Eplan Smart Sourcing: Electrical engineering and procurement without delays

A new software will be celebrating its German premiere at Eplan Next26: Eplan Smart Sourcing. The idea behind it is an intelligent link between electrical engineering and procurement. The software allows control cabinet manufacturers and system integrators to accelerate their planning processes. Starting early on in the design phase, the tool makes it clear where and how quickly the required parts can be procured. Distributors also benefit from the closer interconnection between engineering and procurement and, not least, from this direct market access.

Component availability is a crucial factor for efficiency in electrical engineering and manufacturing for many companies. When engineers know suppliers’ stock levels for required parts or the lead times for those parts, they can adjust their planning accordingly. When electrical engineers are planning a new project, they often use templates from a previous assignment. Yet to ensure that the component procurement process doesn’t hold things up, they can check the availability of devices using Eplan Smart Sourcing early in the electrical design phase. The basis for this is the connection of the Eplan software with the systems of manufacturers and distributors (online shops, as an example), offering direct access to information on part logistics. When an Eplan user submits an inquiry, a table using a red/yellow/green traffic light system shows the availability and delivery times of the devices from the user’s preferred suppliers.

Now with qualified bills of materials

Eplan Smart Sourcing thus enables engineers to replace critical parts early in the process. They can directly create qualified bills of materials in projects – meaning those that contain only available parts. This simplifies downstream processes since procurement can finalise the order with the supplier without additional rounds of checks and approvals, significantly accelerating both engineering and procurement. 

Customers’ procurement departments also benefit from this optimised ordering process since confirming whether the parts to be used are still being produced and available has already taken place. Furthermore, procurement can optionally select the bill of materials or specific items in Eplan Smart Sourcing, transfer them to the online shop of the selected supplier, and efficiently initiate the ordering process there.

The direct connection from suppliers to users

An enquiry via Eplan Smart Sourcing isn’t just interesting for users – it is especially so for manufacturers and distributors as well. It gives them a unique opportunity to find out more about their customers’ specific needs. This makes it easier to compile demand forecasts and results in more effective overall portfolio planning. Ultimately, the supplier is directly connected to its customers through the Eplan software, thus also increasing visibility. Companies such as Alexander Bürkle, Emil Löffelhardt, Rexel Germany, Rittal, Weidmüller and others recognised this early on and the number of participating distributors and manufacturers will continue to grow after the software’s launch. Eplan is currently in discussions with relevant suppliers on the market – vendors including Adalbert Zajadacz and DigiKey and others are also coming soon.

Alexander Bürkle immediately recognised the benefits of having a direct access to customers. The company’s Smart Industries Managing Director Sascha Liese explains: “Eplan Smart Sourcing is the perfect next step. It integrates seamlessly into our range of solutions and enables smarter, more cost-effective and future-oriented cooperation between engineering and procurement processes.”

Alexander Bürkle’s Strategic Head of Electrical Engineering Fabian Camek adds: “By seamlessly connecting project data with component sourcing we reduce manual effort, avoid errors and accelerate project timelines. This digital integration strengthens both our internal processes as Eplan users and the added value we deliver to our customers. With Eplan, engineering and procurement merge into one continuous digital process from circuit diagram to purchase order - smart, transparent and efficient.”

The distributor Rexel Germany is another early adopter connected to Eplan Smart Sourcing right from the start. “There’s really just one thing that counts today for control cabinet manufacturers, engineers and machine builders, and that is speed and end-to-end processes from planning to procurement,” says Rexel Germany’s Chief Purchasing and Marketing Officer Dr. Oliver Vogler. “By closely interconnecting engineering and distribution, we are creating a digital process chain for our mutual customers that simplifies planning, accelerates procurement, and makes projects more efficient. Our clear goal is less complexity, faster execution, and more productivity in everyday industrial operations.”

Emil Löffelhardt sums up its decision to adopt Eplan Smart Sourcing as follows: “This allows our customers and our company to gain valuable insights for optimising product portfolios, avoiding production bottlenecks and more reliably realising projects,” says the company’s Division and Sales Manager for Industry & Key Accounts, Cables & Wires Roman Hegenbart.