Funk Consulting – Our references

GEMÜ Gruppe

“As the global market leader in valve technology for sterile processes, it is important to us that our system solutions are tailored to the individual needs of our customers. We also expect this from our own service providers. When introducing global risk management software, Funk completely fulfilled our expectations in this regard. The implementation was straightforward and very professional, and we had a direct contact person available at all times. Any problems that arose were resolved quickly and flexibly. The software now enables us to work more closely with our subsidiaries, thereby demonstrably improving our processes.”

Tanja Mangold
Corporate Insurance and Risk Management Officer
GEMÜ Gruppe

Schill + Seilacher

The safe handling of chemical substances is a top priority for the company Schill + Seilacher. Nevertheless, a reactor exploded at its Pirna site in Saxony in December 2014. It later transpired that human error was the cause. The sad outcome of the accident was one fatality, several seriously injured and extensive damage to property, including in the vicinity of the plant. Such a serious incident, involving damage to several insurance lines, requires immediate and prudent action by all parties involved. The day after the accident, Funk put together a team of experts who initiated immediate measures to secure the factory premises and the undamaged equipment. Two Funk experts accompanied the claim from the first day until its final settlement. Initial estimates put the total damage at €100 million. However, it quickly became clear that the business interruption losses would be significantly higher than the pure property damage. On the one hand, the technical reconstruction was estimated to take at least 18 months, and on the other hand, the authorities had shut down the entire Pirna site in the meantime – including the systems that had been spared by the accident. Since Pirna served as an “extended workbench” for the other sites in the group, these were also affected by the interruption. In order to continue to meet customer demand despite the damage, contract manufacturers were sought and commissioned at short notice. It took a year and a half and dozens of expert reports before the shutdown of part of the plant was lifted, and it was not until three years later that all Schill + Seilacher plants in Pirna that were not affected by the damage were allowed to resume production. Helge Jetschiny, Head of Finance/Controlling at Schill + Seilacher, comments: “The shutdown imposed by the authorities came within a hair's breadth of forcing us to close the site completely. There was an immediate threat of around 120 jobs being lost in Pirna. The excellent advice and proactive damage control provided by Funk have helped us to finally be sure that we can continue here.” 

Armacell

The economic success of a company depends largely on a robust supply chain. Armacell therefore worked with Funk to introduce business continuity management (BCM) at its Münster site. As Armacell processes chemical substances, the company is subject to the Hazardous Incident Ordinance – accordingly, important foundations for effective business continuity management (BCM) have already been laid. Building on this, detailed business continuity plans were developed together with Funk. A lifecycle was developed and implemented over a period of around one year.

As part of this lifecycle, factors that affect Armacell's value chain are regularly identified and analyzed. Based on this, emergency plans are implemented within the company under realistic conditions. This makes the value chain robust against crisis events. Before introducing BCM, the company had to make an important strategic decision and consider the necessary consequences and precautions: How quickly do you want to be able to resume operations after a production failure? The shorter the target for restarting business processes, the more extensive the business continuity measures that need to be taken.

Against the backdrop of this fundamental decision, the business processes are analyzed and the risks typical for the location are examined.

“With Funk, we have a coach who has presented the advantages and basic principles of BCM to us in a practical way. Together, we have gone through the BCM lifecycle step by step and are benefiting from Funk's project experience in the field of business continuity management,” says Salvatore Gargallo, Group EHS Manager at Armacell.

KUKA

Kerstin Heinrich, Head of Corporate Sustainability (ESG): “Climate change is causing a dramatic increase in natural hazards and extreme weather events. The extent of the damage will continue to rise worldwide.

The aim of the natural hazard analysis with Funk was to obtain relevant data on the local risk conditions for each site. This data is used for systematic risk assessment to evaluate its impact on business development and the achievement of corporate goals.

By analyzing the sites with regard to many natural and climate hazards, we were able to gain in-depth knowledge of the risk situation at our sites. This enables us to take targeted measures to ensure the resilience of our sites for the future.”

Schöck Bauteile

Risk management is more than just complying with legal regulations. The company Schöck Bauteile shows how risk management can be used for business success: First, a team identified risk areas based on the executive board and business divisions. Schöck was supported in this by Funk Consulting. The risks identified included economic fluctuations and raw material prices. Added to this are increasing energy standards, different construction methods in international markets, and a shortage of skilled workers. On this basis, the Schöck team worked with Funk Consulting to develop a process for identifying and assessing significant risks at a risk management meeting held twice a year. The results are then reviewed by the Executive Board and Supervisory Board. The project participants evaluate the changes in the risk areas in regular meetings with the Executive Board and division managers and analyze individual risks and the measures to be taken. 

Rainer Schapfeld, Head of Legal and Risk Management at Schöck Bauteile, sums it up: “This type of risk management enables risks to be efficiently recorded, assessed, processed, and reported, and, in addition to other controlling instruments, provides a complete overview of the company's risk situation.”

Rational AG

"Working with Funk Consulting has provided us with valuable transparency regarding potential major damage scenarios within our company. The in-depth review of our existing insurance limits was particularly helpful. The analysis of our critical supplier relationships was also extremely insightful: it enabled us to better understand existing dependencies and potential risks in the supply chain and to manage them in a targeted manner. Overall, Funk Consulting delivered a customized analysis and tailored recommendations for action that are precisely tailored to the requirements of RATIONAL AG. The collaborative partnership, structured project process, and technically sound results form a strong foundation for the sustainable further development of our risk management. We would like to express our sincere thanks for the professional support and look forward to continuing our collaboration." 

Gerd Amrhein (Risk Management Expert / ESG Regulatory Affairs)