degree of capacity utilisation, produc-
tion faults and planning errors. These
risks cannot be fully eliminated, but can
be monitored and controlled using com-
mon tools (capacity reservations and
audits, inventory management, tracking
of the supply performance, supplier and
customer relationship management,
etc.). Another category is serious
events and developments which make
it impossible to fulfil a long-term supply
agreement. The reasons for this may
be due to technical, geological or politi-
cal and legal constraints. This usually
refers to processes closely associated
with long-term developments, for exam-
ple the inevitable exhaustion of oil re-
serves or the nuclear phase-out in Ger-
many. These types of developments
pose significant challenges for society
as a whole and can, as a rule, only be
solved collectively. They are, above all
else, essential for the strategic develop-
ment of the SCHERDEL
Group
.
The
most critical events are often the con-
sequences of sudden and unpre-
dictable incidents, resulting in lasting
supply disruptions. These include natur-
al disasters, piracy, political unrest and
uprisings, disturbances in the supply
chain, strikes and bankruptcies. Given
the wide range of reasons, comprehen-
sive monitoring of all suppliers and
products, especially in the global supply
chains of the automotive industry, is
completely impossible. Moreover, the
majority of these events are only de-
tected and their impacts assessed once
they have occurred. In other words,
preventive measures are very difficult
or impossible to implement.
Nonetheless, the SCHERDEL
Group
makes intensive efforts to reduce likely
risks through suitable measures at the
earliest possible stage of the product
development process. This includes, for
example, the application of freely ac-
cessible standardised materials and
preliminary products as well as the sys-
tematic sampling and/or approval of at
least one alternative supplier for each
product. In this case, SCHERDEL relies
on the unselfish active support of its
customers.
The strategic purchasing of the
SCHERDEL
Group
deals intensively
with all these topics. A key basic ele-
ment in ensuring successful risk man-
agement is excellent cooperation
throughout the supply chain. Close co-
operation with every single customer is
the only way to monitor the two biggest
risk factors ʻsingle sourcingʼ and ʻspe-
cial productsʼ (usually patented raw ma-
terials) and to benefit from the entire
technological capability of the supply
chain.
(
ok)
13
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING –
MANAGEMENT
–
TECHNOLOGY & PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT – NEWS AND INFORMATION
SCHERDEL regularly visits suppliers to ensure
the quality of preliminary products and raw ma-
terials.
Contact
SCHERDEL GmbH
Division Manger Purchas-
ing and Materials Manage-
ment
Olaf Korf
Scherdelstr. 2
95615
Marktredwitz
Germany
Tel.: +49 9231 603-108
Fax: +49 9231 603-202
E-mail:
sions into account
supply chain
