Practical example
Project Management for Supplier Management
Consistently and comprehensively adhering to internal, company-wide quality standards to ensure long-term business success poses significant challenges for many companies. However, ensuring that suppliers comply with agreed-upon quality standards is even more complex. KBC has taken over supplier management for an OEM—with measurable success!
Background
Our client, an automotive manufacturer, has its own quality specifications for its products and the associated processes across the entire value chain. These specifications are closely aligned with industry-wide standards (DIN, VDA, etc.) and form an integral part of the contractual agreements with suppliers. To ensure that the quality specifications are met, it is necessary to verify their implementation on-site at the suppliers’ facilities and identify any deviations. This is done as part of so-called requalifications. Due to the large number of suppliers, conducting requalifications across the board presented a challenge for our client.
Specific task
- Increasing the coverage of on-site inspections at suppliers
- Identification of deviations and agreement on corrective actions
- Improving supplier performance in terms of on-time delivery and quality
KBC's Approach
- Establishing a metrics-based process for identifying relevant suppliers
- Tool-based project management for supplier management of over 250 recertifications worldwide per year
- Use of interactive software to document and track results, including the ability for the supplier to edit the data
- Conducting retraining sessions (1–2 days on-site per supplier)
- Regular meetings with the client to keep them informed about the overall progress of the project
- Integration of results documentation into the customer's existing IT systems
Impact achieved
By carefully selecting relevant suppliers, utilizing tool-based project management, and employing software that allows suppliers to process requests directly, we were able to minimize the workload for our clients while significantly increasing efficiency.
