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teamtechnik case study
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Transformation of Operative Procurement at the Plant Manufacturer teamtechnik

teamtechnik group, whose headquarters are in Freiberg am Neckar, are an international market leader for assembly plants and functional testing systems. The family-owned business is known for flat hierarchies – giving its employees great liberties and offering rewarding career opportunities. In 2019, teamtechnik Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH was awarded the certificate ‘Top Employer Deutschland’. The Netfira Platform has allowed the procurement department to improve its operative processes through automated document flows, flexible document recognition and digital connection of suppliers. 

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Procurement at teamtechnik 

The procurement team consists of 19 employees responsible for a procurement volume of 70 million euros with 80,000 purchasing positions per year. Procurement must support all involved departments as a reliable business partner to achieve high plant availability, short delivery periods and economic goals. Christian Bauer, Head of Operations, was charged to future proof the procurement at teamtechnik by automating the primarily manual tasks that plagued the department’s workload. 

Projects and aims in operative procurement
- Implementation of a document management system 
- Optimised storage utilisation 
- Reduction of positions 
- Reduction of manual and non-value-adding workload 
- Reduce input errors 
- Speed up the availability of information 
- Electronic transfer of information with standardised workflows and warning systems 
- Simple electronic connection of suppliers 
The Netfira Platform

The Netfira Platform allows Bauer and his team to achieve an error-free and seamless exchange of documents through cleaned and enriched master data. This exchange facilitates standard automated process along the supply chain from the consumer, through procurement and accounting, to the supplier. Notably, the supplier connection is both uncomplicated and cost-neutral.

Added value at a glance 
- Multiple uses of the Netfira Platform for different processes, not limited to procurement 
- Seamless automated document flows
- Complete electronic document processing and filing for procurement and the entire company 
- Flexibility: the Netfira Platform’s built-in business logic allows data transformation, data enrichment and tolerances 
- Easy connection of suppliers without additional expense 
- No disruption to existing supplier processes 
Connection of suppliers: without additional effort, costs or EDI 

At teamtechnik, 70 of the 1,000 active suppliers create over 80% of the document intake. Bauer was prepared to think outside the box to implement sustainable modules that integrate all supply partners and offer them tangible advantages. An uncomplicated connection for suppliers that did not rely on traditional solutions, such as OCR or EDI, – was a significant prerequisite for the success of the transformation. At the commencement of the project, 18 EDI connections had to be maintained – a challenging task given the low percentage of partners willing to participate. Well-known reasons against EDI use are: customers dictate data formats and transmission paths, high outlay paired with increased complexity, and it’s simply too expensive. “Significant process and cost benefits are only possible if all suppliers are willing to participate,” stresses the head of operative procurement. In contrast, the Netfira Platform allows seamless supplier connection with no change to their existing processes or additional cost.

How the connection of suppliers and invoice capture work 

Thanks to the Netfira Platform, teamtechnik offers suppliers of all sizes a solution independent of the respective supplier management system. The solution does not require long project terms or high initial investments from either side. teamtechnik can connect suppliers within minutes via the Netfira Onboarding App, tailored to the partner’s needs. Buyers only use the ERP system and the document management system. 

“It’s a relief that documents can still be sent and received via e-mail. In particular, this helps with y-component contracts and special contracts.”

– Christian Bauer, Head of Operations

With Netfira, documents such as order confirmations, advanced shipping notices and invoices can be sent directly from the supplier’s system allowing automated document flows. teamtechnik also exchanges drawings and other documents. “The solution is like an intelligent postman,” Bauer draws parallels between the Netfira Platform and an “intelligent postman” as he highlights the benefits of translating documents into data sets and document processing without the involvement of the in-house IT.  

Conclusion and outlook 

Today, Bauer enjoys a significant reduction of manual and non-value-adding tasks. With the help of artificial intelligence, the Netfira Platform supports the procurement team by eliminating input errors, providing information in real time and supporting involved business partners with automated workflows and document flows and warning systems. 

