While in recent years the main focus in industry has been on the efficient use and optimisation of the ressource work force, many companies are now discovering that the efficient use of materials and an economical use of resources also constitutes as large cost savings potential. This cost savings potential has not yet been tapped.

According to the German minister of Economy and Technology, Michael Glos, it is possible "through efficient material use ... to save costs in a considerable dimension. With growing resource scarcity and raising raw material prices it becomes more and more important, that as many companies as possible start dealing with the subject." (see http://www.materialeffizienz.de). The German government has created an "impulse programme material efficiency", and, as a first measure founded demea, the German Material Efficiency Agency.

A number of instruments and measures can be used to use resources and materials more efficiently. Among these are e.g. quality improvement, Design for Environment (DfE) and Design for Recycling (DfR), reduction of cut-offs and wastes. In order to implement material efficiency it is indispensable to know all material flows in the production system.

We offer our consultancy services for material efficiency and resource productivity. With our experiences in the fields of material flow management and software development we can help you to tackle material efficiency in your company. Public funding is available for these consulting services. Contact us, if you want to know more!