Cost optimisation L.B. Bohle Maschinen GmbH
Branch Specialised mechanical engineering
Products Coating machines, granulation systems, mixing systems, crushing machines, containers, lifting systems, weighing systems, roller compactors
Revenue 42 million euros (2014)
Staff 250 (2015)
Optimization measures, including:
- Tender notices and supplier days
- Workshops with existing suppliers to identify jointly realisable savings potential, change of supplier in the areas of machining, welded assemblies, laser cutting, screws and packaging, among others.
Topics covered:
- Supply air systems, exhaust air filters, geared motors, diaphragm valves, pneumatics, hydraulics, switch cabinets, semi-finished products, abrasives, electrical supplies
Kloepfel Consulting optimised the purchasing department of L.B. Bohle Maschinen + Verfahren GmbH. The company grew into a leading specialised 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 sceptical 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 has been completed?
Jörg Mühlenbein: There was extra work and additional hours, but no additional workload. The initial scepticism was very quickly dispelled by the rapid success of the project. The team results were usually 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: Fast, tried and tested and sustainable.
Mr Mühlenbein, joint project success always depends on the people involved. We talk about being temporary colleagues in the projects. Will you now have three fewer colleagues at the end of the project?
Jörg Mühlenbein: The „Kloepfel colleagues“ have put a lot of personal effort into the project, but more importantly, into 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, one or two 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' perspective, this was of course an unusual situation. New faces, new arguments, different methods and approaches in the discussions. 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 emphasise that purchasing success should not be a one-off effect, but that sustainable success is crucial. Was the purchasing project successful thanks to the transparent reporting that
„Learning-by-Doing“ of your employees and the handover of the project documentation at the end of the project sustainably secured?
Jörg Mühlenbein: In my view, 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 through 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 delayed.
Thank you very much for the interview!
