Since 2016, Kurtz Ersa SE & Co. KG has been using WebCIS as the central foundation for evaluating purchasing data efficiently and supporting strategic decisions on a sound basis.

The Company

The Kurtz Ersa Group is an internationally active, family-run technology and mechanical engineering company with a history dating back to 1779. Today the group operates in areas including Electronics Production Equipment and Automation, with its technology present worldwide.

For an internationally positioned group of companies like Kurtz Ersa, it is essential to have extensive purchasing information available quickly and to be able to assess developments across different areas reliably. This is exactly where WebCIS has been helping for many years.

The Challenge Before WebCIS

The first joint steps with SoftconCIS took place in 2015, with WebCIS introduced the following year. The contact was made by the then CPO Dietmar Borgards, who already knew SoftconCIS from an earlier collaboration.

Until then, relevant information had to be extracted from SAP with considerable effort and then prepared manually. As a result, a complete overview of key figures and purchasing transactions was not available at short notice.

The company therefore looked for a solution that provides this information immediately while offering the level of detail needed for further analyses.

„Decisive for us were the transparency offered and the ability to drill down to the lowest level of the data when needed.“

Lorenzo Menikheim – Corporate Procurement, Kurtz Ersa SE & Co. KG

WebCIS as an Integral Part of Purchasing

Today, Kurtz Ersa uses almost all available WebCIS modules, with a particular focus on the MM area. Dashboards are often the starting point of daily work: they provide a quick overview and, when anomalies appear, make it possible to drill down into individual matters.

Recurring processes have also been automated. One example is supplier evaluation, where reports are created monthly and sent directly to the respective suppliers.

In addition, Kurtz Ersa has developed or extended various applications together with SoftconCIS – including solutions for inventory, material compliance, risk management and bill-of-materials analyses. WebCIS is thus integrated into purchasing processes far beyond classic reporting.

„WebCIS gives us access to key figures that previously could not be evaluated at all, or only with considerable effort.“

Lorenzo Menikheim – Corporate Procurement, Kurtz Ersa SE & Co. KG

Measurable Economic Benefit

The cash discount analysis shows what a concrete contribution targeted analyses can make. By systematically identifying anomalies and deriving measures from them, annual cash discount losses were reduced from around EUR 240,000 to approximately EUR 20,000.

Besides this measurable effect, the automation of recurring evaluations and processes saves valuable time. As a result, the purchasing team can focus its capacity more on strategic tasks and on interpreting relevant key figures.

Collaboration on a Shared Fact Base

WebCIS has also supported cross-departmental collaboration at Kurtz Ersa. Together with development, for example, manufacturing costs can be analyzed via the bill-of-materials module. With finance, evaluations of payment terms are reviewed regularly.

Uniform calculation logic also ensures that central KPIs are assessed by all parties on the same basis. Discussions about differing figures fade into the background – instead, the exchange can focus on causes, effects and necessary measures.

A System That Grows with the Requirements

Over the years, WebCIS has become an integral part of the purchasing organization. The decisive factor is the combination of a quick overview, a high level of detail and the ability to automate recurring processes.

Kurtz Ersa sums up how firmly the solution is now anchored in everyday work:

„Our work without SoftconCIS is hardly imaginable today.“

Lorenzo Menikheim – Corporate Procurement, Kurtz Ersa SE & Co. KG

Open and Trusting Collaboration

Beyond the software, Kurtz Ersa particularly values the open communication and trusting collaboration with SoftconCIS. Requirements are considered together and new functions are developed in a practical way.

The fact that several modules were developed or extended together over the course of the partnership shows that the collaboration is not limited to running an existing solution. Rather, WebCIS continues to evolve with the requirements of purchasing.

Outlook

Joint further development will also be the focus in the coming years. Kurtz Ersa sees particular potential in the possibilities of artificial intelligence and AI agents, as well as in a further increase in processing speed. The aim is to automate additional processes and to provide purchasing with relevant insights for its decisions even faster.

The Result

At Kurtz Ersa, WebCIS has helped to significantly reduce the effort for manual analyses while creating new possibilities for purchasing management. Automated processes, reliable key figures and detailed analyses give the team more room for strategic tasks.

The significant reduction in cash discount losses also shows that the insights gained not only create transparency but can make a concrete economic contribution.

„Thanks to the time saved and the shared data foundation, we can focus much more strongly on strategic topics and key figures.“

Lorenzo Menikheim – Corporate Procurement, Kurtz Ersa SE & Co. KG