Author: Kloepfel
Interview with Arnd Bläsing, Purchasing Manager Sternenbäck In more than 170 Sternenbäck bakeries in 5 German federal states, fresh bread is baked every day. A total of over 1,400 people work there in the 3 baking factories. Arnd Bläsing is the purchasing manager of the company and reports in this interview about the purchasing optimization project with Kloepfel Consulting. What was the reason to optimize the purchasing? What were the goals? The management had decided to support the purchasing department and specifically me as the purchasing manager. This was very positively received, because we have a high workload due to…
Interview with Gerrit de Graaf from the SV group in The Netherlands SV group supplies machines and services to the agricultural sector and equipment that keeps roads passable during winter conditions. The company emerged two years ago by Schuitemaker and Veenhuis joining forces and has been strengthening its position since then. This includes the reshaping of procurement for which the professionals of Kloepfel Benelux have been deployed. What was the reason for optimising procurement? What were the goals? We are still at the early stages of resetting the SVgroup. After the merger two years ago, it was undoubtedly necessary. Upgrading…
HWWI Commodity Price Index continues to increase in June HWWI overall index rose by 6.7 % (US dollar basis) Crude oil prices increased by 8.3 % Sawn wood prices fell by 16.2%(Hamburg, July 16, 2021) The HWWI commodity price index rose by an average of 6.7% in June compared with the previous month and was thus 90.2% higher than the corresponding monthly figure for the previous year. The increase in the overall index in June was driven in particular by the rise in energy commodity prices. By contrast, the strong positive price trend in the index for industrial raw materials,…
European Union’s ESI business sentiment index rises sharply In June of this year, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) rose sharply compared with the previous month. This applies to both Europe and the euro zone. The value of this business sentiment indicator, published monthly by the EU, increased in June compared to May by 3.0 points to 117.0 points in Europe and by 3.4 points to 117.9 points in the euro zone. The EU reported that the ESI thus far exceeded its pre-Corona pandemic value. It is also at its highest level in 21 years. The increase in the ESI was…
Need for action in digitalization There is apparently a growing concern among German transport companies that they are losing out when it comes to digitalization. This is the key finding of the study “The networked truck” conducted by the Infas social research institute on behalf of Continental. Results of the study as a trend indicator With this study, Continental is examining the trends and developments in the transport industry for the second time since 2016. For this purpose, companies in the German logistics and transport industry were surveyed on topics such as digitalization, automation, vehicle technologies, and the general conditions…
Increased demand and supply bottlenecks for raw materials Producer prices for building materials such as wood, steel or insulation materials have risen significantly recently, announced the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Monday. The price of structural timber rose by 83.3 percent in May compared with the same month last year. Roof battens cost 45.7 percent and construction timber 38.4 percent more. Steel prices accounted for a large share of the sharply higher construction costs. Rebar was in May 2021 44.3 percent more expensive than the same month a year earlier, and reinforcing steel mesh was 30.4 percent more expensive. Producer…
Interview with Martin Ribbeheger, Head of Corporate Purchasing THIMM Group The family-owned company THIMM is a leading solution provider for packaging and distribution of goods. Have you conducted a potential analysis with Kloepfel in advance? We have been working with Kloepfel Consulting since 2017. The potential analysis at that time was the starting point for our project and resulted in high savings forecasts that quite surprised us. The potential assessment was based on the consideration of purchasing structures, the procurement markets as well as empirical values and benchmarks. To this end, the purchasing consultancy carefully analyzed our purchasing data and…
Keeping costs down with our battle plan! At present, more and more suppliers are approaching our customers to pass on rising material prices to them – a tense situation, because in some cases the livelihoods of both sides seem to be at stake. One thing is clear: Not every demand can be fully fended off. But it is possible to compromise on a common path through the crisis. Thomas Wandler, negotiation expert and senior partner of Kloepfel Consulting, explains how to mitigate price demands and maintain your position in the best way possible. Market prices are currently developing rapidly in…
Hit the brakes on transport prices now! The current Transport Market Monitor (TMM) shows it: Road transport capacity on the spot market is causing freight prices to swing to serious heights. The correlation is clear: In concrete terms, there is currently a 3-year low in transport capacity and a 3-year high in transport costs. Here’s how German SMEs are nevertheless securing capacity and the best possible terms. Economy on the upswing, transport prices unabated The reason is the economy, which is picking up again after Corona – in many sectors this is happening faster than expected. This is having an…
