Munich, Germany—Dec. 27, 2013—When it comes to monitoring its global supply chains, Swiss-based BELIMO Automation AG, a global provider of electrical drive solutions in the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning sector, relies on the Social Supply Risk Network from riskmethods, a provider of risk assessment solutions for worldwide supply chains.
Besides the ease of use and fast implementation of riskmethods’ software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, the quality and precision, as well as the comprehensive approach to the data provided were convincing factors, according to the company. BELIMO Automation is integrating the Social Supply Risk Network into its global sourcing processes.
Supply risks do not only include business disruptions or insolvencies, but also local risks, such as strikes or force majeure. Equally, country risks and political unrest are of great significance for supply chains as they impact directly on procurement paths.
“The Social Supply Risk Network from riskmethods ensures extensive transparency along global supply chains, thanks to its integrated, cloud-based data approach and its share function,” explained Heiko Schwarz, director of riskmethods. Due to the supply chain risk management (SCRM) solution from riskmethods, BELIMO’s procurement staff has access to all risk-relevant information along the supply chain.
“In this way, the purchasers of BELIMO Automation AG always have a clear overview of the same, up-to-date information across the company from all risk areas. If the alarm mechanism is activated, the purchasers are automatically informed in the event of tolerance transgressions,” added Schwarz.
Christian Burgener, the head of global sourcing at BELIMO, was won over by the simple and quick activation of the risk radar: “Besides the comprehensive, yet user-friendly and easy-to-learn range of functions, as well as flexibility, the pivotal factor in deciding for this solution was the fast implementation—within one day. Monitoring risks along global delivery paths is an extremely, and in fact indispensable, topic for BELIMO, on account of the high proportion of value added by our providers,” confirmed Burgener.
The increased transparency and improved response capacity, in particular, are important for the Swiss company “because we don’t only want to be reactive when it comes to risks; we’d rather take a proactive stance to risk exposure in our supply chains,” according to Burgener.
Procurement experts wish to be optimally informed about their supply relationships and drive their risk-minimizing activities forward accordingly. “Only in this way are they able to keep up with short-term, changing situations in the global procurement market and make even better decisions,” commented Peter Neumüller, senior procurement engineer at BELIMO Automation on the introduction of the Social Supply Risk Network.
Two additional factors were decisive for the Swiss company. First is the fast implementation of the Social Supply Risk Network, which is based on prior integration of numerous risk information data sources. This means that the expenditures usually incurred for procuring risk information is avoided. Second, the pay-as-use price model enables a commercially risk-free entry into the use of the riskmethods solution.
