Geopolitical tensions, volatile raw material markets, and fluctuating demand are placing unprecedented challenges on the German automotive industry. As the sector undergoes transformation, strategic supplier management becomes a critical success factor for competitiveness.

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Dominik Kleiser (Senior Vice President Corporate Purchasing, KERN LIEBERS), Dr. Thorsten Lützeler (Director Procurement, Beinbauer Group), and Lucas Trümpler (Customer Development, Tacto) discuss in the webinar how automotive suppliers can reposition themselves: away from reactive crisis management, toward strategic market shaping.

Starting Point – When Established Practices Are No Longer Sufficient

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The numbers are clear: declining production, volatile raw material prices, and export restrictions are hitting an industry already in upheaval due to electric mobility and digitalization. Traditional procurement processes are reaching their limits:

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• Dependencies on single-source suppliers increase supply risk in case of political or logistical shocks
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• Manual contract and terms management in Excel prevents quick overview of delivery and payment terms
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• Lack of real-time price transparency makes it difficult to pass raw material fluctuations to customers or suppliers in a timely manner

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For KERN LIEBERS and Beinbauer Group, it became clear: Procurement must become an active value creator.

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The Three Dimensions of Transformation

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Short-term – Supply Security Through Intelligent Diversification
Rather than blanket regionalization, both companies rely on strategic multi-sourcing and targeted near-shoring projects. This is not about completely leaving established markets, but about consciously managing dependencies
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Medium-term – Operational Excellence Through Automation
From automated contract organization to centralized terms management through to structured onboarding workflows: digital tools eliminate friction and create capacity for strategic tasks
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Long-term – Value Creation Through Data Excellence
Complete transparency over price developments, automated market analyses, and commodity index-based cost models transform procurement into a data-driven function. Particularly for B&C parts, this creates significant optimization potential

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Digital Maturity – The Decisive Competitive Advantage

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What distinguishes successful automotive suppliers from average ones? The answer lies in systematic technology use:
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1. Data centralization – 360° supplier view instead of distributed Excel lists
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2. Standardized evaluation logic – objective decisions based on clear metrics
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3. Proactive warning and alert systems – identify risks before they become costs

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Recommendations for Procurement in a Challenging Environment

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1. Build transparency
   A complete product group and supplier overview reveals critical dependencies and ranks materials by risk and value contribution
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2. Secure digital progress
   A centralized contract or price overview creates measurable improvements and facilitates further expansion of digital processes
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3. Anchor price analyses
   By linking commodity indices to procurement prices, deviations are identified early and negotiations are prepared on a fact-based basis
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4. Accompany change
   Early involvement of all departments, supplementary training, and transparent communication increase acceptance of new systems and ensure successful digitalization

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Conclusion – Procurement as a Strategic Factor

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KERN LIEBERS and Beinbauer Group demonstrate: resilience, digital efficiency, and data-driven cost leadership are achievable today. Those who transform their procurement now strengthen supply capability, reduce costs, and position themselves as an indispensable partner in the automotive ecosystem—regardless of how turbulent the global situation remains. The unanimous conclusion of participants is therefore: "Only proactive, digitally-supported procurement can lay the foundation for future opportunities"

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Dominik Kleiser (KERN LIEBERS), Dr. Thorsten Lützeler (Beinbauer Group), and Lucas Trümpler (Tacto) illuminate in the webinar how automotive suppliers are responding to geopolitical challenges: through strategic multi-sourcing instead of blanket regionalization, through procurement automation for operational excellence, and through data-driven cost optimization for B&C parts. The webinar provides proven strategies for procurement managers who want to lead their organization from reaction to action—even and especially in a volatile industry environment.