Knauf, established in 1932, is a leading global construction materials company. With over 41,000 employees, 300 plants in 92 countries, and annual revenue exceeding €15 billion, Knauf is renowned for high-quality plasterboards, plaster, ceiling materials, and insulation products. The company’s customer-centric approach underpins its growth, empowering customers with competitive solutions, and superior product quality.
Success Story
Knauf
Demand Planning, Supply Planning, Order Promiser
Knauf leverages Blue Yonder for predictive supply chain transformation
Das Unternehmen
Die geschäftliche Herausforderung
Knauf embarked on a digital transformation journey under its Knauf100 strategy, aiming to become the market leader in digital customer interactions and supply chain operations. The company identified an urgent need to modernize its sales and operations planning (S&OP) to support rapid demand planning, order fulfillment, and supply planning across its global supply chain. Traditional, manual methods were falling short of meeting the company’s expectations for forecast accuracy and customer reliability.
Die Lösung
Knauf entschied sich für Blue Yonder, um die Transformation der Nachfrage- und Angebotsplanung zu unterstützen, beginnend mit der Implementierung der Nachfrage- und Angebotsplanung in den Geschäftsbereichen Isolierung und Decken. Diese Lösungen verbessern die Genauigkeit der Nachfrageprognosen auf SKU-Ebene und optimieren nachgelagerte Lieferkettenprozesse, wodurch Knauf die Prognosegenauigkeit erhöhen und das Betriebskapital reduzieren kann. Durch die Modernisierung der Angebotsplanung und der Auftragszusagen ist das Unternehmen auf dem besten Weg, vorausschauende Erkenntnisse über die Produktverfügbarkeit zu liefern und damit einen neuen Standard für die Kundenzufriedenheit zu setzen.
“Forecasting demand accurately is the foundation of supply chain success. With Blue Yonder, we’re confident in our ability to serve customers reliably, setting new standards in digital supply chain excellence.”
–Martin Brown, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Knauf
Managing demand and supply challenges
Knauf’s goal of becoming a leader in digital supply chain called for a reimagined approach to managing global demand and supply challenges. Recognizing that accurate planning and agile responses are essential for customer satisfaction, the company set out to integrate advanced technology into its operations, aiming to bridge digital gaps in sales, order fulfillment, and production processes.
Transforming demand and supply planning
Knauf began with Blue Yonder Demand Planning to improve demand forecasting in its insulation and ceilings businesses. As the company’s demand planning accuracy increases, so does its ability to make data-driven supply chain decisions. In 2024, Knauf expanded its use of Blue Yonder with Supply Planning, adding layers of precision in production scheduling and enhancing the company’s ability to meet customer demand effectively.
Strategic alignment with Knauf100 goals
A pivotal part of its Knauf100 strategy, the transformation enables Knauf to position itself as a digital leader in customer interactions and service delivery. Blue Yonder solutions support Knauf’s ambition to provide customers with reliable product availability forecasts, enabling faster and more accurate order fulfillment.
A pivotal part of its Knauf100 strategy, the transformation enables Knauf to position itself as a digital leader in customer interactions and service delivery. Blue Yonder solutions support Knauf’s ambition to provide customers with reliable product availability forecasts, enabling faster and more accurate order fulfillment.
Adopting a composable journey with Blue Yonder brings the company closer to achieving an end-to-end digital supply chain by combining its planning and execution capabilities.
“Blue Yonder helps us understand and manage customer demand, enabling accurate forecasts and efficient supply planning. We’re achieving real transformation in our supply chain, ensuring our customers have a reliable source of supply,” said Martin Brown, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Knauf.
Realizing tangible benefits
Knauf reports significant gains, including improved forecast accuracy and SKU-level visibility, which contribute to better supply planning and reduced working capital. The company also anticipates that predictive capabilities in the Order Promiser application will further enhance service reliability in the future.
Partnering with Accenture as an implementation and maintenance partner, Knauf ensures the effectiveness of Blue Yonder solutions in achieving strategic digitalization milestones.
Looking ahead
Knauf is moving towards Blue Yonder Cognitive Demand Planning – commencing with its European gypsum operations which will go live in 2025. It envisions an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled future with comprehensive, integrated planning solutions that combine planning and execution. This continued transformation with Blue Yonder strengthens the company’s digital footprint, cementing its role as a reliable, forward-thinking supplier in the construction industry. “The Blue Yonder composable journey will help us to reach a number of our Knauf100 goals by having a digital end-to-end supply chain solution. Our vision for Blue Yonder is that it will enable us to fulfill our customer demands on time and in full 95% of the time, and thereby helping Knauf to remain a reliable partner to our customers,” concludes Brown.