Next steps with Netfira

The Netfira Platform’s ability to scale allows partners to increase both the volume and type of documents processed, including:
- Electronic requests
- Delivery notes
- Advanced shipping notices (including Chinese suppliers) 
- Automatic tagging of works certificates for storage in the product data management system
Automating the procurement processes allows the operative sector to support strategic procurement in value-adding tasks, making this department more attractive to prospective applicants.

About teamtechnik

teamtechnik operates in the future-oriented industries of electromobility, medical technology and renewable energies. The company’s focus is on developing and manufacturing customised automation solutions for automotive, new energy, and medical technology. Founded in 1976, today, the company has production sites in Freiberg and Ludwigsburg as well as in Atlanta (USA), Krakow (Poland) and Suzhou (China). These sites are supported by the worldwide distribution and service network from Argentina to South Korea.

www.teamtechnik.com

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May 26, 2021
International collaboration

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International Collaboration

How we’re reaching new heights through our diverse, international team

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The Netfira journey: from consultancy to international software company

Netfira was founded in Australia in 2009 as a consultancy for supply chain management. Our work in the area of supply chain optimisation led to the development of innovative applications and artificial intelligence to help our customers. After setting up co-headquarters in Germany almost a decade ago, our European team has driven the development of these technologies and helped many high-quality enterprises achieve great outcomes by making business processes simpler and more effective.

Today, we are serving customers around the world from our co-headquarters in Walldorf, Germany and Sydney, Australia. Our solution, the Netfira Platform, is a secure cloud platform that seamlessly integrates with existing systems and helps automate B2B processes so that employees can focus on value-adding activities that benefit their business. We recognise the value of diversity and collaboration when doing business – something which is even more important today given that people and organisations are more connected than ever before. We are proud of our international culture and our focus creating long-term solutions for our customers that are future-proof.

The key to successful international collaboration

As many businesses have realised since 2020, working across distance brings many challenges, but also many opportunities. At Netfira, we have been embracing remote working concepts for more than five years. To succeed with remote working concepts, a modern approach is required.

At Netfira, we have a very flat organisational structure. Unlike traditional structures which often leave employees isolated and demotivated in silos, our structure ensures clear and honest communication all the way from our working students to our executive level staff. Our specialised teams make decisions quickly and at the point of need, avoiding delays that come with centralised decision-making so we can progress our projects rapidly.

Smooth digital collaboration across varying time zones requires the creative and diligent use of digital communication tools to keep in touch, track progress and enjoy virtual meetings. In our next article, we will share one of the fun techniques we have created to allow our workplace culture to thrive despite sweeping lockdowns and working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

We have established business processes that allow us to work as a global team virtually around the clock. Consequently, the time difference is not a disadvantage for us, but an advantage: as soon as the working day in Australia draws to a close, it begins in Germany, and our colleagues pick up where their team members left off. The use of established wiki software and platforms, such as the Atlassian suite, helps us collaborate seamlessly and allow our team to enjoy flexible working hours while remaining connected by accessing information, contributing ideas and completing projects from anywhere at any time. 

A strong team for strong results

While we operate in multiple regions, we are all one team at Netfira. Whether the DACH region, APAC, the Americas, or anywhere else – our global team is committed to serving our customers intimately and reliably.

People from different cultures with different backgrounds and different ways of thinking come together at Netfira to work towards common goals. Thanks to our global, multicultural team, we enjoy a great diversity of knowledge, experience, and expertise that allows us to approach projects with unique perspectives and insights.

Our staff are encouraged to work autonomously and creatively as we seek to break barriers and push the boundaries of what is possible. This freedom and nurturing of ideas enables us to be innovative and reliable as we respond to the evolving needs of our customers.

Combined strength for customer-orientated processes

Our software is made by people, for people. As our team benefits from our international collaboration, so too does our software. A focus on people drives us to create customer-oriented solutions that automate B2B processes. The sharing of knowledge at Netfira ensures that we continue to develop as individuals and as a company. Equally, feedback from our customers is one of the most important things for us – we are excited to grow together with our customers as true partners.

Our new logo is a symbol of the simplicity and reliability of the Netfira Platform that can help so many of our customers achieve their goals. We are excited to continue  collaborating as a global Netfira team, and also with our customers as we help them address their challenges that are constantly evolving as their businesses expand, reorganise, and improve. Consequently, our new branding represents a new era for Netfira, but our focus remains the same: to provide the best technology to our customers so we can advance together by putting our users at the centre of everything.

