Cofinity-X and Volkswagen Group Info Services AG jointly achieve a milestone in business partner management for the Volkswagen Group

What is the BPDM application in the context of Catena-X and what is it used for?

The intelligent management of business partner data (Business Partner Data Management or BPDM for short) is a core component of the Catena-X initiative and aims to standardise the data of business partners throughout the global automotive sector and create a uniform and reliable data source. This significantly increases the efficiency of the entire supply chain. In addition, this integration reduces redundancies and ensures the accuracy and speed of data, which is crucial to fulfil the increasing legal and operational requirements within the supply chain.

Central to BPDM is the Business Partner Number (BPN), a unique identifier that ensures each business partner can be accurately and consistently differentiated within the system, avoiding duplication and maintaining data integrity. This unique identifier facilitates seamless cross-system integration and reliable audit trails, improving overall operational efficiency and data consistency.

Key Performance Indicators and Use Case Success

As the largest automotive group in Europe, the Volkswagen Group operates globally and collaborates with a vast network of business partners, resulting in several hundred of thousands of business partner records which are actively handled by Volkswagen Group.

The Volkswagen Group operates globally and works with a network of numerous business partners. Against this background, BPDM is being established as the new industry-wide standard for business partner master data management with the following benefits:

• The initiative eliminates data redundancies and significantly reduces maintenance costs.
• BPDM guarantees a comprehensive view of business partner data and improves data processing speed.
• Customers benefit from sorted, analysed and enriched partner data and can therefore better comply with regulations in the supply chain.

BPDM – a joint success of Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, VW GIS AG and Cofinity-X

The co-operation between Cofinity-X, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche and VW GIS AG as the central point of contact for group-wide data products plays an important role in the development and introduction of BPDM. Together with the responsible departments of the Volkswagen Group, in particular Audi and Porsche Procurement, all partners involved have used their expertise in data management and digital technologies to improve the accuracy and efficiency of business processes and to make the extensive business partner data from the Volkswagen Group environment available for BPDM.

Highlights of the cooperation

Sven Lorenz, Head of Group Data & Artificial Intelligence, Volkswagen Group: ‘Many challenges in the automotive supply chain, be they regulatory, economic or geopolitical, can only be solved in the future with the help of a powerful data ecosystem. Catena-X is such a system and Volkswagen is relying on it. Cofinity-X and Volkswagen GIS AG are cornerstones for the realisation of the Catena-X vision for Volkswagen.’

Dennis Schröer, Data Domain Manager Business Partner Data Volkswagen Group: ‘With the go-live of Volkswagen and Cofinity-X in Catena-X, we are setting new standards in master data management. The introduction of the Business Partner Number (BPN) and the Golden Record enables a considerable reduction in the manual effort involved in maintaining our master data. At the same time, it provides a comprehensive view of business partners and optimises data quality in the long term. This collaboration stands for maximum efficiency and transparency in business partner data management.’

Thomas Rösch, CEO & Managing Director of Cofinity-X GmbH: ‘The so-called “Golden Record Service” from Cofinity-X uses AI and the autonomous exchange of data to reduce the costs of business partner data management. It is harmonised with the entire automotive industry, enables greater efficiency and meets the complex regulatory requirements of the automotive industry. We are grateful for the successful collaboration with the Volkswagen Group and VW GIS AG and look forward to delivering the operational benefits to all members of the Catena-X network.’

Patricia Stich, CEO of VW GIS AG: ‘The successful integration of BPDM into the Catena-X network is a milestone on the way to standardised data transfer along the entire automotive value chain. The successful implementation underlines our goal as VW GIS AG to radically simplify the cross-company provision of data for our vehicle brands. It is further proof of what we can achieve through strategic partnerships within the Group and across the industry.’

What are the next steps in the collaboration between Cofinity-X, VW GIS AG and the partners involved?

In the future, Cofinity-X and VW GIS AG, together with Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche, plan to expand BPDM capabilities and incorporate artificial intelligence to predict and mitigate potential disruptions in real time. This development is intended to further improve the resilience and responsiveness of the automotive supply chain. Other use cases that will set new standards in the industry-wide utilisation of data are also being implemented. The aim is to support solutions for decarbonisation, seamless traceability of individual parts and components across the entire supply chain and a circular economy for a sustainable supply chain.