In an interview with senior partner Alexander Hornikel and project manager Marcus Schilling, Michael Veigel, Chief Financial Officer at DocMorris, describes the cooperation with Kloepfel Consulting and the process of the project.
Were you skeptical or open-minded at the beginning of the project?
As a CFO, I am generally rather skeptical. Nevertheless, I was very open-minded; otherwise this project would not have come into being in the first place. I liked the approach, No Cure – No Pay, on a success basis. The negotiations went smoothly, as Kloepfel responded well to our adaptation requests. From this it was also clear that the responsible persons stood by their product, which strengthened me in our decision for the project.
What were the biggest challenges at the beginning of the project?
Through the project, we naturally wanted to leverage the potential of our suppliers. The challenge was to open up the organization for this project by understanding potentials not primarily as mistakes but as opportunities. For me as well as for Kloepfel, it was a matter of having the appropriate sensitivity. The fact that the consultants were present helped to communicate their competence, goals and measures better. Ultimately, the challenge was to break new ground without fingerpointing. The Kloepfel team was committed to the team right from the start through regular meetings. Transparency was the top priority, which was also a key success factor.
To what extent does optimization have a lasting effect on your internal day-to-day purchasing business?
The project has ensured that the “toolbox” of our purchasing department has been extended by several elements. There were noticeable “Aha” effects in the approach, for example in the area of temporary employment. I also see an increase in experience and opportunities, especially in the negotiations.
How would you describe the way the Kloepfel project team works?
Professional, customer-oriented and empathetic, adapting to the organization and the people. Communication played an important role. The question was not “Who made the mistake?”, but “How can we best achieve our goal together? The consultants got involved with our company.
Joint project successes are also always person-dependent. We are talking about the fact that we are temporary colleagues in the projects. How did you feel?
We definitely perceived the Kloepfel team as temporary colleagues. It wasn’t as if you were avoiding each other, on the contrary, you were approaching each other and proactively seeking dialogue. We are not talking about forced small talk, but about a pleasant, professional atmosphere. Even during the real controlling phase, the Kloepfel consultants are still received in a friendly and collegial manner. When the “old” Kloepfel colleagues are in the house, our colleagues are still happy to approach them.
Some suppliers had to get used to seeing new Kloepfel faces at the negotiating table in addition to the familiar contact persons of your company. How did you experience this situation and what were the reactions from the suppliers?
Of course there was also contra on the part of the suppliers. Some of the suppliers questioned the mandate and wondered why everything didn’t go as it always did. Fortunately, Purchasing maintains long-standing relationships with our existing suppliers. At this point, we started to communicate and explained our motives and goals to the suppliers. In most cases, this allowed us to quickly resolve the concerns and find a solution-oriented result. Our purchasing department and other colleagues from the specialist departments provided really great support here.
What would be your conclusion so far after the end of the project?
It was definitely worth it, not only that our expectations were exceeded. In particular, the openness and positivity in the approach of the Kloepfel team stood out. The integration of the project into the company and the transparency demonstrated went hand in hand, which was also welcomed by our colleagues. Real-Controlling also proves that the results are not only on paper, but actually real. In summary, together we have lived through a very successful project, which we have in very positive memory.
About DocMorris
DocMorris belongs to the Rose Group AG and stands for a safe, high-quality and area-wide pharmaceutical supply and consultation of over 4 million customers. DocMorris customers can be advised by telephone, e-mail, web, video-based live chat via the Internet or via the DocMorris Pharmacy App. As a pharmaceutical service provider, DocMorris develops special chronicler programs in cooperation with pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies and implements them with a highly qualified team of pharmacists.