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May 20, 2021
A new era

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A New Era

We are excited to reveal our new logo as part of our rebranding in 2021. You may have noticed some changes to our website as we develop our platforms to be concise, modern, and understandable.

You can explore these changes at Netfira.com

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At Netfira, we have a proud history of helping our customers solve their business problems with our innovative software. Our previous logo has served us well since 2009. However, it just wasn’t working for us anymore. The gentle gradient and circular dots no longer communicate the message we are trying to share, nor our vision. Our new logo has been designed with care and precision by our very own team here at Netfira. We started by analysing the strengths and weaknesses of our existing logo before developing several options for feedback from both our team at Netfira and the wider community. The goal was to create something clean, simple and recognisable. We built on what we loved from the existing logo and kept our entire team involved throughout the process. The result is something we are proud of.

After many iterations, we arrived at a highly crafted, modern and well-engineered design symbolic of the high quality and precision we are proud of at Netfira. But, we felt one final detail was needed.

The sky blue core of the design represents Netfira, seamlessly joining business partners through automated document processing. We are proud that our technology is made by people, for people. To convey this message, we added a fingerprint detail to this piece of the design. This detail represents the human element behind Netfira. It reaffirms why we do what we do: to allow people to achieve their goals by reliably automating workflows.

Our rebranding will take time as we work on updating various platforms and products. At first, you will notice primarily visual changes, including our new logo. These changes are symbolic of what is to come. We are excited about our innovative development roadmap and look forward to revealing new features and updates soon.

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April 30, 2021
Gardner Denver case study
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Process Optimisation through Digitisation in Operational Procurement at Gardner Denver

Compressors, pumps, fans, air treatment, condensate management, parts and services: Gardner Denver stands for advanced compressed air, vacuum solutions, and other industrial applications. The manufacturer is active in 30 countries. CompAir, a subsidiary of Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, supports customers from different industries to achieve sustainability goals, such as energy-efficient oil-free compressors. CompAir focuses specifically on the food and beverage, pharmaceutical and automotive industries. With the Netfira Platform, Gardner Denver has now achieved process optimisation in operational procurement.

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The initial situation

Procurement teams face constant pressure to optimise processes and operational activities by automating the information exchange with internal customers and external partners. At Comp Air, the challenge to automation centred around manual processes, which were prone to error, tied-up resources and had long response times. At the end of March 2018, CompAir started a transformation project for operative procurement. In November 2018, David Richter, responsible for the CompAir project at Gardner Denver, presented the process and the key figures as a benchmark at the BME symposium in Berlin.

Highly complex processes and constantly increasing demands of legislature and customers make quick progress of digitisation necessary. Recently, Gardner Denver (Industrials EMEA) has been responsible for 211.4 million euros with 192,545 purchasing positions and approximately 3,800 suppliers. Of this, 399 suppliers and service providers stand for 80 per cent of the procurement volume. A suitable service provider needed to guarantee the transformation without time-consuming modifications for both parties and a fast ROI. The goal was: paperless processes, general process optimisation in operational procurement through and automated transmission of data into the ERP system. Documents include quotes, requests for quotes, orders, purchase order confirmations, advanced shipping notices, notifications and invoices. General documents like certificates can also be saved.

All documents can be transferred and processed

Before the start of the project, David Richter stressed the need for “planning security and consistent quality with one hundred per cent correct data migration in SAP.” Richter emphasised, “we want to reduce the manual activities to a minimum through the improved flow of information and significantly faster data transmission. As a result, we also want to have more time for important tasks.” The manager knew that considerable success is only possible if the internal data exchange is automated and an uncomplicated onboarding of a reluctant supplier base succeeds. EDI was found to be too disruptive and time-consuming for suppliers. With the Netfira Platform, CompAir’s needs were met within a matter of weeks as Netfira succeeded in onboarding suppliers – simply, effortlessly and at no cost.

David Richter: “We were able to convince reluctant partners who so far have been rather unwilling to adapt to different customer systems. Even small partners, which had not been connected electronically up to now, were convinced quickly.”

