Intimesofdecliningeconomicgrowth, companieshavetocontroltheircostsmore than ever to saveresources needed in the future. Regardless of the economic size of the company, the processes of production and logistics play a decisive role in stabilizing procedures and avoiding waste. Both are important cost drivers in manufacturing companies and therefore they o?er large potential savings. Pervasive networking in the last years has contributed to a hitherto unknown transparency of global markets. This harmonization opened up new possibilities of entering foreign markets for procurement and sales to...