Würth International: Leveraging global purchasing with DeltaMaster
Würth uses DeltaMaster in its central purchasing department to analyze millions of data records and distribute reports through the Web- or Windows-based applications to a wide range of user groups.
The Würth enterprise is specialized in trade with assembly and fastening materials. It has over 410 companies in 84 countries and more than 65,000 employees worldwide. Würth International AG, a subsidiary based in Switzerland, is responsible for managing the purchasing processes of all Würth companies outside of Germany. Maintaining the supply of commercial products to all these Würth companies is one of the company’s main tasks. It also strives to maintain high levels of service, inventory turnover, and customer satisfaction.
Management information system
Providing the necessary functionality, visualizations, and analytics for more than a million products was a major challenge in the past. The previous system lacked the necessary visualization capabilities and analytic power. Würth International, therefore, saw the need to increase transparency as well as make its processes for reporting and analysis more efficient. In order to achieve these goals, the company decided to implement a comprehensive management information system for the central purchasing team and all international group subsidiaries.
The new tool should provide capabilities for standard reporting, in-depth analysis, and annual planning as part of a self-service BI solution. The goal was to reduce the burden on IT while providing business users more capabilities for analysis.
Systematic software evaluation
As part of a systematic selection process, Würth International evaluated several different products and vendors based on product presentations and on-site visits with reference customers. After narrowing down the choices, the company invited two vendors to create and present a few initial reports based on its own data. Following this proof of concept, it chose DeltaMaster. “Even at this stage, we already saw major differences,” emphasized Reto Märki, Project Manager at Würth International.
A step-by-step path to success
The project kicked off with various workshops for building the system, creating reports, and training the project team. The system went live in just four months with a first set of monthly reports followed by the revenue and gross income planning for the coming year. Over time, the team deployed DeltaMaster in other areas as well.
Currently, the central purchasing departments for Asia and America also create reports with DeltaMaster, and users analyze logistics or supply chain management data with the software as well. “The step-by-step approach and tangible results helped us gain high levels of user buy-in, which were all key factors to our project‘s success,” added Carlo Bearth, Finance Officer.
“Thanks to DeltaMaster, all of our reports have a common look and feel. This fosters a better overall understanding, increases user buy-in, and helps us attract more and more users.”
Carlo Bearth, Würth International
From data to KPIs
Detailed analysis and reporting is challenging when millions of data records are involved. Query speed, therefore, played an important role in the project. Data from SAP BW and other source systems is frequently loaded and consolidated into Microsoft SQL Server. Users can then prepare this data as reports in DeltaMaster.
The underlying data model is extensive with about one million products from 130,000 suppliers. With the help of DeltaMaster, users can analyze purchasing and logistics data based on various criteria – for example, to gain insights on more than 9,000 different routes by either carrier or transportation method.
In Windows or the Web
DeltaMaster publishes data through two different channels. The enterprise and 30 international subsidiaries work with DeltaMaster WebOption, Würth International with the Windows desktop client. Select editors create reports and analyses centrally and publish the respective analyses to DeltaMaster Repository, where administrators assign user groups and granular permissions to individual reports. Designated users from group headquarters or the international subsidiaries can then access this information from a standard Web browser.
High-end analytics with dynamic portfolio analysis
Aside from standard reports, DeltaMaster is also used for in-depth analytics. One popular module is the dynamic portfolio analysis, which shows the position changes of an attribute over time as a dramatic animation. At Würth, users run dynamic portfolio analyses to determine the price development of products. “Here you can really see the value of DeltaMaster,” emphasized Bearth. “You just can‘t do that in Excel.”
Highlights
- Selfservice-BI
- SAP BW, Microsoft SQL Server
- DeltaMaster WebOption
- High-end analysis
- Geo analysis, dynamic portfolio analysis
- Standardized notation
Würth International
- Specialist in trade with fastening and assembly materials
- 1945 founded by Adolf Würth in Künzelsau
- over 77,000 employees
- more than 410 companies in 84 countries
- Record turnover in 2018: 13.6 billion euros
What our customers of purchasing say
"DeltaMaster offers highest flexibility. There is no special knowledge required for creating reports. An uncomplicated support at eye level."
Mathias Krebs, Head of Purchasing and Supply Chain Analytics, Voith
„DeltaMaster ist ein phänomenales Analysewerkzeug!“
Harald Huber, Leiter Accounting und Controlling, Media Markt Schweiz
“DeltaMaster can be adapted perfectly to fit the Bucherer Group’s growing demands."
, Group Project and Financial Management, Bucherer
"We are known as the best for special software for purchasing controlling. That's why we want to work with the best analytics and reporting front-end. That is DeltaMaster."
Michael Lauer, CEO, Orpheus GmbH