Tanja Hoenig (Director Strategic Procurement) and Melanie Cantatore (Senior Buyer) at S+P Samson give us an insight into a challenging time:
 

The market conditions in 2022 were difficult. How did you deal with it?
T. Hoenig: the tension between availability and lead times became a game of chance as the year progressed. When it came to allocating materials, we had to rely on the goodwill of our suppliers. 

M. Cantatore: A new situation was the repeated unavailability of raw materials or components. The delivery time for RFID was up to 56 weeks. Some suppliers acted as partners, others exploited their market position. At the end of the day, we had to ensure our ability to deliver - and that meant increasing our stock levels.
 

What measures can be taken to deal with such a situation?
T. Hoenig: In the end, only alternative products and suppliers can help. The area has been reorganised. From the second quarter, the energy surcharges were reduced. Alternatives are needed for price negotiations. We benefited from our knowledge of the market here. We were able to qualify new suppliers and products.

M. Cantatore: Uncertainty has extended to 2023. Coordination with suppliers has increased significantly, which means that many, many meetings have been necessary to secure supplies on the one hand and to examine alternatives on the other.
 

Looking back - what went well, what went wrong?
T. Hoenig: What went well was that we improved the flexibility of the system. Suppliers were re-evaluated and the portfolio reorganised. We saw and still see weaknesses in internal communication: the better we know our customers' needs, the better we can plan. As a result, we have switched more materials to order-based procurement. The basis for ordering materials is a contractual agreement with the custome. 

M. Cantatore: Second Source issue is crucial. Negotiations require more alternatives - a never-ending task and challenge.

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