Author: Kloepfel
European Court of Justice passes judgement The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has decided: Employers in the European Union must now systematically record employees’ working hours. The working time directive and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union oblige employers to do this. This is the only way to check correctly whether the permissible working times have been exceeded and thus the only way to guarantee the employees’ rights in accordance with EU directives and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Deutsche Bank now had to reckon with a lawsuit from Spain. The usual recording of only overtime…
David and Goliath – Clever procurement beats monopolists “The supplier has increased the prices in his updated offer, that’s outrageous,” the purchaser complains to his sales colleague at lunch. “Then find an alternative supplier and re-tender the component,” he replies. “That’s exactly where the problem lies. No one else has been able to supply the component yet, we’re dealing with a monopolist,” the buyer replies with dismay. This is a typical situation that many purchasing departments suffer from on a regular basis. In addition to high prices and poor delivery conditions, this puts pressure on employee motivation. Doesn’t the challenge…
The Silk Road is myth, reality and vision at the same time: Once a trade route for silk, this network of trade routes from China to the rest of the world is awakening from a long sleep. The Chinese government wants to revive the “new” Silk Road. In fact, the Silk Road is not a single road, but a whole network of old trade links that reach from the Middle Kingdom to Europe. Opened in 115 B.C., it was initially mainly used for trading silk. In the 15th century it lost its importance. However, the new old Silk Road has…
The HWWI Commodity Price Index rose once again HWWI total index rose by 3.9 % (US dollar basis) Crude oil price increased by 7.4 % The index for food and beverages fell once again (Hamburg) In April, the HWWI commodity price index rose by an average of 3.9 % (in euros: +4.5 %) over the previous month. The HWWI commodity price index rose to 123.8 points (in euros: 122.2 points) and was thus 3.6% (in euros: +5.3%) lower (in euros: higher) than in April of last year. The index for energy resources rose once again in April, rising by 4.4…
Negotiations in purchasing and logistics Negotiation is one of the most used and decisive tools for buyers. A strategically successful negotiation can promise huge costs or welcomed savings. Savings in purchasing usually go hand in hand with a higher profit margin and a stronger competitive position. In the following guidebook article you can read about 7 effective tips that can make your next negotiation a great success. 1. Set negotiating goals and increase motivation Purchasing and procurement have a great potential to increase sales and profits of a company. For example, in the German automotive industry, one percent savings in…
Investments in climate protection and air quality Automotive supplier Bosch wants to be the first major climate-neutral industrial company by 2020. Billions are to be invested in climate protection and air quality. “Climate change is not science fiction. It’s happening in real life,” says Bosch CEO Volkmar Denner. If the Paris climate agreement is to be taken seriously, climate protection must not just be a long-term long-term goal, but must be implemented in the short term. Bosch wants to become an innovation leader and answer technical questions on ecological issues. “We are taking responsibility for climate protection and are therefore…
Over 30 billion euros The diesel scandal continues to affect VW years later. More than 60,000 proceedings are currently underway against the car manufacturer and its associated companies in Germany. These are mainly claims for damages or the return of cars from buyers. Now the costs for the exhaust manipulation cracked the border of 30 billion euro. Above all costs for attorneys, achieved settlements and the still running procedures affect in the balance sheet. And the costs could continue to rise, according to Volkswagen CFO Frank Witter. VW surprises with sales growth This makes it all the more surprising that…
Team spirit instead of skepticism Aschaffenburg/Düsseldorf, 24.04.2019 – The automotive supplier Waldaschaff, based in Aschaffenburg in Lower Franconia, has recently optimized its purchasing. Purchasing manager Ludovic Montécot obtained support from the purchasing consultancy Kloepfel Consulting for the profound six-month project. Montécot explains: “We optimized our purchasing activities together with a purchasing consultancy because we were experiencing too many personnel bottlenecks on our own. It was important to me that the consultants were team players and that they settle their accounts according to success and not according to daily rates. After an inventory, Waldaschaff Automotive has put many series materials out…
Today, cooperative strategies are a common term in the supply chain. These can be vertical or horizontal and support the supply, disposal and recycling functions within the supply chain. The difference between vertical and horizontal strategies is based on the integrated stages of the value chain: this is how vertical cooperation strategies with upstream or downstream value chain partner’s work. Upstream value-added partners refer to supplier integration, downstream partners to customer loyalty. Horizontal cooperation strategies exist between competing partners in the same value chain, usually in the form of strategic alliances. This guide article deals with both strategies and specific…
