Ihlemann GmbH, a leading EMS provider with 230 employees in Germany, has long been defined by its commitment to high quality, clean data, and strong customer collaboration. But as market demands shifted, the company faced a new challenge: speed. Today's customers, especially for new projects, expect a rapid price and timeline indication.
“Nowadays, everything is expected to be extremely fast. It’s this Amazon mentality: you click on something and expect delivery the next day.” — Oliver Becker, Procurement, Ihlemann GmbH
Proven processes with the lack of the right tooling
Ihlemann's proven, precision-focused processes were a strength, but they came with a cost: a quote turnaround time of three to six weeks. The lack of digital tools meant many steps were manual and time-consuming. Data was imported into Excel. The relevant components were requested from suppliers via email, and the incoming responses were manually consolidated to send a final quote to the customer. A process that still had room for improvement.
“Just creating a single component required extensive research. Technical parameters, material compliance, everything had to be transferred manually.” - Joachim Miosga, Head of Technical Service, Ihlemann GmbH
“It was a lot of manual work and because of the manual nature, it was naturally prone to errors.” - Oliver Becker, Procurement, Ihlemann GmbH
Digitization as a strategic catalyst for speed
Ihlemann recognized that a digital transformation was essential to stay competitive. They chose Luminovo to achieve three core objectives:
Reduce lead times: From weeks to just a few days.
Automate workflows: Especially BOM processing and supplier inquiries.
Focus on strategic tasks: Eliminate time-consuming, repetitive standard tasks.
The solution was to be used primarily for new prospects, to provide a fast and reliable price and timeline indication, giving them a competitive edge.
The new approach: Unleashing speed where it counts
With Luminovo’s configure-price-quote, Ihlemann streamlined the quoting process for new prospects. Instead of clarifying every detail upfront, the team now focuses on providing an efficient, reliable price estimate.
“We’re currently using Luminovo not to create a perfect quote, but to give customers a quick basis for a decision on price and time. It’s about providing a fast overview for quick shots where details are initially secondary.” - Joachim Miosga, Head of Technical Service, Ihlemann GmbH
The new process is built on speed and efficiency:
No need for full master data creation for initial quote inquiries.
Overnight synchronization of component master data between their ERP and Luminovo for automatic matching.
Filtering and easy overviews to quickly focus on critical components.
Automated API price inquiries to all key suppliers.
While Luminovo considerably accelerates the offer creation process, the ultimate delivery of the quote hinges on two critical external factors beyond the software's direct influence.
The quality of customer documents: The completeness and accuracy of the bill of materials is crucial. Quick and precise calculations depend on data that is unambiguous from the start, as queries lead to delays.
The customer's response speed: Delayed feedback automatically leads to longer quotation times. Therefore, we attach great importance to close and fast communication with our customers. Luminovo also supports us in this, as it facilitates a faster clarification of open questions.
- Joachim Miosga, Head of Technical Service, Ihlemann GmbH
Immediate results and a new level of transparency
The change brought immediate, tangible results:
Quote lead time dropped from 3 to 4 weeks to 2 to 3 days.
Time spent on purchasing per inquiry was reduced by about 30%.
BOM processing time in the technical department was reduced from one day to about 1.5 hours.
Cost savings from more time for strategic sourcing and targeted price optimization.
With the automated sync to their ERP system, Ihlemann gained unprecedented transparency. They can instantly see inventory levels and past procurements, ensuring they don't overlook favorable alternatives.
“It has happened frequently that a distributor I hadn't originally thought of suddenly offered the best price, or we found significant stock. This has already allowed us to save material costs multiple times.” - Oliver Becker, Procurement, Ihlemann GmbH
For highly-priced or specialized parts, Luminovo frees up procurement teams. They can process standard components in seconds, giving them more time for strategic price negotiations on critical components. This results in better pricing for Ihlemann's customers.
Conclusion: A competitive advantage through speed and focus
Ihlemann has proven that speed and quality don't have to be mutually exclusive. Thanks to Luminovo, the company can provide new prospects with a solid quote within days while upholding its high-quality standards. At the same time, internal resources are unburdened and used more purposefully, securing a decisive competitive advantage in a dynamic market.
Joachim Miosga: “Today, with Luminovo we deliver customers a quote in two or three days while still maintaining control over quality and costs.”
