20 Years of ebp-consulting GmbH
Based in Stuttgart, ebp-consulting GmbH can now look back on 20 successful years. The company was founded in 2001 by Dr. Jochen Braun and Frank Gehr, along with their then-partner Prof. Dr. Bernd Hellingrath, as a spin-off from the two leading Fraunhofer Institutes for Production Technology and Automation (IPA) in Stuttgart and for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) in Dortmund, and offers tailored consulting, planning, and implementation services in the field of supply chain management (SCM), inbound, intra-, and outbound logistics, as well as factory and warehouse planning.
Initially, the business focused heavily on planning and implementing innovative, lean inbound and intralogistics processes in the automotive sector. As early as the beginning of the 2000s, ebp-consulting had, on behalf of leading German automotive manufacturers and suppliers , developed, planned, and implemented forward-looking lean concepts—including “Just in Time” (JiT) and “Just in Sequence” (JiS)—in a large number of production plants. Even back then, ebp-consulting was already among the leading process and implementation consultancies in this segment. Such principles of “Lean Logistics” were also developed for intralogistics and consistently and successfully implemented in material provision, internal transport, and order picking. Line-back principles, supermarket concepts, and automated guided vehicle systems are just a few examples of this.
At the same time, additional industries were gradually tapped into as part of supply chain management consulting: In addition to medical technology and pharmaceuticals, mechanical and plant engineering, logistics service providers, and consumer goods, the retail sector was also successfully entered. Over the years, in close collaboration with client companies, many industry- and company-specific solutions have been developed and successfully implemented. “Our clients have always appreciated that we think across industries and combine and apply the best approaches from each industry in a way tailored to the client,” says Frank Gehr, Managing Director and founder of ebp-consulting. “We understand the unique characteristics of each industry and know how to address them.” As consultants, we first focus on optimal processes. We are thoroughly familiar with the corresponding technical logistics solutions and IT systems, which we select to meet specific requirements and support through implementation until completion.”
Over the course of its 20 years in business, ebp-consulting has built up a vast repository of methodological knowledge and, in addition, developed a wide range of helpful and powerful consulting tools. This enables ebp-consulting to deliver high-quality and efficient project work that provides significant added value to ebp clients. It is not uncommon for clients to be actively involved in the application of these tools and to receive the know-how for their own future use. For its comprehensive technical expertise, industry competence, and consulting approach, ebp-consulting has already been recognized multiple times as one of the best management consultancies in Germany.
To round out its service portfolio, ebp-consulting has relied on a strong partner network for years. This allows us to cover SAP consulting topics as well as architectural services for logistics and factory buildings.
In addition to the offices in Stuttgart, Munich, and Dortmund, internationalization has been advanced with offices in Brussels (Belgium), Shanghai (China), and Pretoria (South Africa). Supported by international teams of employees, logistics and supply chain management projects are now managed worldwide. In South Africa, ebp-consulting has since become a well-established player in the logistics sector. Additional locations are planned for the future, such as in Eastern Europe.
ebp-consulting has grown steadily over the past 20 years and continues to grow. A motivated, competent team of consultants is the key to success. This includes long-standing existing clients and many interested new clients with challenging projects and long-term business relationships.
ebp-consulting looks to the future with optimism. “We are far from done; we still have a lot planned,” says Frank Gehr. “Among other things, we have entered the field of transport management and are continuing to expand it.” In addition, ebp-consulting plans further strategic collaborations with partner companies, the establishment of new locations, and the further development of its consulting portfolio.
“Our independence and neutrality are among our USPs, which we continue to build upon and which our clients also value in us,” says Dr. Jochen Braun, Managing Director and founder of ebp-consulting.