Crude oil price continues to rise HWWI total index rose by 2.2 % (US dollar basis) Crude oil price increased by 4.3% Index for food and beverages declined (Hamburg) In March, the HWWI commodity price index rose by an average of 2.2 % per month(in euros: +2.6 %) compared with the previous month. The HWWI commodity price index rose to 119.2 points (in euros: 117.0 points), 2.3 % (in euros: +6.7 %) lower than in March of last year. Only the index for energy raw materials showed growth in March, rising by 2.7 % (in euros: +3.1 %). The monthly…
A bull and a bear symbolize positive and negative price developments on the stock market. The two animals, whose sculptures can be found not only at the stock exchange in Frankfurt am Main but also at the Alte Hopfenpost in Munich, also decorate the new homepage of Kloepfel Corporate Finance GmbH. Since last week, the website of the M&A specialist shines in a new design, completely in the modern style of the Kloepfel Group. The company radiates professionalism, trust and commitment not only in its work, but also online. The new homepage offers visitors quick and easy access to the…
Lean purchasing in the hotel industry The chefs of well-known Steigenberger hotels tasted 800 kg of meat from eight different suppliers over two days. The result: Savings in six digits for the Steigenberger subsidiary H.E.A.D. Hotel Equipment and Design GmbH. Duran Sarikaya, CEO Kloepfel Consulting, reports on the joint project in an interview. How did the team work at the beginning of the project? Our task at Steigenberger Hotels AG was primarily to optimize the purchasing of food and beverages. In the course of this we approached the existing suppliers at the beginning of the project in order to negotiate…
Customer satisfaction is becoming more and more important in many companies. Purchasing is also affected by this. Internal customers, such as production, as well as external customers, the end consumers, expect from the purchasing department that the products they want are available at the right place at the right time and meet the quality requirements. By selecting the right suppliers and a suitable purchasing strategy, purchasing can successfully meet the expectations of their customers. However, recalls in the automotive industry, supply bottlenecks or image damage caused by poor working conditions can have a negative impact on internal and external customer…
Medium-sized companies miss their targets – What is the reason? Economic problems and lack of personnel occupy the middle class From 10 January to 13 February, the purchasing consultancy Kloepfel Consulting surveyed 229 specialists and managers from small and medium-sized enterprises on their goal achievement in 2018 and the emerging risks in 2019. The sobering result: Only 35 percent of the companies surveyed were able to fully achieve their targets for 2018. Were you able to achieve your targets for 2018? Nine percent of those surveyed stated that they had missed their targets for 2018. 56 percent were only able…
Kloepfel Engineering can reduce your product costs by 10% to 40% Use one of the highest award-winning Cost Control product costing software applications to accurately track and optimize the true costs of your own products and those of your suppliers. It also gives you a benchmark of what the product costs worldwide. Additionally, you can also commission our Kloepfel Engineering Team to calculate product costs, or seek advice on value analysis. Services: Kloepfel Engineering’s Cost Control software features four core performance points. With target costing, Cost Control determines how high the product costs may be in order for the product…
Fair working conditions for truck drivers After long negotiations, the European Parliament has finally implemented the EU mobility package. The package is intended to ensure fair working conditions for truck drivers and was very popular in the logistics sector. In the much-discussed areas of cabotage, driving times and rest periods, as well as posting in road transport, the majority of MEPs voted in favour of a new regulation. Throughout Germany, professional drivers are now to be paid according to the principle of “equal pay for equal work at the same place”. Transit traffic and bilateral traffic are excluded from this.…
Smartphone business to become more profitable The Japanese electronics manufacturer Sony has announced that it will relocate production from China to Thailand. The factory in Beijing is to be closed in a few days. Smartphone segment for Sony a loss-making business The Group hopes that this will lead to cost savings in the manufacture of smartphones, and is talking about 50 percent. Currently, the smartphone segment is a loss-making business for the manufacturer. The fiscal year now ending recorded a loss on the sale of smartphones of the equivalent of 850 million euros. Experts even advise Sony to give up…
The reason is Airbus subsidies from the EU The USA again threatens to impose punitive tariffs on European exports. The reason for this is disputes over illegal subsidies for Airbus, which have been levied by the EU. As a result, trade commissioner Robert Lighthizer presented a provisional list of punitive tariffs on goods worth around eleven million dollars. In addition to products and components for the aviation industry, numerous other goods are also affected, such as various types of cheese, olive oil, oranges and seafood. The USA has already filed its application for punitive tariffs with the World Trade Organization…