Today, production lines have to be adapted faster than ever - often within just a few days. RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u. Co. KG is a specialist in lifting, slinging and lashing technology. The company has therefore reorganized its procurement processes.
When special components are needed at short notice for maintenance or retrofitting, the company uses digital procurement with FACTUREE. The result: RUD can produce mechanical components twice as fast on average. The administrative effort is reduced by 20 %. And Rud gains in production reliability and reaction speed.
RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz GmbH u. Co. KG produces slings and lashing components, anti-skid chains, hoist chains and conveyor systems. The company was founded in 1875 in the Swabian town of Aalen and generates an annual turnover of around 250 million euros with approx. 1700 employees in over 120 countries.
Production at RUD is highly specialized and complex. This means that the production systems often have to be adapted for individual customer orders.
Precisely fitting special mechanical components are regularly required for this, as well as for maintenance work. These special parts, such as CNC milled parts or turned partsoften have to be procured at short notice. Be it as spare parts, for tools or for the temporary conversion of entire production lines.
"As soon as a new customer project comes up or adjustments need to be made to ongoing processes, we have to be able to react very quickly and accurately," explains Gisela Quintenz, Operations Manager at RUD. "To do this, we need flexible partners who can supply us with the right components. This must be done reliably, precisely and without lengthy coordination."
Challenge: Time pressure, high variety of parts and resource commitment
Before working with FACTUREE, RUD regularly reached its limits in terms of speed and efficiency in procurement. The traditional purchasing of drawing parts required extensive coordination: Searching for suppliers, requests for quotations, technical clarifications, coordinating deadlines, quality assurance, order processing, goods receipt and invoice verification. All of this tied up internal resources and delayed processes.
The wide range of variants was particularly challenging. The components required by RUD are often components for one-off productions or small series with complex geometries.
These are needed specifically for a project or a short-term production requirement. Not only do they have to be manufactured precisely, but they often also have to be post-processed, for example, by hammering or coating. They then have to be delivered on time.
Coordinating the production of complex components was very time-consuming. Added to this was the dependence on individual suppliers, which brought with it corresponding uncertainties in times of volatile supply chains.
Solution: Holistic procurement model with FACTUREE
By switching to digital procurement and online production via FACTUREE, RUD was able to address these challenges in a targeted manner. The supplier is the central contractual partner. It takes care of the entire procurement process for customers. This includes technical testing, supplier selection and the coordination of production, post-processing and shipping.
FACTUREE has access to a broad network of over 2,000 qualified production partners. Modern algorithms are used to identify suitable production capacities very quickly. This enables short delivery times, high parts availability and consistently high quality.
"Today, we receive a large number of mechanical components from FACTUREE - mainly CNC turned parts and milled parts, often in small quantities or even as custom-made products," says Gisela Quintenz. "The (CNC) parts arrive at our premises with a perfect fit, including any required reworking. We receive quotations quickly, communication is uncomplicated and we always have a fixed contact person."
(Find out more about FACTUREE's business model and vision here.)
FACTUREE experience: Faster retooling, avoiding production downtimes
A key advantage for RUD is the significant increase in flexibility. Production lines can be retooled at short notice thanks to fast component procurement. For example, when customers have new requirements or certain products need to be manufactured just-in-time. Maintenance work can also be better planned and implemented more quickly, minimizing cost-intensive downtime.
"We can now react much more quickly to new requirements," emphasizes Gisela Quintenz. "This has a direct positive effect on our production reliability. FACTUREE's high delivery reliability gives us additional planning security. And that also takes the pressure off our internal teams."
RUD also benefits from a significant reduction in administrative work. From inquiry to delivery, the entire process is digital and centralized. This not only saves time, but also costs.
Track record: More than 500 parts, complaint rate below 1 %
Since the start of the collaboration, FACTUREE has supplied RUD with over 500 different drawing parts. A total of over 130 orders have been processed. There has only been one complaint, which according to RUD was resolved quickly and unbureaucratically.
"In FACTUREE, we have found a partner that optimally meets our requirements in terms of speed, quality and flexibility," summarizes Gisela Quintenz. "By digitizing our procurement, we save around 20 % in administrative work and can simultaneously halve the delivery times for mechanical components on average. This gives us valuable time for our core business and allows us to increase our own delivery reliability."
Outlook: Digitization as a strategic tool
The positive results are motivating RUD to continue focusing on digital procurement and online production in the future. "In a time of uncertain supply chains, the FACTUREE model also helps us to become more resilient - faster delivery, more flexible planning and less dependent on individual suppliers," says Gisela Quintenz. "Digital procurement has become a strategic tool."
FACTUREE experience summarized
- Faster CNC component procurement thanks to digital processes - delivery times halved on average.
- Greater precision for complex shapes thanks to precise production and reliable post-processing.
- Many years of experience in online production ensures quality and process reliability.
- Efficient handling of one-off production and small batches - Ideal for special parts with complex shapes.
- Central platform relieves internal resources through automated procurement and a fixed contact person.
