The LÄPPLE Group has been working with SoftconCIS for around two years. WebCIS helps purchasing evaluate key figures uniformly, track savings automatically and make decisions based on transparent data.
The Company
The LÄPPLE Group is an internationally active, family-run group of companies with a history of more than 100 years. Today the group employs around 2,000 people at 11 locations in Europe, Asia and America and operates in various areas of industrial manufacturing. The group’s companies include LÄPPLE Automotive, FIBRO and LÄPPLE Expert. The focus is in particular on forming and body-in-white technology, tool making, and industrial solutions and services. With its international orientation and diverse business areas, the LÄPPLE Group places high demands on efficient, transparent and reliable purchasing processes.
The Starting Point
Before WebCIS was introduced, the LÄPPLE Group used various reporting tools to determine relevant key figures. This meant there was no consistent data foundation, and for identical questions the results sometimes differed significantly. For Emily Unger, Expert for Process and Value Design, it was therefore particularly important to create a transparent and reliable basis for analyses and decisions.
„For the same use case, our previous tools sometimes delivered significantly different results.“
Emily Unger - Expert for Process and Value Design, LÄPPLE Group
Getting Started with WebCIS
The contact to SoftconCIS came about through CPO Ralph Ulmer, who already knew WebCIS from his previous company and had made positive experiences there. The decisive impetus for introduction was a pilot project with the FI module. After only a few days, a transparent set of figures with diverse evaluation options was available. Today LÄPPLE uses the MM, FI, SR and MC modules in particular. Individually built dashboards are also very important, allowing relevant key figures to be compiled specifically for different questions.
Transparency over Savings and Measures
A central use case is the structured tracking of savings. Whereas previously quantities for around 200 items had to be retrieved from the ERP system and assigned manually, this information is now updated automatically. As a result, purchasing has an overview at any time of planned measures and the development of the savings achieved over the course of the year. The analysis of complaints has also been significantly improved with the SR module. One of the first important insights after introduction also concerned the use of cash discounts and showed how existing data can be used for concrete optimization approaches.
Custom Dashboards as a Basis for Decisions
WebCIS has also changed day-to-day work in purchasing. A dedicated dashboard was developed for commodity group managers, showing the development of purchasing volume per commodity group, broken down by material share, surcharges and discounts. Via the MC module, savings achieved can additionally be assigned to the respective commodity groups and presented transparently. For Emily Unger, a key advantage is that developments become visible early and it is easier to decide when action is needed.
„The key figures are now transparently available and give our commodity group managers a more solid basis for decisions.“
Emily Unger - Expert for Process and Value Design, LÄPPLE Group
WebCIS is now used not just in purchasing. Invoice verification, controlling and accounting also actively access the available evaluations. This creates a shared information base across different departments. The available key figures support not only operational questions but also help make digitalization potential and process improvements visible and verifiable. For Emily Unger, the added value therefore also lies in better understanding the existing data and using it specifically to further develop processes.
„WebCIS helps us better understand our own data and derive lasting improvements to our processes from it.“
Emily Unger - Expert for Process and Value Design, LÄPPLE Group
Partnership as Equals
Beyond the software itself, LÄPPLE particularly values the collaboration with SoftconCIS. The system emerged from purchasing practice, and accordingly both the modules and the administration area are perceived as understandable and intuitive. Emily Unger also highlights the direct and solution-oriented exchange. Requirements and challenges are considered together and pursued until a suitable solution is found.
„What is special for us is the partnership as equals.“
Emily Unger - Expert for Process and Value Design, LÄPPLE Group
The straightforward and open exchange is to be continued in the coming years. At the same time, there are already concrete ideas for further development.
The Result
With WebCIS, the LÄPPLE Group now has a uniform foundation for purchasing key figures, reporting and measure management.
Manual work steps are reduced, savings are tracked automatically and developments are presented transparently via individually built dashboards. The decisive added value lies in the combination of transparency and the ability to act: data is not only evaluated but helps purchasing and other departments recognize potential, develop processes in a targeted way and make better-informed decisions.
