbein, we repeatedly emphasize that purchasing success should not be a one-off effect, but that sustainable success is crucial. Has the purchasing project been sustainably successful thanks to transparent reporting, the
employees' "learning-by-doing" and the handover of project documentation at the end of the project?
Jörg Mühlenbein: In my opinion, the sustainability of the project is not a question of reporting. Transparent documentation and preparation of the data is the basis. What is more important, however, is what has reached the minds of all those involved and has become firmly established there.
Mr. Bohle, Mr. Mühlenbein, in conclusion there is only one question left: Would you commission Kloepfel Consulting again if required?
Lorenz B. Bohle: Kloepfel Consulting has earned our trust, not least thanks to the success of the project.
Jörg Mühlenbein: We can well imagine that the "Kloepfel colleagues" will certainly make their contribution to one topic or another in the coming years, somewhat later.
Thank you very much for the interview!
