Peter Kaiser

As the oldest shoe factory in Europe, PETER KAISER has been manufacturing women’s shoes for over 175 years. Since its founding, the company has won over women worldwide with its high-quality materials, craftsmanship, and fit. At its headquarters in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate, PETER KAISER continues to develop products that successfully reflect and interpret the spirit of the times. To remain competitive in the coming years and decades and to offset fluctuations in export sales—for example, to Russia—the company is consistently focusing on online retail as well as its presence in its own brand stores, such as those in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden. In addition, the company, which employs 770 people, is investing in software and fixed assets to improve both brand presence and product presentation. To finance these investments with internal resources, the company commissioned Michael Paulus of ERA Group to examine the cost areas of packaging, freight, and office supplies. The freight and packaging costs of the subsidiary in Portugal were also analyzed. To achieve the best possible results for PETER KAISER, Paulus assembled a team of experts for each area.In all areas examined, ERA Group first created an overview of past expenditures and, together with PETER KAISER, derived the next steps from this analysis. Furthermore, ERA Group analyzed where process improvements could be implemented and whether the current suppliers and service providers aligned with PETER KAISER’s requirements profile. As a further step, a request for proposals was issued to existing suppliers and service providers as well as alternative vendors. Result of the analysis: Cumulatively, the company is reducing costs in the areas of packaging, freight, and office supplies by a six-figure amount per year.Dr. Marcus Ewig, Managing Director of PETER KAISER, commented on the results: “The dedicated experts for the various cost categories offer real added value for a medium-sized company. We couldn’t have achieved this on our own.”