The Challenge: Moving Beyond First-Generation Tools
Keller & Kalmbach was not new to CBAM software when they came to kolum. The team had already worked with other providers and found them lacking. Previous tools promised much but delivered poor data flexibility, restricted access to supplier master data, and created dependencies that made even basic data corrections cumbersome. Registration processes were unreliable, and the overall user experience fell short of what a company managing hundreds of supplier relationships across global supply chains needed.
Beyond the tooling frustration, the underlying CBAM challenge was substantial. As a major importer of steel-based fasteners and components, particularly from Turkey and China where default emission values are high, the financial exposure under CBAM was significant. The team needed a platform that could handle the complexity of customs data, installation-level emission tracking, and evolving regulatory requirements, while remaining flexible enough to adapt.
The Decision for kolum
The decision to switch to kolum was driven by three factors: flexibility, direct data control, and a collaborative development approach.
Paul Falko, who had experienced the shortcomings of previous providers firsthand, highlighted that kolum accommodated trader-specific requirements that others had ignored. Jannik Anslinger valued the ability to modify import data and production site assignments retroactively within the tool, a capability that saves considerable effort during the transitional phase when default values frequently need correction. Most importantly, the team felt that kolum listened and built with them, rather than delivering a static product.
The Solution in Practice
Since onboarding in Q4 2025, Keller & Kalmbach has built a comprehensive CBAM data management process on the kolum platform. The system captures customs declaration data, calculates emission costs using either verified supplier data or EU default values, and provides scenario-based cost modeling to support procurement and pricing decisions.
The platform's dashboard allows the team to toggle between actual and default emission values, compare certificate price scenarios, and generate quarterly data uploads as best practice, even ahead of the shift to annual reporting in 2027.
What particularly impresses Keller & Kalmbach is kolum's handling of the complex relationship between customs declarations, supplier installations, and countries of origin.
Results So Far
Replaced an underperforming tool
kolum delivers the data flexibility, master data access, and user experience that previous CBAM software providers could not.
Scenario-based cost planning
The team actively models CBAM certificate costs under different price and emission assumptions to inform procurement strategy.
Regulatory readiness & operational pragmatism
Quarterly data uploads are maintained as best practice, positioning Keller & Kalmbach well ahead of the 2027 reporting and trading deadlines. Customs declaration-level tracking for 2026 comes with a clear roadmap to installation-level detail once verification infrastructure matures.
Outlook
Keller & Kalmbach and kolum have a clear trajectory for the next phase: from 2027, as accredited verification reports begin including specific installation addresses, the team will leverage kolum's existing capability to track emissions at installation level for maximum precision. kolum's automatic verification flagging will be fully leveraged as more suppliers deliver certified data, reducing manual oversight and accelerating compliance cycles.
The team is already monitoring political developments around UK CBAM equivalence, with kolum providing guidance on reporting obligations as the regulatory landscape evolves.
For a 145-year-old company that has reinvented itself at every turn, CBAM compliance is not a burden, but another opportunity to lead. With kolum as their digital backbone, Keller & Kalmbach is turning regulatory complexity into competitive advantage, setting the standard for data-driven CBAM management in the fastening industry.