- Launch of the Global Purchasing Office (GPO) in the ZF Chakan Plant, the Headquarters for ZF in India
- ZF India Supplier Day 2016:Wind of Change campaign aims to reach €100 million worth of export from India by 2017 making India a global sourcing hub for ZF
ZF will reinforce its supplier base in the Indian market. In order to achieve this goal, ZF has initiated the Campaign “Wind of change”. It aims to reach €100 million worth of export from India by 2017. This was announced on the occasion of the ZF India Supplier Day.
“We want to develop India to a global sourcing hub for ZF”, says Wilhelm Rehm, Member of the Board of Management of ZF Friedrichshafen AG and responsible for Corporate Materials Management. “India has always had an advantage of a good supplier base, technical capability and availability of skilled talent proving it to be a premier destination for sourcing.”
In order to underline the strategic goal, ZF India has set up a Global Purchasing Office in the ZF Chakan Plant, the Headquarters for ZF in India. This structural change will help to enable local commodity managers to reach a higher frequency and engage in deeper interaction with the supplier base. It also gives the suppliers the much needed window into a global organization offering multi-product opportunities. The team will also function as a Regional Commodity Office, allowing ZF to develop a quality portfolio of products for the Indian and overseas markets. The organization is streamlining its operations to create a real time link with its strategic suppliers who are working closely towards a strategic growth course for various products to support the GPO.
“ZF aims to further strengthen its presence in India, and endeavor to seize any prospects related to castings, forgings and stampings while going forward with value added products and assemblies”, explains Mr. Horst Wiedmann, Executive Vice President, Head of Strategic Materials Management & Central Services ZF Group
“India has always had an advantage of a good supplier base, technical capability and availability of skilled talent proving it to a premier destination for sourcing.” Currently ZF is exporting to the tune of €35 million from India and aims to increase this figure to €100 million by 2017. Mr. Suresh KV, President for ZF in India adds, “We at ZF have always realized that the Indian market helps manufacture international quality products. We have been present here for over three decades and aim to position India as a major sourcing hub which can further help our presence on a global scale.”
ZF has restructured its team to be in sync with the new ZF Global Materials Management organization. The structure now consists of a head of Material Sourcing who will oversee a team of commodity managers. Technological innovations harmonized with a robust global supply chain supports ZF‘s manufacturing and assembly process which is coupled with ZF Production Systems approach. This all-inclusive approach ensures global quality products at vehicle- and field level.
