Rath AG
Industry: Refractory applications
Products: Unshaped products, concrete molded parts, dense bricks,
lightweight refractory bricks, high-temperature wool, vacuum formed parts
Turnover: EUR 82 million
Employees: 600
Optimization measures, among others:
- Market and supplier research, supplier days (packaging, logistics), negotiations
- Workshops with existing suppliers to optimize refractory raw materials, among other things
- Development of alternative suppliers to reduce dependencies and global sourcing
Processed product groups, among others:
- Natural gas
- Electricity
- Refractory raw materials
- Logistics
- Packaging material
Interview with Alexander Jüttner, Managing Director Rath GmbH and Head of Purchasing Rath Group.
Were you skeptical or rather open-minded at the start of the project?
Alexander Jüttner: I was very skeptical at the start of the project. We had some traditional consultants in-house who caused unnecessary stress and cost more than they brought in. Kloepfel Consulting's concept was the exact opposite. We were introduced to people who didn't spend a lot of time analyzing and presenting highfalutin PowerPoint slides, but who were hands-on and really helped to save money.
What were the biggest challenges at the start of the project?
Alexander Jüttner: There were four challenges. Firstly, all purchasing data, contracts etc. had to be made transparent so that we had a solid basis for the project. Secondly, we had to optimize purchasing at various locations in Germany, Austria and Hungary. The entire purchasing team had to be won over to the project. And we had a very high dependency on raw materials.
To what extent has the optimization had a lasting effect on your day-to-day business?
Alexander Jüttner: Very positively. In the area of raw materials, we have completely moved away from single sourcing, as we have been able to establish high-quality and yet significantly cheaper alternative suppliers. There was also a learning-by-project for all of us. For example, the Kloepfel team took our people with them into the negotiations, which gave them greater negotiating power.
How would you describe the way the Kloepfel project team works?
Alexander Jüttner: Shirtless, pragmatic, team-oriented. In other words: not detached consultants, but workers. In addition, every step of the project was transparent for us thanks to reporting and preliminary discussions, for example.
What is your conclusion after the end of the project?
Alexander Jüttner: Positive, we will extend the project.
Thank you very much for the interview!
