For one year, 14 WILD employees comprehensively expanded their know-how in the area of supply chain management in more than 50 hours of training. The program was academically supported by the Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in Kapfenberg, which recently awarded the participants their certificates of completion.

“The current market situation presents all those involved in the supply chain with new challenges on a daily basis. This makes it all the more important to exchange information on existing and future topics, to continue education and to consolidate know-how. Only then we will be able to master the increasingly complex tasks in the value creation process even better,” says Martin Grilz, one of the participants, skilfully summing up the intention of the Supply Chain Academy. And he emphasizes that this comprehensive training program of the WILD Group exceeded everyone’s expectations. “In my opinion, the Supply Chain Academy has proven to be the perfect interface between theory and practice.” This is because the company focussed on a close cooperation with the Joanneum University of Applied Sciences in Kapfenberg.

Six core topics with direct practical relevance

Together, six modules were developed: from industrial procurement management to the skilful derivation of procurement and material group strategies, purchasing organization, and early purchasing involvement to procurement controlling. “All six of the Academy’s core topics were directly related to the daily challenges and opportunities we face. The knowledge we were able to gain here has also quickly found its way into practice. In particular, the fact that we now look at various topics and solution approaches from a much broader perspective is already simplifying and accelerating decision-making,” Grilz is convinced.

” Thanks to this training, the participants have not only broadened their horizons, but also received confirmation that many things are already going well,” Jörg Schweiger, Associate Prof. for Operations & Supply Management at the FH Kapfenberg sums up. The six modules took place across a training cycle of just under a year. “This created time to reflect on the topics and actually apply them to practical issues.” In addition, 40 WILD employees took part in communication training, which was also offered within the Supply Chain Academy.

New approaches to solutions through a holistic approach

Christian Rabitsch, Head of Supply Chain Management at the WILD Group, sees another advantage in the heterogeneity of the participants. They come from a wide variety of departments, including operational and strategic purchasing, production planning, as well as supply chain management and quality management. “Now, they all have a better understanding of the different perspectives and approaches of their colleagues from adjacent areas. Previously, everyone saw the issues from their own point of view. With the learnings from the Academy, it is now easier for them to deviate from the ‘as always’ approach, to look at a problem holistically and to work out the optimal solution for the customer together,” emphasizes Rabitsch. In terms of content, each participant was able to learn  or contribute new approaches to solutions due to their different professional backgrounds. “To be honest, we were a bit sceptical in the beginning whether this colourful mix would be beneficial to learning success. But the feedback showed that precisely this heterogeneity was well received and beneficial to the learning success,” Jörg Schweiger also emphasizes.