Local procurement
The companies in the Doors Division work according to the specifications, values and goals of the Group along the entire value-added chain. Suppliers from the EU or the EEA are preferred; ideally they are businesses from the same country as the producing company. This not only shortens transport routes and minimises environmental pollution but also makes it easier to control the production modalities than in a partnership with suppliers from far-away regions. In the context of the supply chain, the companies of the division pay attention to a consistent control of the wood origin as well as a continuous monitoring of the chemicals used, among other things. This allows the division to avoid toxic substances and replace them with less problematic materials. In addition, the company aims to gradually transition to ecological packaging materials such as cardboard and paper instead of plastic and polystyrene, in addition to avoiding or recycling packaging waste, in order to make the sold products as environmentally friendly as possible along the entire supply chain. In Germany, for example, this is ensured by the consistent participation of all companies and customers in the dual system (the Green Point). This system helps ensure that consumers separate waste, while companies pay a fee for the volume of packaging materials (e.g. vinyl, paper) of their products. This is to ensure that valuable raw materials are returned to circulation and the cost of this is already borne in advance.
Targeted measures for success
Observing criteria in the area of procurement and supply chain is decisive, since audits are also increasingly being carried out by customers. The customers of Invado, for example, regularly check what materials the company uses to manufacture doors and frames and from where raw materials come. To meet the high demands of customers, the division prefers to work with suppliers who have proven themselves for many years.
By avoiding or selling production waste instead of disposing of it, the division wants to reconcile its goals of securing earnings and increasing profit with environmental protection and resource conservation. The effectiveness of the approach taken is checked through continuous tracking of the target indicators. To ensure that the criteria regarding procurement and supply chain are observed, all companies of the division carry out internal as well as external audits in the areas of quality, social issues and energy efficiency. For this reason, a strategic category management was further expanded in the division during the reporting year. This continuously collects and evaluates market information to react to potential risks in the supply chain early on.
In 2021, Kermi and Bekon-Koralle were able to install a completely new packaging concept with a highly automated plant to optimise resources further. This reduced packaging materials by the desired amount (shrink film by 90%, polystyrene by 40% and wood by 67%). By the end of 2022, the Glass Solutions Business Unit will also have achieved the goal of completely film-free packaging. With the selection of new suppliers, it was also possible to minimise the transport routes and thus the CO2 emission.
In logistics, the material supply in cooperation with local carriers is an important building block for operating efficiently and at optimal cost. The so-called milk run concept is a concept of procurement, production and distribution logistics for providing material as needed within companies and between companies. When a carrier supplies material to the division, it will also often take goods for delivery to customers. Analogously, the division carries materials from suppliers to the production plant after customer deliveries. This prevents empty trips.