Kärcher, based in Winnenden near Stuttgart, is without doubt one of the world’s leading providers of cleaning solutions for a wide variety of applications. When it comes to maintaining the highest quality standards, the selection and continuous auditing of suppliers is a key success factor.
In the video, Mark Feller, responsible for central quality management at Kärcher, and Rainer Schuller from cluetec explain the steps towards the successful digitalization of supplier audits.
The starting point was classic, paper-based processes with a high level of documentation. As complexity increased and the number of audits rose, the need arose to make these processes more efficient.
The video shows how Kärcher, together with cluetec, introduced a cloud-based solution that enables structured data collection, automated reports and effective measures management – secure, transparent and future-proof.
| Aspect | Statement | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Project start | Digital tender, 15 providers | 3:30–5:00 PM |
| ROI | 0.4 → License costs amortized after 5 months | 47:30–49:30 |
| Time savings | 1,400 hours / year for 160 audits | 47:00–48:00 |
| Automation | 85–90% of the documentation is eliminated | 49:30–51:30 |
| Measures tracking | Previously manual, now automatic | 42:00–45:00 |
| System availability | SLA: 99.9% = 8 minutes downtime/year | 52:00–53:30 |
To further improve the supplier selection process, Kärcher relies on cluetec Audit software. Potential suppliers are audited and classified according to the proven VDA 6.3 standard. To this end, hundreds of audits are planned centrally each year and carried out by the company’s own auditors on site at the supplier’s premises. The complete product creation process is evaluated using defined checklists. Data collected is transferred to an internal analysis tool using the cluetec Audit BI connector and is available for detailed evaluations.
Deviations are centrally tracked via measures management and processed by the supplier themselves. Those responsible receive access to the areas of the system that are relevant to them.
In addition, an individual interface between cluetec Audit and the SAP Ariba module was developed for Kärcher. The connection enables the direct import of master data on the suppliers into the cluetec Audit digitalization platform.
In the future, cluetec Audit will be used in other areas and rolled out as a global standard for digitized audits at Kärcher.
Product Used: Cluetec Audit Designed as a Global Standard for Digitized Audits at Kärcher Digitalization of Audits for Supplier Selection Customizing the Standard Software to Individual Customer Needs Connection to SAP Ariba Module Connection to Company-Owned Tool via BI Connector Cost and Time Savings through the Replacement of Paper- and Excel-driven Processes
Customizing the Software
Replacement of Manual Processes
Connection to SAP System
Cluetec Audit BI-Connector
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