Cost Pressure in the Global Competition

The very first discussion forum on cost management in the automotive industry

On the 11. and 12. June the FACTON Congress on Schloss Hohenheim in Stuttgart offered for the first time a forum for the most important challenges of the automotive industry: successful cost management with increasing cost pressure in the global competition.

The overall recognized reflex-like turning toward Asia offered no sustainable solutions; instead the purchasing and production in low-income countries lead to dependence. The question, whether the German automotive suppliers and OEMs could maintain their position in the global competition was viewed from various perspectives by renowned speakers.

Invited guests listen to various keynotes bundled under the title “Costs become Chances – Cost Management in the Automotive Industry” among others by Prof. Dr. Hans Jörg Bullinger (President of the Frauenhofer institute), Michael F. Berger (Head Controlling Boxster, Dr. Ing. H.c. F. Porsche AG) and Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer (Director of CAR, FH Gelsenkirchen).

An inventory of the current state of cost management in the German automobile industry was followed by glances in various individual aspects, among others “Chances and Challenges of Low-Cost-Vehicles”, “The Sales Organization as Factor for Sustainable Success” and “The Necessity of Innovations”. Participants also got an insight on the practice of an innovative cost management approach at a leading German automotive company. Due to the positive feedback to this event it was transferred into a yearly discussion forum, where networking and the exchange of thoughts between the speakers and participants was and is in the focus.