The Netfira Platform electronically verifies documents generated by the supplier against tolerances set by the procurement team. All exceptions and mistakes are highlighted to prevent incorrect documents being imported into ERP systems. Besides structured data, Netfira can transmit the original documents in PDF format. The Platform enables precise and revision-proof documentation of the business processing. For instance, also in ZUGFeRD standard for electronic invoices. Procurement-specific transactions, all document types and other business communication (certificates, drawings, etc.) can be transferred, processed, and automated.

Problematic master data – also solved!

The digitisation and process optimisation of operational procurement at Gardner Denver is based on strategy, innovation and sustainability supported by robust procurement and sales. Efficient and effective cooperation can only be achieved through harmonised interfaces within the ERP system. However, “ERP data is only of good quality if the people maintaining it are doing a good job,” David Richter stresses. With the Netfira Platform, he found a solution to the problem of master data maintenance. This challenge is always troublesome and time-consuming, regardless of the industrial sector involved. Now, order confirmations are connected seamlessly with production, sales, suppliers and accounting via Netfira – bidirectionally and in real-time. Procurement can monitor and identify the processes variances directly so that it is easier to negotiate prices. In case of periodic delivery time variances, procurement can respond proactively and correct the calculation basis of the needs.

Advice: core team and regular meetings

When considering the project as a whole in Berlin, David Richter pointed to the different framework conditions in the companies. “How long the implementation phase takes also depends on the site and the IT.” Gardner Denver had to bring the locally acting specialists in the USA, Czech Republic and Germany down to a common denominator. Netfira had to meet complex requirements. However, the teams managed to find pragmatic and individual solutions quickly. “I recommend a core team and regular meetings to enable a fast implementation,” David Richter advised the buyers during his presentation. He is already pursuing the automation of incoming goods with the Netfira advanced shipping notice module. Further process automation steps based on Netfira modules, which reach beyond the procurement department, will follow.

Aims of the project CompAir and Netfira
- Planning security
- Improved flow of information
- Paperless work
- Faster data transmission
- Near 100 percent correct data transmission into SAP
- Generating resources for important tasks
- Onboarding of 80 percent of suppliers
- Onboarding of small partners
- Flexibility for suppliers
About Gardner Denver

Founded in 1859; today world’s leading supplier of flow control technology, application expertise and support services with a large brand family. Head office: Milwaukee/ Wisconsin. Since the 1980s, Gardner Denver has purchased 28 companies, including CompAir (Head office: Simmern im Hunsrück).
- 37 global production sites
- 30 service centres
- More than 6,000 employees
- Approximately 100,000 customers worldwide
www.gardnerdenver.com

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April 29, 2021
Zentis case study

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How Zentis automates the processing of purchase orders

Zentis GmbH & Co. KG, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2018, was once again able to prove its role as an innovative driving force for natural and enjoyable nutrition in 2020. Procurement establishes itself as an innovation driver by using Netfira’s software solution to automate operational procurement quickly and easily. The two cornerstones of the automation project are the simple digital supplier connection and automated processing of purchase order confirmations.

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The initial situation

At Zentis, the purchasing department in Germany works with more than 1,150 suppliers. In 2019, more than 24,000 purchase orders with over 54,000 order items were created. Of these, 18% of suppliers account for around 80% of orders. Procurement is increasingly facing challenges: “In the past years, the general conditions for us in procurement have changed and this trend will have an even greater impact in the coming years,” says Marcel Hilgert, Deputy Head of Indirect Procurement. A decisive factor is the continuously growing complexity. Customer requirements are becoming more and more specialised, which requires an increasing number of raw materials and materials. Global sourcing is indispensable and demands the management of complex supply chains. In response to the changes in the framework conditions and the resulting challenges for purchasing, potential for improvement was identified along the Purchase2Pay process. Zentis quickly realised that partial steps of this process needed to be automated.

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Please fill out the form below to access Zentis’ customer presentation at the 2020 BME Purchasing and Logistics Symposium. This video can only be provided in German.

