Insights & Perspectives

While many are still on holiday or have just returned nicely refreshed, the buyers of the large car manufacturers and their "opponents", the sales professionals of the suppliers, have long been warming up for the upcoming price negotiations. This year, the talks are likely to be particularly difficult because many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are in deep water. However, giving up is not an option. Those who are open to change now have a good chance of tapping into new potential, according to enomyc author Wolfram Hackbarth.

The global economy is struggling hard with Covids consequences as the pandemic moves through its third year. What’s more the crisis mountain of supply chain stoppages, material and personnel shortages continues to grow: high energy and material costs are looming. In addition to all of this, cyber-attacks have now thrust forward, advancing to become our next big challenge. "A toxic cocktail," is how Uwe Köstens, founding partner of enomyc, sums up the situation. Crisis is his business: he has been advising on SME issues for more than 22 years. As a result, he is very knowledgeable about the effects crises have on the global economy. But what makes the current situation so dangerous? What in particular puts the eye on red alert? And how on earth can companies manage a less bumpy landing in the new reality called "crisis"? An interview.

Mentorship seems to be on everyone's lips at the moment, despite it being basically nothing new. And indeed, one mentorship model is disrupting the classic old-teach-young method. It's known as "reverse mentoring" and with this the Golf generation learns from the zoomers, the boomers from the millennials - vice versa and across departments. At companies like Microsoft, the CTOs learn from the next generation, they say. We asked around in our own ranks: Why is there so much talk about reverse mentoring these days? What are the benefits for mentees, mentors and companies? And what do companies miss out on if they do without it? An interview with Julia Hammer, mentor, mentee and COO at enomyc.

Es führt kein Weg daran vorbei: Die Wirtschaft muss nachhaltiger werden. Schluss mit Überproduktionen, Schluss mit kurzlebigen Produkten, Schluss mit Elektro- und anderem Schrott. Her mit Produkten, die recycelt und länger haltbar sind. Her mit dem “ Recht auf Reparatur ”, her mit der Kreislaufwirtschaft!

Material shortages, delivery stoppages, rising energy costs. Sustainability targets, digitalization and electromobility: the automotive industry is under pressure to transform like almost no other. There is no choice in this. It is compelled to transform itself, must reinvent itself, must question the tried and tested - such as network structures, contracts and sales systems - and it is doing so. New business models are entering the market. Today, we are looking at one that is not so new, but is currently being rolled out with might and main: the agency model. Much discussed, much criticized, but also accepted. Why is this? How forward-looking is it? What are its benefits? What does it entail? What are the challenges to decades-old business relationships between manufacturers and retailers? And can the agency model be profitable for manufacturers, retailers and end consumers alike? A conversation with Jan Brandt, interim manager and expert for turnaround and new business models.

Limited content, static and restricted to heavy, stationary workstations. What these words evoke from times past was a novelty back in the 1990s: Web 1.0. While hardware shrank and connections improved, the mobile Internet grew. The 2000s brought about Web 2.0 and with it dynamic, interactive communication via social media and communities. And now? We are on the brink of Web 3.0: Decentralized, anonymous Internet, built on the blockchain. The age of cryptos, NFTs, DAOs and the metaverse has begun. The possibilities? Limitless, they say. But what exactly is the metaverse? What effect does it have on businesses? For which industries can it become highly interesting and which scenarios already serve companies as an assessment? An outlook with Franz Wenzel, Director at enomyc.

Are your scrap levels too high? The machines all running at optimal capacity? Have customers paid on time? Controlling your company based on defined KPIs can be a challenge without a dashboard. Senior Consultant Nantwin Apffelstaedt reported on this in detail in Part 1 of our "Dashboards" series. But how do you turn a dashboard into one that brings true impact to your company?

About 20 years ago, the first dashboards made their way into German companies. Today, these visualizations are considered indispensable for efficient corporate management, as they promise nothing less than comprehensive transparency at a glance. But in practice, it is often not that simple. After all, a dashboard is only as good as the key figures on which it is based. The time that goes into defining individual metrics and building in-house IT expertise is therefore well invested.

Casting from China, assembly in Eastern Europe: German industry has long sought international business relationships in the course of globalization. Factor cost differences had to be exploited for this, while on the other hand local sourcing, seemed to be on the decline. In fact, it was even pushed aside as stuffy or "old school". This was all before pandemics and lockdowns cut supply chains, a hurricane hit Texas and a freighter got itself stuck in the Suez Canal. It suddenly became very clear how vulnerable - and also dependent - German industry is on certain basic materials. What's more: ESG requirements and climate targets are currently forcing industry to rethink its supply chains more than ever. Long transport routes and international business relationships with "best cost countries" are increasingly being questioned. What will the logistics of the future look like – and what’s more have to look like? How can the German economy circumvent raw material shortages and fragile supply chains? Where is the innovation potential of the future? And: Will steeple sourcing become a trend again? An outlook with Dr. Stefan Frings, Partner at enomyc.