Many suppliers are still a struggling with unstructured processes when collaborating with customers despite the digital era. TEMA-Fischer GmbH solved this problem many years ago with ZF Friedrichshafen AG in an exemplary way and now handles the most important processes via SupplyOn. This is now also the case with their order processes for Siemens. Every additional customer who takes the same approach to collaboration will increase the benefits for the machining specialist.
The challenge
Delivery schedules are updated frequently in the automotive industry, sometimes daily. When schedules still came in by fax, it meant not only an overflowing fax machine, but also a load of manual work – the details had to be typewritten and manually transferred to the ERP system. And, despite being “electronic”, accessing them by email was not much better because the details arrived unstructured. At the turn of the millennium, the first portals were launched. But the wide range of solutions and the fact that many did not allow a data download, often made the work even more complicated for suppliers. On top of the manual effort, there was the risk of erroneously entering order details. The information in customer ERP systems did not always coincide with that of the supplier.
Divergent data sets come back to bite you – not only in the delivery instruction, but also in other processes such as with such as the complaint process or when managing a consignment warehouse. A great deal of manual work is required to reconcile the data sets and discrepancies may even lead to unjustified negative supplier evaluations.
The solution: a joint platform for data exchange plus an ERP interface
Implementing SupplyOn and programming an interface for the automated transfer of data into the internal ERP system has provided relief in the collaboration with ZF. TEMA-Fischer benefited from an ERP system based on an access database (INPAC from TH-Data), which makes it extremely flexible. This is why the interface could be programmed in relatively short time. The company benefits from an enormous time saving every day: With a single click SupplyOn automatically transfers the data into the production system.
The fact that both sides, customer and supplier, use a shared system also facilitates the management of the consignment warehouse and simplifies planning for TEMA-Fischer – especially since SupplyOn provides access to ZF’s forecast data.
The collaboration with Siemens via SupplyOn plays out a bit differently. In it, TEMA-Fischer does not receive delivery instruction but rather orders, and can simply confirm them online. The transparency created by knowing which order has been confirmed and how, and whether the customer has transferred it to its system, significantly facilitates cooperation.
The benefits
- Customer data prepared via SupplyOn is always updated and easily downloaded and imported for further digital processing in the internal ERP system.
- The Management Cockpit provides a good overview for the management. It displays all open cases with customers, such as orders or complaints, as well as current evaluation data. Appropriate action can quickly be taken for any issues, greatly bolstering customer satisfaction.
- SupplyOn has boosted the data quality of all processes because both sides access the same data in the very same system.
- For the sales process, it is advantageous that all ZF and Siemens plants see TEMA-Fischer as a supplier within the Business Directory and invite them to tenders. TEMA-Fischer has thus already generated quite a bit of new business.
- And not least: It is efficient to use just one solution with several customers: the familiarity with the handling of the solution will make electronic collaboration with the customer a much faster success.
Jan Marten Scholz, Managing Director, TEMA-Fischer GmbH is convinced:
SupplyOn provides great support in day-to-day operations for our workers. For me as Managing Director, SupplyOn is primarily an important management tool. I see what is happening at a glance – what’s running well, and where I need to intervene. It would be wonderful if we could serve all our clientele using SupplyOn.
Company portrait
The roots of TEMA-Fischer GmbH hark back to 1901. Since 1994, when the company was taken over in a management buy-out, the machining specialist has steadily grown. Now, with 100 employees at two sites in Berlin, the company has a turnover of 10 million euro. Core competencies are CNC milling, CNC turning and deep-hole drilling. With 25 CNC processing centers and 27 lathes, the company manufactures and delivers worldwide for customers like ZF Friedrichshafen, Siemens, Knorr-Bremse, Klöckner, and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen. TEMA-Fischer is certified under IATF 16949:2016 automobile certificates.