Optimization goals exceeded Parcel Broker GmbH has specialized in shipping jewelry, watches, valuables and other valuables for over 15 years. The company ships around 150,000 parcels per year on behalf of more than 1,500 customers such as jewelers, goldsmiths, jewelry and precious metal dealers. Sascha Hagedorn, Managing Director of Parcel Broker GmbH, talks about his experiences in the purchasing optimization project carried out together with Kloepfel Consulting. He describes the challenges of transporting valuable goods and reports how the cooperation developed into a friendship. What exactly does Parcel Broker do? Parcel Broker ships valuable items such as coins, watches and…
HWWI Commodity Price Index increases further in May HWWI overall index rose by 8 % (US dollar basis) Crude oil prices increased by 4.8 % Sawn wood prices rose by another 33 % (Hamburg, June 4, 2021) The HWWI Commodity Price Index rose by an average of 8% in May compared to the previous month and exceeded the corresponding value of the previous year by 111%. The rapid recovery of the global economy and particularly thestrong upward trend of the Chinese economy are currently ensuring high demand for commodities. As a result, price increases were observed in almost every major…
Since the beginning of 2021, price increases are at 70% Manufacturers of plastic packaging are currently struggling with various adverse effects. Prices are rising in all segments, including plastics. In addition, shortages are exerting additional pressure. A fifth flash survey was conducted among the members of the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen in May. This clearly shows the extent of the problems facing the industry. Price increases have reached 70 percent since the start of 2021, while rising transport and logistics costs are also weighing on the market. IK CEO Dr. Martin Engelmann emphasizes, “The situation in the industry is and will…
Rising prices despite economic upturn The economy is currently experiencing a major upswing – but wholesale prices are rising rapidly. Such a sharp increase was last recorded in July 2008. The Federal Statistical Office announced that already in May prices were about 9.7 percent higher than a year ago. In March, there was an increase of 4.4 percent and in April of 7.2 percent. Corona pandemic as trigger The impact of the Corona pandemic is responsible for this increase. At the beginning of the Corona crisis, various prices dropped sharply, hence the high increase. Likewise, increases in import and producer…
Paralyzed world trade and rising freight rates The port of Yantian of the southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen is experiencing handling difficulties. The reason is strict corona measures due to rising infection rates around Shenzhen. Days of delays The ports of Shekou (Shenzhen) and Nansha (Guangzhou) are also currently experiencing handling difficulties, according to a recent article in the Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung (DVZ). According to the article, following the Suez Canal crisis, there is already another significant disruption in maritime supply chains. The F.A.Z. even titles its corresponding article “Mega traffic jam paralyzes world trade”. It says that half of the…
GUYA: Logistics power for the energetic tea business! High energy unites! Because it does not only fit the Kloepfel motto “We don’t talk, we implement!”, but also the vitalizing caffeinated Guya tea of GUYA – Guayusa-GmbH from Berlin. In Kloepfel Magazine we reveal the secret of the power plant from Ecuador compared to coffee and why the vigilance-giving producer relies on the experts of Kloepfel 4PL Solutions GmbH for the entire logistics handling. Guya: The power tea has a more sustainable and healthier effect than coffee Guayusa is the most caffeinated leaf in the world! The effect of the caffeine…
HWWI Commodity Price Index remains almost unchanged in April HWWI overall index rose by 0.9 % (US dollar basis) Crude oil prices fell by 1.1 % Sawn wood prices rose by 13 % (Hamburg, May 17, 2021) The HWWI Commodity Price Index remained almost unchanged in April compared to the previous month, rising by only 0.9 % on average. The index was thus 138 % higher than its value in April 2020, when the first global lockdown led to an extreme decline in commodity prices. Nevertheless, commodity prices were also influenced by the global Corona pandemic last month. In particular,…
Interview with Michael Ulverich, COO Koenig & Bauer. Dipl.-Ing. Michael Ulverich, COO of the Würzburg-based printing press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer, is an expert in corporate transformations. In an interview with Kloepfel Magazine, he provides insights on the role of purchasing in transformation processes, the cooperation with Kloepfel Consulting and his assessment of the crisis as an opportunity. The interview was conducted by Kloepfel senior partner Alexander Hornikel. Mr. Ulverich, how do you assess the current situation of manufacturing companies in Germany? You must look at the situation at least in two parts: On the one hand, there are manufacturing…
How to secure packaging supplies and negotiate prices Across all industries, there is currently a historic price explosion due to a shortage of raw materials – this also affects plastic-based packaging materials. Frank Anneken, Senior Manager at Kloepfel Consulting, provides information on the causes and possible courses of action. What developments do you currently see in the plastics market? Prices for plastics (PP, HDPE, LDPE and PA) are at an all-time high due to severe shortages, while fluctuating wildly. We experience this volatility directly in tenders: In some cases, up to a third of suppliers are refusing to submit a…