Project interview L.B. Bohle Maschinen + Verfahren GmbH

Project interview L.B. Bohle Maschinen GmbH

Sector: Special mechanical engineering

Products: Coating machines, granulation plants, mixing systems, shredders, containers, lifting systems, weighing systems, roller compactors

Turnover: € 42 million (2014)

Employees: 250 (2015)

Optimization measures including:

Tenders and supplier days
Workshops with existing suppliers to identify jointly realizable savings potentials, supplier changes in the areas of for e.g. machining, welding assemblies, laser blanks, screws and packaging.

Processed topics:

Supply air systems, exhaust air filters, geared motors, diaphragm valves, pneumatics, hydraulics, switch cabinets, semi-finished products, abrasives, electrical supplies

Thanh Duy Tran

Director mechanical and plant engineering

P +49 211 875 453 23

Kloepfel Consulting optimized the purchasing department of L.B. Bohle Maschinen + Verfahren GmbH. The company has grown into a leading special machine builder in the pharmaceutical industry and has remained an independent medium-sized company to this day. Dipl. Ing. Lorenz B. Bohle is the owner and managing director of the company, Mr. Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing. Jörg Mühlenbein is the commercial manager.

Mr. Bohle, how satisfied are you with the project results and did you expect the achieved level?

Lorenz B. Bohle: At first I was sceptical whether the reference values could also be achieved here. And if so, with which methods? In the end, the implementation and the results were convincing.

Mr. Mühlenbein, at the beginning there was skepticism about the additional burden on purchasing employees due to a Kloepfel project. What are your experiences now that the project has been completed?

Jörg Mühlenbein: There was extra work and additional hours, but no extra workload. The initial skepticism was quickly overcome by the rapid success of the project. The team results were usually directly accessible to our employees, thus practical and not only mathematically / theoretically.

Mr. Bohle, how would you describe the operating principles of the Kloepfel project team with three words?

Lorenz B. Bohle: Quick, tried and tested and sustainable.

Mr. Mühlenbein, joint project success is also always person-dependent. We are talking about being temporary colleagues in the projects. How was your feeling?

Jörg Mühlenbein: The “Kloepfel colleagues” have contributed to the project, but more importantly, to the L.B. Bohle team with a great deal of personal commitment. We are talking about seven months, after which we can answer your question with a clear “yes”. In particular, the analyses and detailed supplier discussions, which do not take place to such an extent in day-to-day business, have made a decisive contribution.

Mr. Bohle, some suppliers had to get used to seeing new Kloepfel faces at the negotiating table in addition to the familiar contact persons of our company. How have you experienced these situations and what were the reactions from the suppliers?

Lorenz B. Bohle: Of course, this was an unusual situation from the suppliers’ point of view. New faces, new arguments, different methods and approaches in the discussion. But the technically well prepared and factually conducted discussions and negotiations convinced our suppliers, both existing and new suppliers, of the temporary Bohle-Kloepfel team.

Mr. Mühlenbein, we emphasize again and again that purchasing successes must not be a one-time effects, but sustained, effective successes are decisive. Has the purchasing project been sustainably secured through the transparent reporting, the learning-by-doing of your employees as well as the handover of the project documentation at the end of the project?

Jörg Mühlenbein: The sustainability of the project is in my view not a question of reporting. A transparent documentation and preparation of the data is the basis. More important, however, is what has arrived in the minds of all those involved and solidifies there in a sustainable manner.

Mr. Bohle, Mr. Mühlenbein, one last question: Would you commission Kloepfel Consulting again if necessary?

Lorenz B. Bohle: Kloepfel Consulting has earned our trust, not least through the success of the project.

Jörg Mühlenbein: We can well imagine that the “Kloepfel colleagues” will certainly make their contribution to one or the other topic in the coming years, somewhat time-displaced.

Thank you very much for the interview!

With us your company works like a well-oiled machine!

Feel free to contact us. Phone: +49 211 875 453 23 or Mail: info@kloepfel-consulting.com

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