New Flexibility in Document Management with Suppliers

Vienna, Nuremburg, December 2014 - The leading producer of power modules and system SEMIKRON has gained more flexibility when it comes to handling their documents and exchanging information with their vendors. With the “All-in-One Supply Collaboration” platform from POOL4TOOL, SEMIKRON can integrate vendors into their processes more easily, and guarantee the audit-proof documentation of procedures.

Document Management in particular can slow down purchasing at companies like SEMIKRON that frequently order internationally, especially if many processes are still manual. SEMIKRON manufactures modules and components for power electronics that efficiently convert and regulate electrical energy using semiconductor elements. Maximum efficiency with maximum quality is also the motto for global purchasing at the self-financed family company based in Nuremburg. SEMIKRON selected POOL4TOOL’s Document Approval Exchange (DAE) so that eventually the majority of Document Management between the company and suppliers could be completed automatically on a single platform. “With a single platform we can complete the majority of our Document Management flexibly with our suppliers. The perfect document handling guarantees smooth and legal procedures,“ commented Markus Fischer, the Senior Manager of Purchasing Non Production Material at SEMIKRON.

With the help of the platform, suppliers are informed about any mandatory documents and they can confirm their content before they receive an order. This is essential for product liability and Quality Management. This flexible Document Management means that SEMIKRON can make changes at almost any time that can be seen instantly by all potential suppliers. The so-called DAE campaigns guarantee that all participating parties can complete all document exchanges that are part of the purchasing process, and that they have immediate access to the up-to-date status of these documents. . Even if just a mandatory document changes, this can lead to a series of follow-up processes, which previously would have delayed ordering and production. The central documentation of all changes to specifications, norms, and certificates is very advantageous because everyone involved can access the updated documents, which shortens the response time.

Standardized Evaluations and Pooled Communications

Supplier evaluation, which used to be carried out separately at each of the ten international locations, and would therefore not be available to the company as a whole, has now been centralized with POOL4TOOL. SEMIKRON follows the principle of corporate evaluation and takes aspects such as the environment and quality management of a supplier into account just as much as health management, occupational safety and the code of conduct to which the company adheres. The supplier can update and maintain this information centrally so that Purchasing and Quality Management can view all of the relevant certificates and documentation, thereby eliminating a great deal of work that would have been necessary before. An additional advantage to the platform is the option to send several selected suppliers the same notification. The supply group can be defined individually. The supplier’s response is then also documented. This is important if, for example, changes have been made to the packing instructions, or if proof of liability insurance must be submitted.

Currently, SEMIKRON is in the middle of a transformation process in which locally-oriented purchasing organizations are developing into a centralized corporate purchasing organization. The goal is to integrate all suppliers of production material as well as some service providers from other areas, such as Marketing or Facility Management. Even though locations in South Africa, the USA, Australia, and Korea may not be connected to the same system, POOL4TOOL will function as a central hub for information and strategic purchasing processes for the company.

About SEMIKRON: SEMIKRON is one of the leading international producers of power modules and systems. Its products are at the heart of modern, energy-efficient motor drives and industrial automation systems. SEMIKRON is a family company based in Nuremburg, Germany, and was founded in 1951. Today, SEMIKRON has more than 2,800 employees worldwide in more than 30 locations. The international network of operative groups has production locations in Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Slovakia, South Africa and the USA, ensuring that they are able to work closely with their clients. www.semikron.com

About POOL4TOOL: POOL4TOOL is the market leader for electronic process optimization in direct procurement with over 240 clients and offices in Europe, America and Asia. The world’s only All-in-One Supply Collaboration platform combines all processes of product development with strategic purchasing (Sourcing), supplier management (SRM), indirect procurement (Procurement), supply chain management (SCM) and quality management using a workflow-based solution. POOL4TOOL offers best practices from successful projects with world leaders in the automotive, machine and plant engineering, production and medical industries, as well as a unique network of over 200,000 connected companies. Learn more at www.pool4tool.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, and XING.

POOL4TOOL AG
Altmannsdorfer Straße 91
1120 Wien
Österreich

This release was published on openPR.