Author: Kloepfel
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…
Mastering supplier audits on remote Visiting key suppliers on site should be a matter of course: Be it initially to select the right partner, for regular quality control or capacity checks prior to a new major order. In addition, many industries are currently showing how important good supplier relationships are for their own security of supply. Travel is only possible to a limited extent. So what can be done? Kloepfel Senior Partner Thomas Wandler reveals how the audit can be carried out on remote. Mr. Wandler, what are the occasions for supplier audits? During qualification and/or approval of a new…
Sonova acquires Consumer Electronics Audio specialist Sennheiser, known for its headphones, is divesting its consumer division. This division, called “Consumer Electronics” by the long-established company, is being taken over in its entirety by the Swiss hearing aid supplier Sonova. Der Spiegel and Handelsblatt report a purchase price of 200 million euros. Sennheiser had already announced in February that it would focus on the Professional segment in the future and look for a partner for the Consumer Electronics segment. Joint brand umbrella As Sennheiser’s press release states, the Sennheiser brand will remain. Thus, regarding the partnership with Sonova, Sennheiser writes: “Both…
German companies show strong competitiveness Anton F. Börner, President of the German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services Association (BGA), says that the situation of German foreign trade is at pre-crisis levels. He also emphasizes the strong competitiveness and flexibility in dealing with special circumstances that German companies have demonstrated by finding their footing again despite the special circumstances. According to the Federal Statistical Office, goods worth 126.5 billion euros were exported in March. Compared to the previous year, exports increased by 16.1 percent. German imports also rose by 15.5 percent year-on-year to 105.9 billion euros. With these figures, the foreign…
Traditional company achieves technological breakthrough The IT corporation IBM has succeeded in producing a 2-nanometer chip. Until now, it was considered impossible or simply too expensive to produce such a small chip. According to IBM, this chip will house up to 50 billion transistors on an area the size of a fingernail. Possible advantages of 2-nanometer chip technology The technology company cites an expected 45 percent increase in performance for the new chip compared to a 7-nanometer chip. In addition, energy consumption is expected to be 75 percent lower. In concrete terms, this means a possible quadrupling of the battery…
Against price increases and shortages! 1. Tip: Tap alternative suppliers 2. Tip: Use weaker phases for optimization 3. Tip: Maintain supplier relationships systematically 4. Tip: Probe hidden overcapacities in the market 5. Tip: Global sourcing is not equal to China sourcing 6. Tip: Competitive advantage through standardization 7. Tip: Use networks of associations and purchasing consultants In times of raw shortages sourcing is the number 1 topic for many buyers. While some suppliers can hardly save themselves from orders, others have lost reliable customers as a result of the crisis. Kloepfel partner and sourcing expert Thanh Duy Tran reveals how…
How companies are securing electronic components now German SMEs have been hit hard by the current shortage of raw materials, and electronic components are also at a peak in demand. We talked to Jörg Menkhaus, senior manager at Kloepfel Consulting, about the market situation, the causes of the price explosion, and short- and long-term strategies for securing supplies. What does the current market situation or supply situation look like for which electronical topics? Economic performance in Asia and the U.S. was surprising last year, with strong growth in Asia and at least not as weakened in the U.S. as it…
HWWI commodity price index rises moderately in March HWWI overall index increased by 3.2 % (US dollar basis) Crude oil prices rose by 5.8 % Nickel prices drop by 11 % (Hamburg, April 13, 2021) The HWWI Commodity Price Index rose by an average of 3.2 % in March compared to the previous month. The index thus exceeded its previous year’s value from March 2020, at the beginning of the first global lockdown, by 82 %. All three sub-indices for energy raw materials, industrial raw materials, as well as food and beverages continued to rise on average in March but…
Thanks to Chinese market, global economy experiences upswing The gross domestic product (GDP) of China clearly shows that the economy has almost overcome the effects of the Corona pandemic. In the first quarter of this year, a record growth of 18.3 percent, year-on-year, was recorded. This is the highest growth since measurements began 30 years ago. Thanks to China, the global economy is experiencing an upswing, as it did during the 2008 global financial crisis, and global companies operating in the Chinese market have recently seen high sales. Foreign trade strengthens most A large part of the growth was strengthened…
Purchase for nearly $20 billion Microsoft is buying Nuance Communications, a speech recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) specialist. In doing so, Microsoft says it is advancing its cloud strategy for healthcare. The purchase price cited in Microsoft’s press release is the sum of $19.7 billion, including net debt. Thus, it is the second largest acquisition in Microsoft’s history. About five years ago, the IT group paid $27 billion for the career network LinkedIn. The acquisition, announced Monday, is still subject to approval by competition authorities. Microsoft wants to complete the purchase process in the course of this year. After that,…
Partnership with Qingling Motors German automotive supplier Bosch has established the joint venture Bosch Hydrogen Powertrain Systems with Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer Qingling Motors. The new company will develop, assemble, and market fuel cell systems, known as fuel cell power modules, for the Chinese market. With this partnership, Bosch and Qingling Motors intend to combine their technology and market expertise. To this end, the Bosch press release states the goal of contributing to the development of the fuel cell market in the country and to the transformation of the automotive industry there. As early as this year, there will be…
The manufacturing industry contributes 30% to the German economy. This is considerably more than the European average of 13% and an even bigger difference with the Netherlands where the contribution is no more than 12% (EZK: Vision for the future of the industry in the Netherlands). There is no doubt that we can learn from our German colleagues when it comes to purchasing on behalf of industrial production. However, it is striking to see how little attention we tend to pay to the German purchasing community compared to our interest in procurement in countries like the UK or Sweden. Unjustified.…
How you can steamroll exploding air and ocean freight costs Are you also affected by the explosion in air and ocean freight costs? In the wake of the pandemic, freight forwarders severely limited their capacities, and in some cases even sold off means of transport. Now they are ramping up again, but capacity remains limited, existing customers are being given preference – for everyone else, there is still downtime and profiteering. What can you do as a willing new customer? Sebastian Krings, partner and logistics expert at Kloepfel Consulting, on price and negotiation levers in the ocean and air freight…