Case Study Hänsel Processing GmbH

Sven Kleinhofer, Finance Director and head of staff at Hänsel, talks about the joint project with Kloepfel Consulting.

When the project first began, were you sceptical or more open-minded about the project?

In principle, we were open to the project. Of course, we were also somewhat sceptical because the savings presented to us as possible seemed quite high.

What were some of the biggest challenges at the start of the project?

One major challenge was inspiring staff to take on the project and conveying to them its importance for the entire company. Then there was still a lot of uncertainty about the depth of the project. There was no way to know which areas would need how much attention.

In what way does this optimization have a lasting effect on your day-to-day business?

In terms of prices obviously there has been a positive effect. Our procurement team has been given entirely new incentives for the way we approach negotiations. Our strategic procurement process has completely changed. Now we need to strengthen and develop the new suppliers so that they can keep their promises.

Can you judge how your suppliers responded to the new situation?

We have had a very long-lasting relationship with our suppliers. Of course they were initially surprised since we hadn’t announced the project to them. The project started and Kloepfel was directly involved 100 percent. At first the suppliers seemed to be a little overwhelmed with the new situation, which was probably because it came as such a surprise.

The success of joint projects always depends on the people working on them. Throughout the projects, we talk about being temporary colleagues. What do you think?
On the one hand, of course the consultants were outsiders, because they weren’t part of the group. However, the consultants, Mr. Löckener and Mr. Gebauer, joined the team and adapted to it excellently. So as far as the heads of procurement were concerned you could say that they really were temporary colleagues.

What is your conclusion now that the project has ended?

After all the calculations that have been made I can really draw a positive conclusion. It was not only profitable financially, but also gave procurement new strategic visions for the future.

Thank you for the interview.