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Automotive purchasing: “I see little future for myself in the car industry”

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Sandra Neumann, 55, works in purchasing for an automotive supplier that sells components to manufacturers including Mercedes and Porsche.
  • She calculates component needs, contacts suppliers and negotiates prices under tight time and cost pressures.
  • She earns €9,100 gross and has invested €500,000 in a planned house while considering a move to the countryside.

Sandra Neumann, 55, works in purchasing for an automotive supplier, but she says she sees little future for herself in the car industry.

Her employer sells components to manufacturers such as Mercedes and Porsche, which use them to assemble finished vehicles. Neumann calculates which individual parts the company needs for a model series, decides which suppliers to approach and works out the costs.

Most of her working time goes into video conferences and negotiations. Winning new customers is particularly demanding because so many details must be settled. The pressure is constant: customers specify what they want, and the supplier must deliver it as cheaply as possible and within a set period.

Neumann earns €9,100 gross. She wants to move to the countryside and has already invested €500,000 in a house project.

I see little future for myself in the car industry.

· Sandra NeumannThe headline quote expresses the 55-year-old automotive purchasing employee’s concerns about her industry.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.