The changing face of trade

It all began with flint stones, sea shells and cowry shells. In primeval times, these items had a value and were used for trade. Homo sapiens and Neanderthals understood the importance of trade. This economic spectacle has played a major role throughout all eras – and continues to do so today. Throughout time, these simple processes have become ever more complex, beginning with stock and goods receipt, demand for raw materials, and right through to strategic market intelligence. In the meantime, these tasks have become sophisticated strategic services.
But what does „purchasing“ mean in today‘s big companies? Simply put, it is all the necessary operative and strategic activities which aim to ensure supply at an optimum price-performance ratio. Purchasing at WFL is thus always in a state of flux and tries to work according to the aforementioned definition as far as possible, skilfully  maintaining a balance with a prosperous ratio.
To lead a team and direct them as a single unit, you need ability as well as talent. With great finesse and, above all, a sustainable strategic approach, Franz Reichhart, Head of Purchasing, gives us an insight into the world of trade at WFL.

Please tell us about yourself in a few words.
My name is Franz Reichhart. I am 57 years old, married with three daughters and four and a half grandchildren – one is on the way! So we are a big family. I started out as a trained lathe operator, which I learnt at  voestalpine. Since I‘m of an advanced age, I remember the „before-WFL“ time.

Can you tell us a bit about your milestones at WFL, throughout your career?
As mentioned, I came from voestalpine and, after completing an industrial apprenticeship as a lathe operator, I did CNC programming and attended the vocational school for foremen as a second educational career path. Afterwards, in 1992, still under Voest-Alpine-Steinel, I joined a procurement team. Purchasing production parts and parts based on drawings didn‘t yet exist at that time. VOEST-Alpine- Steinel then ceased to exist and I was moved directly to join WFL‘s purchasing team. So on January 1, 1994, I began my career in the WFL Purchasing division, in the Production Parts department. It was an exciting area and a manageable small group with a total of 4 employees. It was a great, and really interesting time. I worked in this department until 2008 and completed advanced training, for example as a qualified purchasing manager. I then took over at Purchasing in 2009: but not just Purchasing, but also all materials management. This included the warehouse and dispatch. So it is a large area of responsibility, which I really enjoy managing, and above all, appreciate. In terms of milestones, in 2012 there was the purchasing portal where suppliers can obtain a range of information. That portal has been repeatedly developed and adapted. In 2014, the warehouse was then completely rebuilt. In fact gutted would probably be a better word, so that only the basic structure remained. As a result, everything was set up afresh and brought up to date. In the warehouse and dispatch department, the automatic small parts storage was set up and installed in 2018. Today this contains around 30,000 storage positions. We have many more milestones to come and we will drive these forward with maximum efficiency to ensure the best possible work and quickest possible delivery times.

On what essential values do you base your daily activities, decisions and plans?
The first is definitely trust and communication. I.e. an open approach and honest communication. These are very important building blocks for me. But it‘s also important to be aware of your responsibilities, both towards your colleagues and to the WFL product and associated suppliers. Another of my values is a solution-oriented mindset, but efficiency also plays a major role. And last but not least, appreciation, which we should always show to each other.

How does a typical day look in your department and how do you begin your day?
A rough plan can be made for the day, but this depends on the current situation. Whether it be a telephone call or important emails, internally or externally, which need to be dealt with. Pressing situations are always handled together as a team as quickly as possible. In my experience, you achieve the most with open communication.

What would you say is particularly important when working in your department?
I see our Purchasing department as a service provider, smoothing the workflows between the various other departments, whether that be R&D, Production, Design or Marketing. On the other side, we have our suppliers. We are the hub where everything converges and which operates in all directions. As already mentioned, it‘s about having the right communication and also contributing ideas; by which I mean improving processes. A standard process is good, but it‘s always better to allow suggestions and ideas within the company and also from outside to be taken into account. The aim is to make processes simpler, safer, more sustainable and cheaper. In the long run, this creates really strong partnerships and boosts team spirit.

