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work with our suppliers to look at manufacturability of the product components , the global availability of piece parts and general design to cost activities ,” he says .
“ In addition to this , for large spend items , we would engage with our supply chain to effectively price and build our proposal to bid for the project . This would include working with suppliers of materials and equipment as well as service providers such as installation services . This would entail conducting design for manufacturing , installation and cost activities to make their inputs and our overall bid price competitive for our end customers .”
Equally important is ensuring sources are sustainable , as each project has a 20-30 year life cycle . All the suppliers must sign a corporate social responsibility charter , stating they are committed to ethical sourcing , no pollution and no child labour . Thales is part of the United Nations Global Compact , a voluntary initiative to encourage companies around the world to adopt socially responsible policies . “ At the end of the day , this is Thales ’ reputation ,” White says .
© Thales _ Urban Rail Data Analytics
Challenges and strategies The biggest challenge is competition , not just in procurement but for Thales as a whole . White explains that the Chinese market is its biggest rival , as it ’ s no longer focused internally but is widening its footprint to the rest of the world . China ’ s low cost labor means Thales has to drive its prices down .
However Thales has strategy to handle this . “ Within the Thales group , we have a program called Ambition 10 – that ’ s a ten-year
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