Think Tank

The department Procurement and Finance in Supply Chain Management focuses on researching new technologies and trends for the procurement and finance sector in Supply Chain Management. New insights are developed, evaluated, and then made available to industry as an application-oriented solution. We regularly synchronize our research results and experiences with procurement managers in the industry as part of the Think Tank Procurement 4.0 in cooperation with the BME Association (Bundesverband Materialwirtschaft, Einkauf und Logistik e. V.). We act as a driving force and create a knowledge transfer between research and industry.

In particular, new technology approaches and applications for Procurement 4.0 are discussed, such as digitization strategies and the use of blockchain or artificial intelligence in procurement. Furthermore, the industry partners will present their current digitization projects in procurement and share their experiences and challenges in implementing their projects, as well as further objectives and fields of action for the future.

This regular exchange creates new ideas for both research and industry and offers the opportunity to validate current projects as well as to set new topics in the company’s own working agenda.

September 7th, 2021

The Think Tank Meeting on 07.10.2021 was again held under the motto "New technologies for the future measurement of success in Purchasing 4.0". After the last Think Tank Meeting, the participants agreed that the complex requirements of Purchasing 4.0 need a holistic view based on a Scorecard 4.0. This was taken up in this meeting.

At the beginning, Univ. Prof. Dr. Michael Henke informed the participants in a first impulse about the current state of development of the Silicon Economy and Blockchain Europe. The focus was on the new open-source hardware "Sensing Puck" and the blockchain-based project "BORDER" (blockchain-based customs clearance). Subsequently, the indicators of the Purchasing 4.0 scorecard were further developed and described for the first time in indicator profiles.

The format was rounded off with an exciting insight into the digitalisation roadmap of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft's purchasing department.

December 3rd, 2020

The topic of the Think Tank Meeting on December 3, 2020 was “New technologies for future measurement of success in Procurement 4.0”. After a first impulse by Professor Dr. Michael Henke on the transformation of existing supply chains into complex supply chain ecosystems and the importance of new technologies as enablers of Procurement 4.0, the participants developed a common understanding for future measurement of success in procurement. The current and future metrics of Procurement 4.0, the use of new technologies to capture this Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and the strong need to further develop existing metrics systems in procurement were discussed. Participants agreed that the complex requirements of Procurement 4.0 require a holistic approach based on a Scorecard 4.0. This will now be developed in the following Think Tank Meetings. The format was rounded off with an exciting insight into the digitalization strategy from the procurement department of Otto Fuchs GmbH.