2025 was a landmark year for Supply Chain Management (SCM) in Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ Dynamic Sealing division. Guided by a Multi-Generation Plan (MGP), processes were further harmonized and standardized across the division, laying the foundation to reach new heights and to become truly world-class in Supply Chain Management. This progress was mainly achieved by fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation across sites, Lead Centers and departments.
In Brief
Harmonization & Standardization: SCM processes were harmonized and standardized across the Dynamic Sealing division, guided by a Multi-Generation Plan (MGP).
Customer Service Collaboration: Close cooperation with Customer Service led to joint improvement initiatives, including regular meetings, plant visits, and job-shadowing, resulting in optimized end-of-life management, better replenishment strategies, and standardized reporting.
Order Change Analysis (OCA) Tool: The OCA Tool enabled proactive order management, helping to anticipate changes, prevent obsolete stock, avoid backlogs, and reduce excess inventory.
Innovation & Automation: Key innovations included deploying a bot to automate planning tasks and introducing Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) in Langres and Bursa.
Dynamic Sealing SCM sought to strengthen collaboration with Customer Service, beginning with a joint questionnaire to identify improvement areas. This led the two teams to establish regular meetings, conduct joint plant visits, and engage in job-shadowing initiatives. These efforts allowed them both to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s processes and to align on shared goals.
This collaboration resulted in concrete process improvements, including the optimization of end-of-life management, the enhancement of replenishment strategies, standardized reporting across teams, and a more effective use of the Order Change Analysis (OCA) Tool developed by SCM Dynamic Sealing. The OCA Tool has been a significant facilitator of proactive order management, supporting Customer Service in anticipating changes earlier, preventing obsolete stock, avoiding backlogs, and reducing excess inventory.
Furthermore, together with regular exchanges among SCM Managers across the 11 Dynamic Sealings’ plants, the annual SCM Division Conference remains a cornerstone of knowledge sharing, benchmarking, and collaboration. This network is vital to ensuring alignment and accelerating progress as the division continues to evolve.
Innovation
Innovation was another key priority in 2025. Highlights included the development and implementation of a bot that automates repetitive planning activities, reducing manual workload. Additionally, the first Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) were deployed in Langres and Bursa, streamlining the transport of finished parts from production to the warehouse. These steps represent major progress toward automation, efficiency, and a more resilient supply chain.
Meanwhile, to further enhance transparency and decision-making, a Supply Chain Performance Index (SCPI) was launched. This metric consolidates key KPIs – including delivery reliability, automation rate, past-due orders, and inventory performance – into one comprehensive score.
The SCPI provides a clear and dynamic view of supply chain efficiency at the plant level, allowing the division to benchmark performance globally and to continuously drive improvement.
What’s Next
“In today’s volatile markets and amidst increasingly uncertain transport routes, it is essential to strengthen and future-proof the supply chain, not only to ensure resilience but also to secure long-term competitive advantage”, Claudia Kropp, Global Director SCM, says.
The achievements of 2025 reflect the dedication and commitment of the SCM teams across the Dynamic Sealing division. By combining collaboration, innovation, and performance management, they are building a supply chain that is not only robust and efficient but also ready for the future.
The journey continues in 2026, guided by a shared commitment to excellence..
