J.C.Quemard said PSA/Peugeot-Citroen will select about 15 key strategic suppliers by the middle of 2008 as it strives to lower costs and improve development processes.
The French carmaker needs help from its suppliers to meet its goal of cutting purchasing costs 6 percent a year
Closer ties with this group would help PSA achieve higher quality in its cars, boost innovation, cut development times and lower costs, Quemard said. For its key suppliers, he added, “We would like to be the preferred car manufacturer.”
Quemard, 47, was in charge of launching the 308, Peugeot’s No. 2 seller in Europe.
“I know products quite well and have real experience in dealing with suppliers on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
Quemard wants to foster a more cooperative relationship with parts makers. “You can rely on your supplier, but every day you need to remind him that you are there,” he said.
Added Quemard: “I think I might have a better understanding of the constraints, but also of what we can ask them. And we can ask much more.”