SPECIALTY METALS INDUSTRY:
Purchasing Assessment / Business Process Redesign
  Client:   A $300-million division of a multi-billion dollar global manufacturer of high-quality fine particles, dispersions and compounds.
     
  Problem:   Need to conduct an assessment of Purchasing to develop short-term recommendations with a corrective action plan, and to develop a long-term strategic direction.
     
  Approach:   Analyzed policies and procedures, inventory programs, systems, organizational functions and processes, and conducted audits on requisitions and purchase orders. Created process maps, identifying value-added and non-value-added steps, and used tools such as FMEA, fishbone diagrams, and cause-and-effect matrices to create a process improvement plan. Assessed purchasing activity within IS, Finance, Manufacturing, Maintenance, Capital Engineering and R&D and assessed the effectiveness of Purchasing as a support function. Compared departmental knowledge and skill set with a world-class purchasing organization.
     
  Results:  

Developed short-term and long-term action plans to re-direct the focus of the purchasing department from tactical to strategic. Recommendations:

Departmental / Functional Changes:

  • Redefine goals and objectives, roles and responsibilities, streamline purchasing procedures (remove non-value-added steps), utilize information systems to full capability, define data-gathering methods to measure historical internal transactions and conduct training programs for users
  • Increase use of e-procurement
  • Implement plan to reorganize / restructure the purchasing department
  • Purchase order cycle time savings: 25-35% short term; 35-50% long term

Business Strategy Changes:

  • Develop supplier metrics and evaluation criteria, business-critical RFQ, negotiations, supplier selection and SRM criteria
  • Establish vendor managed inventory and consignment inventory programs
  • Cost savings: $2-4 million short term; $6-8 million long term

 

       
   
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