How do you maintain a good work-life balance and what are your hobbies?
You definitely have to be resistant to stress to some extent. I have developed a morning Nordic walking routine which does me a lot of good and recharges my batteries. My day begins at 4.30 a.m. with a Nordic walk, as I already mentioned. I use these 40 minutes to clear my head and begin the day full of energy. During this time, I also come up with ideas and solutions for some of the day-to-day challenges in purchasing. After these sessions, I feel completely refreshed and can start the day as needed. I live in a rural area so there‘s a lot of nature around me. This is my time to myself, and I enjoy this quiet time, come winter or summer. And yes... this is also my hobby, I always enjoy a lengthy run. I also like music and playing the guitar. I like to play a wide range of songs, and always have the lyrics in my head. This also helps me to destress and clear my head. My family also help me to find balance and are the most important thing to me. With 3 daughters and my grandchildren, and two of those daughters still living at home, there is always something going on. My grandkids are naturally quite demanding and they also give me a boost. They say, „Granddad, we‘re going fishing this weekend! We need to find worms.“ And of course I‘m happy to take them on a fishing trip. So this is how I keep my work and professional life separate in a way so I can recharge.

What do you appreciate about your team and where do the strengths lie in general?
I really appreciate my team‘s reliability. My team is a real team. Each person complements the other and is helpful and reliable. „Lone warriors“ are good but collectively a team can pool its resources at any time. In my opinion, you progress more quickly by working together. My team also has the freedom to make decisions themselves. There are certain boundaries, of course, but in principle, each person can let their ideas run free, to ensure WFL‘s continued success. Everyone should be able to realise their potential. I believe we have an excellent environment and will for many years to come.

How do you handle difficult decisions and situations?
Making difficult decisions is not easy. I take a pragmatic approach. If there‘s a far-reaching or difficult decision to be made, which may have a significant impact, I like to make a list of the pros and cons. I also like to discuss such situations with my team leaders and get other people‘s opinions too. I also describe the situation to people who have a neutral, non-biased view of things. In the meantime, I also take a step or two back to change my perspective and avoid tunnel vision. My view is that it‘s better to make a good decision than to never come to a perfect decision.

If you could improve or adapt something at WFL, what would it be?
I think there are many ideas for ongoing development, both in terms of people and the company, for strengthening WFL. In the meantime, more can be done together again. Sports groups are being formed, and a wide range of external activities and projects which promote team spirit. So there are also discussions in the community and problems which previously often seemed impossible to solve are easily solved. Communication is, as with so many things in life, the key and here WFL is always striving to strengthen each other.

How would you describe your typical leadership style?
I think I have a very open leadership style with certain objectives or basic conditions. Discussions are always conducted at eye level with mutual respect. I demand performance and full commitment to the company from each of my employees. If they are prepared to do this, they also have a certain amount of coordinated freedom to develop  and shape themselves. I support and encourage each of my employees to further their professional training, and I can even say that I motivate them to complete additional training programs (language courses, specialist courses, studies). Because well-trained and motivated employees are the capital of every company. Should anyone need advice from me, be it professional or private, I am of course available.

Do you have a personal vision for the future of WFL and where do you see WFL in 5 years?
My vision focuses on development that will take us into the future. Innovation for new technologies or even enabling easier, more efficient work is probably the key to being successful in future. Sustainability is also very important – from our suppliers, who carry out sustainable production through to the technology that we now use in our machines. We owe this to the next generation. How something is produced or the CO2 footprint of the purchase is a crucial concern as part of our purchasing activities. In-house at WFL, not only are our machines equipped with energy-saving measures, but the building itself has a photovoltaic system. We also have electric vehicles in our  fleet and the WFL Retrofit programme reconditions old machines, delivering savings and sustainability.
This is only the tip of the iceberg, however. Many new developments will gain ground and pick up pace over the course of the coming years. Whether energy saving is stipulated by law or not, we have to safeguard the future and live and work as sustainably as possible. In 5 years, there will be no way around the matter of energy efficiency, and it will probably also be a purchasing criterion. I think that the price will take somewhat of a back seat if the sustainability is right and we move towards a cleaner environment. With every step we take in this regard, both the environment and the buyer and seller can rejoice in having done something for future generations. And with a clear conscience.