Objectives of Zentis

Zentis chose order confirmations as the first module to be automated. The efficiency of this sub-process was previously hampered, among other things, by the fact that there were four different purchasing areas within the company. Some of these areas had different processes as well as no uniform specifications for suppliers. The digitalisation of the processes should reduce the need for manual data entry and allow the Zentis team to use its time more efficiently. The Zentis procurement team prioritised a simple and efficient supplier connection that would not disrupt their business partners. The suppliers were not to incur any costs or have to change their usual processes. In addition, the automated processing of order confirmations should take place within the familiar SAP® environment and the software used should have a straightforward and user-friendly interface.

The Netfira Platform

Following a comprehensive selection process, Zentis opted to proceed with the software solution from Netfira. “The accuracy and future viability provided by Netfira’s AI-supported software were decisive factors for us in taking the next steps towards digitisation in our procurement department,” explains Patrick Tydex, Team Leader Operational Procurement. And there are further reasons for choosing the Netfira solution:

“As a SaaS platform, it is characterised by flexibility and simplicity. The effort for internal IT is extremely low and the software can be seamlessly integrated into the existing ERP system environment,” Tydex continues.

Short project time and uncomplicated supplier connection

The digitalisation project was completed after only a few months. The flexibility of the Netfira delivery team allowed the project to be resumed quickly following a delay due to a change in personnel in the Zentis IT team. Zentis and Netfira achieved one hundred percent automatic processing for order confirmations where there is no deviation. If there is a deviation, the user is alerted and a variety of processing options are offered directly in the portal. In the two months following, Zentis connected 30 suppliers. A significant advantage of the platform is that suppliers are not required to make any changes to their existing processes.

For the Zentis procurement team, the onboarding of a new supplier takes between 20 and 25 minutes. The process of connecting a new supplier starts by checking the last order confirmations for special features. Then the procurement team selects at least three representative order confirmations and one associated order. The order confirmations are used to train the Netfira Onboarding App before being checked and, if necessary, modified by the Netfira customer support. The time saved in operational procurement is significant. The processes are more uniform and transparent. Furthermore, there is now a standardised process in the four purchasing areas. Manual checks of documents and items are no longer necessary which greatly reduces the manual workload. As a result, the procurement department has more time to concentrate on more essential and value-adding tasks.

Global potential for the future

Zentis has taken an important step towards digitalised procurement with the automation of order confirmations. In 2021, more than 200 additional suppliers are to be connected and then further document types will be automated with the Netfira solution. Moreover, the digitalisation potential in the international subsidiaries of Zentis could lead to the global rollout of the Netfira system.

About Zentis

Founded in Aachen in 1893, Zentis GmbH & Co. KG today employs over 2100 people and posted a turnover of 670 million euros in 2019. Zentis is known, among other things, for its chocolate and marzipan specialities for the processing industry and retail trade, as well as for quality jams, jellies and sweet creams. The company is active in the business areas of fruit preparations, confectionery and sweet spreads. As a global presence, the family-owned company has sites in Poland,
Hungary, Russia and the USA in addition to its headquarters in Aachen.
www.zentis.de/

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April 21, 2021
e-Book: Smart purchasing, smart buyers
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Netfira e-Book: Smart purchasing, smart buyers

How intelligent automation tools and innovative technologies can optimize operational purchasing.

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In 2020, purchasing departments mostly do not make use of the latest technology and are characterised by an old-fashioned way of working. Mountains of paper and a lot of manual, time-consuming and error-prone activities determine everyday working life. Procurement lags behind digitisation even though digital processes are the basic prerequisite for remaining competitive and future proof. The daily tasks of modern buyers do not yet correspond to our technological age. Boring and repetitive activities, such as comparing data, prevent buyers from devoting themselves to the real value-adding tasks. The demands on purchasing in a digitally connected world, however, are increasing. Efficient and data-supported business processes are the basis for purchasing to prove itself as a resilient partner along the
value chain. Purchasing must become more professional and modern. This can be achieved with smart automation solutions and innovative technologies.

Learn in this e-book
- How you can modernise procurement
- Which intelligent automation solutions are available to procurement
- Which technologies have a high potential for the future
- Why the modern buyer is a digital buyer
Request e-Book

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November 12, 2020