The relocation of industrial raw material production abroad has intensified. Supply chains are strained and fraught with risks. The processing industry is confronted with interruptions to production due to delivery cancellations. Additional labour costs, price increases and delays are the order of the day, and customers are complaining or moving away. In the worst-case scenario, suppliers are completely cancelled due to economic reasons. This results in dynamic disruptions at the value chain level, which have to be readjusted, regulated and controlled accordingly.

This task must essentially be performed by the procurement function. Effective supplier management in terms of production, scheduling, contract security and quality is becoming more important. Purchasing must ensure the contracts, budgeting, process control and monitoring of costs, quality, scheduling and logistics of deliveries.

The need for additional labour and personnel cannot be planned and arises unexpectedly. For this reason, it cannot be provided efficiently by the company’s own staff and beyond its capacity. External personnel must have a high level of integrity, loyalty and practical experience, as this area of responsibility is subject to sensitive information and confidentiality.