September 5, 2005
Blaupunkt opts for SupplyOn’s Performance Monitor
Efficient quality management across corporate boundaries thanks to transparent supplier rating
Blaupunkt, the Bosch subsidiary, has selected the SupplyOn Performance Monitor for the efficient communication of supplier evaluation data. Thanks to the Web based information system, it is now possible to more rapidly identify problems in process and product quality. Negative trends are rendered visible in a direct and immediate manner so that improvement measures can be taken promptly leading to continuous quality improvement and cost savings – for Blaupunkt as well as for its suppliers.
Structured overview of improvement potentials
The SupplyOn Performance Monitor automates and standardizes the complex and frequently unstructured process in the communication of data on current quality performance. This situation prompted Blaupunkt to opt for the SupplyOn solution and the rollout at the company’s plants commenced at the end of 2004. Since then, the Hildesheim-based company has been transmitting its current plant data from the in-house systems to the SupplyOn Internet platform on a monthly basis. The platform presents the data to suppliers in a standardized format. Suppliers are able to view, analyze and download their key quality rating figures at all times. An additional advantage for suppliers is the access to the supplier rating data of other business partners that have opted for the SupplyOn Performance Monitor such as Bosch, Continental, Siemens VDO Automotive and ZF.
Blaupunkt is using the Performance Monitor to present various quality key figures such as the error rates (ppm) with regard to incoming goods, manufacturing as well as errors in the field. The rating is presented in a traffic light format that signals suppliers at an early stage as to whether the agreed quality level is being met. The absolute confidentiality of the information is guaranteed: only Blaupunkt and the evaluated company have access to the rating data.
High information transparency driving continuous performance enhancements
According to requirements, the data provided by the Performance Monitor can also display a very detailed level, thereby enabling the tracking and monitoring of delivered quality at the plants down to the item code or parts number level. In the past, suppliers only had limited scope in evaluating raw data. Thanks to the SupplyOn Performance Monitor, various aggregating, reducing and detailing options are available for data analysis – from the corporate all the way down to parts level. Evaluation data can be presented as tables or diagrams. Due to the fact that current as well as historical data can be evaluated, development trends can also be discerned. In this way performance can be systematically improved on the basis of consolidated evaluations.
Clear communication promotes quality optimization
The high level of information transparency as well as the different options for aggregated data evaluation allows suppliers to rapidly identify problems and respond in a targeted manner. “The Performance Monitor enables the continuous improvement of supplier quality. We expect to achieve a considerable reduction in the internal input required for the evaluation and provision of data for suppliers,“ explains Sascha Kaiser, project manager of Purchasing Quality Management at Blaupunkt. Suppliers also view the introduction of the Performance Monitor as a positive development. As Jürgen Messingschlager of Fischer Electronic GmbH in Erlangen states: “With this tool we can now access the structured, current quality data at all times. This enables us to perceive weak points at an early stage and rapidly initiate improvements.“
Blaupunkt is already communicating with 75 suppliers via the Performance Monitor. By the end of the year some 180 Blaupunkt suppliers will be connected. In addition, Blaupunkt’s parent company Bosch is also introducing the SupplyOn Performance Monitor at numerous corporate locations.
Blaupunkt GmbH
Blaupunkt, a Bosch subsidiary, is an internationally leading manufacturer of driver information systems, car radios, car loudspeakers and vehicle antennas. Blaupunkt is headquartered in Hildesheim, Germany, and is maintaining additional locations in Portugal, Hungary, Tunisia and Malaysia. In the 2004 business year the company generated sales in excess of EUR 1.3 billion and employed a workforce of some 8,300 staff worldwide.