Q&A with Jürgen Obergfell
 
Joint procurement, shared benefits
 
The “ProFit for Future” project has laid a sound foundation for creating a central strategic procurement organization for our Coatings Group. The task now is to define a common procurement strategy for its member companies and then implement this in a sustainable way. It’s a process that’s being headed by Jürgen Obergfell, our new Supply Chain Manager, a team-minded individual with a passion for procurement.
 
(Foto von Jürgen Obergfell)
 
Jürgen Obergfell, what is it about procurement that you find so fascinating?
Jürgen Obergfell: The variety! On the one hand you have close collaborations with almost every part of an organization – with all our coatings companies, in my particular case. At the same time it’s tremendously exciting to forge connections between these companies and their sales and procurement markets, identify the improvement potential and then work together on exploiting it.
 
Why does supply chain management make so much sense?
Because it lets us better harmonize our procurement, production and distribution planning at all their various levels. And this in turn makes us all better able to cope with any disruptions. SCM is a challenge for everyone: customers, suppliers, product management, sales, R&D, production, logistics and more. But it does promote reciprocal awareness and appreciation, and it does create clarity. And this in its turn has a positive impact on all the parties involved, on the final product and on our customers’ satisfaction.
 
What’s the difference between strategic and operational procurement?
Our Strategic Procurement is responsible for market research and finding suitable suppliers. It’s also where we devise overall strategies for particular goods groups, suppliers and volumes. And it looks after our risk management. Operational Procurement, by contrast, takes care of the planning, coordination and ordering of specific goods volumes. It also monitors all delivery deadlines and stock levels. And it does all this in close collaboration with Distribution, Production and the Strategic Procurement team.
 
And what are your overall objectives here?
Our prime goal for this year is to cultivate an awareness and appreciation of the close collaborations in our intercompany teams. At the same time, we’re striving to establish, develop and train our new procurement team. We’ve also set ourselves more quantifiable goals, of course – like reducing our procurement prices by at least one per cent, revising any payment terms that aren’t in line with general market conditions, and enhancing our stock control, which should deliver a direct benefit in current-asset terms.
 
How can we get a better grip on our costs?
Through procurement controlling. This will show us what each coatings company is obtaining from whom and at what prices. It also gives us a picture of the general pricing trends for all our raw materials. We need a better insight, too, into how the various formulas, raw materials and packagings are priced, so we can incorporate any changes to their prices into our procurement strategy. All of which should put us in a better position when we negotiate with our suppliers.
 
What do we need to change in our procurement in the present market environment?
More than anything else, we need to promote and consolidate the cooperation and the communications – and thus the reciprocal trust – between Procurement and our various units, and also between Procurement and our suppliers. The priorities for everyone should be: reliability first, quality second and price third. Also, and just as vitally, we need to be always open to new ways and approaches.
 
So what do you expect of your people?
I expect them to be keen to explore new procurement options, to tackle the whole procurement issue, and to show us all what can be done, not only in Switzerland and Germany but also farther afield. I want them to develop a true team spirit and set themselves ambitious objectives. And – most importantly – I want our purchasers to cultivate their relations with our suppliers.
 
And what can they expect from you?
To be working with a team player who is always looking ahead, who loves to develop and refine a well-functioning supply chain and who intends to achieve this with the active collaboration of every part of our Coatings Group. Because if we think and act like this, we’ll deliver tangible benefits to all our coatings companies.
 
 
Box:
What is supply chain management?
 
The supply chain is the entire process of obtaining the goods and materials a company needs for its activities, from sourcing to purchasing, transport and stock management and control. Within the Looser Coatings Group supply chain management covers both strategic and operational procurement and the transport, delivery and warehousing of all the goods and materials obtained. It also covers indirect material, from purchase to delivery.北京翻譯公司服務-北京翻譯公司更好-北京翻譯公司好

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