Internship: Digitalization of subcontracting management: from black-box to real-time visibility

Assignment type: Internship

Contract type: Full time

Job area: Students

Location: Veghel, Netherlands

Start date: February 2027

Assignment duration: 6 months

Education level: Master

Desired study: Supply chain management, industrial engineering, mathematics or IT

Language: Dutch / English

Working week: 40 hours

Internship: Digitalization of subcontracting management: from black-box to real-time visibility

Description of assignment

How can Vanderlande gain real-time visibility into the shop floors and inventory of external subcontractors? Currently, our mechanical subcontractors operate entirely outside our ERP ecosystem. Managing their own production, inventory, quality, and scheduling through disconnected systems, spreadsheets, or paper-based processes leaves their operational data invisible to us. Because we only receive periodic, manually compiled reports that are often delayed, decisions regarding supplier allocation and risk mitigation are based on guesswork rather than data.

During this internship, you will help bridge this structural visibility gap. You will investigate, build, and optimize digital solutions—such as Power Platform applications and centralized data integrations—to transform mechanical subcontractor management into a data-driven process. Your research and solutions will enable proactive capacity planning, early shortage detection, and seamless collaboration with our supply chain partners. The key research question is:

‘How can Vanderlande establish real-time operational visibility and advanced planning capabilities across external mechanical subcontractors through process digitalization and smart data solutions?’

Department description

You will join Global Category Management, the department where spending meets strategy. We own the full procurement lifecycle: dissecting spend data, mapping supply markets, segmenting suppliers, negotiating contracts, and managing risks across every mechanical and electrical category. Category Managers operate at the strategic core of Vanderlande, connecting Engineering, Quality, Operations, Finance, and Supply Chain to drive innovation, cost savings, and on-time delivery. You will work in an international, data-driven environment with a direct impact on our global supply chain performance.

Tasks/responsibilities

• Supplier Inventory Data Collection & Validation Systematically collect and validate supplier inventory data — on-hand stock, consumption rates, and replenishment cycles — to establish a single, reliable baseline
• Visibility Improvement through Digitalization Build a centralized database with a Power App–driven digital process, enabling suppliers to self-maintain records, update on-hand stock, and log consumption in real time — replacing manual, periodic reporting with live visibility
• Advance Planning & Demand Forecasting Leverage validated consumption data to drive proactive capacity and demand planning with key suppliers, enabling earlier visibility into potential shortages and smoother allocation

Your profile

• Knowledge in procurement & inventory management is preferred
• Strong data analysis and validation capabilities are essential
• Having a proficiency in power platform is mandatory
• A basic level of project- and stakeholder management is preferred
• A strong problem-solving approach to handle messy and incomplete supplier data is crucial for success

What we offer

• A monthly internship allowance (based on a 40-hour work week): €550 per month for a master student
• Full commuting allowance, including public transport, depending on whether you have access to free public transport or not
• On-site health center with gym
• Active employee communities and initiatives
• Excellent company restaurant and barista coffee bar