New management for the purchasing department – Florian Grandel in an interview

Mr. Grandel, after more than two decades at Häffner, eight of them as Head of Sales, you have now accepted a new challenge and taken over as Head of the Purchasing Team. Why did you decide to make the change?
After many years of experience and numerous successfully implemented processes in the specialist sales department, it was now time for me to get to know the focus better from the purchasing perspective and to make optimum use of the synergy effects of the specialist departments. The goal is to have all procurement and sales processes merge smoothly and mutually benefit from expertise and experience.

How would you describe your vision regarding the future of the Purchasing department?
It is essential not to be afraid of change. We are curious and open to topics such as paperless working and digital transformation, for example in the area of EDI. Discovering new markets and opportunities are just as important as personal and team development.

What goals have you set for yourself and your team?
True to the motto “Change is a clear opportunity – because the best way to predict the future is to shape it yourself,” I want to move the purchasing team and myself forward. Shared goals and successes are the key to this.

What role does digitization play in your team’s new direction?
Nowadays, digitization is an inevitable path for facilitated work processes and further development. Without digital processes, you only make things harder for yourself, and together we want to promote efficient and sustainable ways of working.

You have handed over your previous post as Sales Manager to Vincent Petri. What would you like to pass on to your new colleague?
I would like to wish him and the entire Häffner sales team all the best for the future, success and the same comprehensive support that I received in the specialist sales department. I am convinced that we will continue to develop together as a team.
will continue to develop as a team.

How will the cooperation between Purchasing and Sales be structured in the future?
In the future, we will coordinate processes more closely and quickly in order to be able to respond even more flexibly to the requirements and needs of our customers and suppliers.

You bring many years of market knowledge and a long tenure at Häffner to the job. What advantages do you think this extensive experience brings?
Thanks to my many years of sales experience, I know our customers’ expectations. This enables me to pass them on optimally to the purchasing team and, in the further course, to our suppliers. This facilitates communication among each other and helps significantly in meeting the customers’ requirements.

You remain in close contact with the sales department and are the point of contact for important key account customers. What do you think are the advantages of this close cooperation for Häffner’s sales strategy?
As I already mentioned, I know the customers’ wishes and requirements thanks to my long-standing business relationship with them. Thanks to short decision-making processes and uncomplicated networking between purchasing and sales, we can respond quickly to the individual requests of our key account customers.

What wishes do you have for yourself and your team for 2023?
I hope that every member of the team enjoys their work as much as I do. We will embrace the opportunities that arise with the realignment of the overall sales organization and use them for personal and team development. This will strengthen and advance the company together with its teams.
On a personal note, I wish all employees good health, lots of fun and success.