Nedschroef improves quotation process

Nedschroef Helmond has been active as a producer of fasteners for more than 100 years. Starting out, they manufactured rivets for shipbuilders, but Nedschroef’s operations have since become much more extensive. These days, the automotive industry and their suppliers are their biggest clients. Nedschroef has experienced a big improvement in their processes thanks to Sofon Guided Selling Software: in the past, quotations were the responsibility of the Calculation department. Now, with Sofon’s standard software, sales executives are increasingly handling the quotation process themselves. Calculation specialists are less burdened and the cycle time for the average quote has decreased dramatically. Nedschroef explains the decision in favor of Sofon in this user story.

Infinite number of bolts

Nedschroef Helmond manufactures bolts, or fasteners, in an almost infinite number of types and sizes for the automotive industry and their suppliers. Big clients in the automotive industry all have their own standard fasteners, but Nedschroef also manufactures and produces special series to order. Bolts can have different stem diameters, contact areas, ring heights, head heights and widths across flath and can be made of various materials. “We wanted to digitize client standards and to produce more accurate quotations faster”, explains Han Tielens, who is the Sales Manager Fasteners at Nedschroef Helmond. According to Tielens there was room for improvement in results, throughput and increase of opportunity scoring rates. After an implementation process of half a year, Sofon Guided Selling went live at Nedschroef Helmond. Tielens’ role was mainly that of initiator and supervisor. The implementation was led by Nedschroef management trainee Roel van Lankveld, who was also personally responsible for all the configuration modeling. He was assisted by Roxanne Schuitemaker who, as a sales executive, is usually occupied with the dayto- day work of the sales department.

Big filing cabinets

Before Sofon, technical data was archived in a very different way. Project head Van Lankveld: “Just imagine, through the years we had to store all the technical data from everything we produced in big fi ling cabinets. Car manufacturers, our main clients, expect us to know their standards and to keep current with them. That is not easy, because every client has their own specifications. We have someone in our employ who knows exactly where all this data is to be found. It was more logical to put all the information into a reliable system where data can be found quickly.” That’s where Sofon came in the picture. “This was a process we would have had to go through regardless”, Tielens goes on. “Now everything is in the system our data are more accessible. Besides that our Engineering department is no longer burdened with lots of repeat work. Many of these repetitive matters are caught and dealt with early by our Sales department. The good thing about this is that every sales person now has a much better idea of what we can make and what we can do in general. The chance that we would produce a quotation for something that we cannot actually make has become much smaller.”

Rules of thumb

Calculation using Sofon is very different than in the old situation. Tielens: “Previously, we would work with rules of thumb in this process. All the information was in people’s heads. Now this information can be found in models precisely specifying product data. Calculating prices has become much easier. The nine-person strong Engineering department is now more focused on the development of special products and optimizing existing processes.” Nedschroef is keeping their old calculation method in reserve to be able to check things if necessary. “Because of improvements in the Sofon model, the old method is used less and less frequently”, says Roxanne Schuitemaker. “The old method is no longer needed. Sofon calculates when it becomes profitable to produce a series, when it is not and why this is the case. Sofon then generates a proposal, which includes an explanation of the prices and/or surcharges. In this way, we protect ourselves from prices that are too low or from offering unrealistic or invalid product series. In general, clients appreciate this clear and insightful manner of quoting.” Nedschroef values this greatly as they consider the wishes of their clients to be of paramount importance.

Future

According to Tielens, Nedschroef is mainly trying to make Sofon ‘wiser’ to the circumstances in their Helmond branch. It is possible that Sofon may also be applied in Nedschroef’s twin factory in Weert. Tielens concludes: “In the future, Sofon will help us to react rapidly to new trends in the automotive industry.”

What did Nedschroef achieve with Sofon?

• Quotations can now be made by sales staff instead of by the Calculation department
• Calculation department now supports a smaller number of quotes
• Quotation requests are 100% reviewed and approved
• Quotation requests can be answered on the day they are received
• Throughput for quotes has improved greatly
• Client needs can be translated into the right product
• Product information is in the system and can be easily looked up
• More time for product development and process improvement
• Sales department can now offer clients complete and clear quotations
• Sales process has become less complex
• Fewer systems needed
• Nedschroef is happy with the way Sofon was implemented.