Good lubricants start in procurement
At Rhenus Lub, customers can be confident that they will receive the right product on time. The eight-strong procurement team led by Dr Michael Bartsch plays a key role in this. From the purchasing and scheduling of raw materials, through market monitoring, to supporting the rhenus lubrineering service business: the team handles a wide range of tasks that go far beyond traditional procurement.
Thanks to Dr. Michael Bartsch and his eight-person team, customers can be sure that their products will arrive on time.
Dr. Bartsch, what do you and your team do exactly?
Dr Michael Bartsch: We work exclusively with certified suppliers in order to meet our high quality standards. At Rhenus Lub, our procurement department ensures that sufficient quantities of the raw materials required for the manufacture of our products are always available. In doing so, we must constantly strike the right balance between stock levels and delivery capacity. This means that our stock levels must not be too high, thereby unnecessarily taking up storage space – both of which are cost factors that should not be underestimated.
What particularly challenges you?
Dr Michael Bartsch: Firstly, there is the large volume of data that we have to manage in purchasing and logistics. Secondly, it is precisely the special performance components, about a quarter of our raw materials, which make the difference in our products, alongside the formulation. If the availability of certain components is restricted or even discontinued due to legal regulations or manufacturers’ range changes, we can leverage our market knowledge and specialist expertise: In close dialogue with the research department, we find alternatives that are at least equivalent. Even if this sometimes takes up to a year due to the numerous quality tests, the customer can be sure: We always provide them with a product that fulfils our performance promise.
