SUPPLY CHAIN

Customer satisfaction is the numberone priority for the Prysmian Group and the company ’ s quality initiatives include “ zero defects ” and “ right first time ” approaches for all customer-related activities .

21,000 employees may seem like a big global headcount , but it is really very small considering the sheer volumes of cables produced by the group . The key is lean thinking , says Schulties . “ We leverage the experience we have in the factories . While we invest heavily in improvement and expansion we remain very focused internally on selecting the “ right ” capital equipment for the future and also utilizing the equipment we have so we are not wasting the effort of our overall capital investment . Inventories are kept low , not just on the factory floor – we are trying to reduce inventories across the supply chain . Long term we keep a close eye on the slow moving or obsolescent inventories too .”

There are many challenges in keeping control over inventories in a global supply chain , he explains .

Many of his raw materials are sourced globally , but he is also now working in a ‘ Buy American ’ and / or Buy America environment . Government contracts are very rigorous in specifying locally sourced content , and the defense sector typically demands 100

Annual Revenue

percent . The current administration is known to favor strengthening these constraints , and additional tariffs on imported materials may be around the corner . At least he is not alarmed by the fact that he has just been to Durango , Mexico , to open the newest North American plant . This is a state of the art fiber optic cable plant purpose-built close to its existing Draka plants . In

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