​GET ACQUAINTED WITH OUR TEAMS : AMW SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGY

How does AMW’s relationship with suppliers work? What are the goals pursued for the supply chain? We invite you in the backstage of the Sourcing, Purchasing and Procurement department. Today we met Dominic HARRIS, Supply Chain Director

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In an EMS partnership approach, the entire production chain must be involved in a win-win business approach. AMW works with its Suppliers to build together a competitive and efficient strategy for the end Customers.

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What is your experience with AMW ?

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I started to work for AMW 11 years ago, at the beginning as Customer Service and export Manager. I always had a direct contact with AMW’s customers.

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For the last 8 years, I have been managing the whole supply chain for AMW. I have the responsibility for sourcing, procurement, ordering, planning, warehousing, in and out logistics, as well as sales administration (order intake). At the same time, I overlook the relationship with long term key customers.

Please could you introduce the members of your team ?

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Antoine De Ceaurriz-Heren is our Sourcing Manager. Antoine selects the best Suppliers that will answer our clients’ needs (volume, leadtime, cost, quality…) according to delivery time (prototypes, qualification series, mass production). He is in charge to set up the long term strategy with our preferred suppliers.

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Pojjanee Kraipetch is our Customer Service Manager. She is the main representative of the interests of our clients within the Supply Chain, in particular on lead times and cost optimization.

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Isara Kaozoo is Purchasing Manager. Isara is in charge of the AMW purchasing strategy, in close contact with our suppliers to fulfill our clients’ objectives. She manages material purchases according to the recommendations made by the ERP, to the contracts in place, etc.

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Soubanh Tran is our Planning & Asset Manager. He is the keeper of the integrity of transactions, as well as overlooking the good fulfillment of our orders with the Suppliers. He is managing the warehouse , with the responsibility of the stock integrity, and manage as well the in and out logistics for incoming material and shipping of the final products.

How do you select your supplier partners ?

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It depends on our clients’ needs, and the the economical context. We are looking to supply a competitive and/or technologic solution. Our Suppliers are selected after a long audit process, including an assessment of their quality standards , their prices , the flexibility rules, and long term stability within the business.

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« We are dealing on a long term relationship, some of our partnerships with Suppliers last for 30 years !»

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How do you set up your quality controls with Suppliers ?

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This type of control is managed by the AMW quality department. They follow a supplier qualification process and then materials are sent to us as part of the audit.

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We use as well tools as AS400 and WINDEV (ERPs) to manage the overall resources . We also use softwares such as Silicon Expert to remove risks within the supply chain, like potential obsolete parts. For the automotive industry for example, it allows to drastically reduce the supply leadtimes and the homologations that may last for two to three years !

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Who are your supplier partners ?

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Our Suppliers are part of the whole supply chain, from the raw material, including the plastic housings, the logistics, the warehousing and the transport. We work with some distributors like Arrow and Future for standards components, the others are selected within our network based on our clients requirements and constraints.

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What is your long term strategy with your preferred suppliers ?

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We set up close collaborations and a research and exchange approach to build innovative solutions. In short, we are developing win-win partnerships with suppliers that will make our clients more competitive. There is a common interest in meeting the needs of our end customers.

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With one of our Taiwannais partners, for example, we have been working together for over 30 years. We know each other perfectly, we benefit from a common experience.

What are your goals for your client ?

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The first one and the most important is of course the costs optimisation. The idea is to make our client the mosts competitive in their markets.

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The second, also crucial, concerns deadlines. We have supply contracts with our partners in order to establish a stock management strategy. 

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What is the ideal partnership with a Supplier ? 

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In order for the partnership to work as well as possible, both parties must understand that the competitiveness and success of the client is in the best interests of the supplier. We have to work together, over the long term to have a real win-win deal.