Situation
The client is a medium-sized internationally successful Austrian company in the wood industry with several hundred employees. Their strong growth requires a strategic realignment of the international purchasing of raw materials, semi-finished products and trade goods. The long-standing purchasing manager unexpectedly left the company due to illness and for a longer period of time. The company was looking for an Interim Manager with several years of international experience in strategic and operational purchasing. Fluent English was a prerequisite. The assignment was to start immediately and the duration of the mandate was planned to be twelve months.
Challenges
- Strategic task in international purchasing of raw materials, semi-finished products and merchandise.
- Responsibility for results and budget, purchasing controlling
- Management of the entire procurement chain incl. complaints management
- Inventory optimization in terms of short delivery cycles and consignment stocks
- Independent management of contract and price negotiations in an international environment
- Implementation of lean management in the purchasing organization
Action
- Internal strategy meetings introduced
- Conducting supplier audits, supplier evaluations and their ongoing development
- Creation of new tender guidelines and bidder lists
- Operational purchasing negotiations
- Handling of existing disputes
- Development of new purchasing sources in Europe and Asia
- Improvement of quantity planning
Results
- P+P presented an ideal candidate within 24 hours, who could start immediately
- Immediate assumption of line responsibility in purchasing
- Re-evaluation of strategic suppliers and development of new sources
- Securing the necessary quantities of input materials for growth
- Further development of existing suppliers
