Safran supports its suppliers

Assistance and development support for Small and Medium-Size Enterprises (SMEs) are now a key issue in the aerospace industry, and the economy as a whole. The Pacte PME association, created in 2010, aims to improve relations between large corporations and their smaller suppliers while creating a collaborative relationship which benefits all players. "Safran took on this project as soon as it was created because we know that in our industries, suppliers are at the root of success!" underlines François Sireyjol, Vice President - Supplier Relations. This "win-win" relationship is at the heart of the Group culture.

Safran is situated in the best category of Pacte PME's rankings, which evaluates the quality of the relationship between large corporations and their suppliers and the development support provided to suppliers. "Pacte PME pushes us to go further and provides us with feedback on an approach which we have been using for a long time", says François Sireyjol. According to Safran Industrial and Purchasing Director Olivier Horaist: "Safran’s presence on the Pacte PME board allows us to affirm our commitment to small and medium-size suppliers and play a more important role, notably by helping to draw up the association's roadmap".

 

A partnership with the Ader program…

Safran is one of the Ader* program's three large partner manufacturers alongside Airbus and Thales. This program, which was launched in late 2015, specifically relates to 30 SMEs within the aerospace supply chain, of which 18 are located in underprivileged urban areas and urban tax-free zones. SMEs benefit from a personalized analysis and monthly meetings on subjects that are important for their development, with quality interventions to help them shed light on key issues.  "We invited, for example, the company directors to Safran Tech for presentations on additive manufacturing. Our aim was to help them find out more about a variety of innovative subjects developed by Safran", explains François Sireyjol. "During the official review of the program in early February 2017, SME directors were highly satisfied with the quality of the presentations and events, the clarity of the messages delivered by the large corporations and, the icing on the cake, the opportunity they had to meet and discuss with them. Many decided to remain in contact, and some are creating projects together".

 

…and of the Pacte Défense-PME

Furthermore, the Group is also participating in other similar initiatives. These include the Pacte Défense-PME, implemented in 2012 by Jean-Yves Le Drian, French Defense Minister. The Ministry's objective is to harness the large manufacturers with a significant share of the defense market to help develop SMEs and midmarket companies on the defense market. These companies often harbor innovations and creativity, and some have a significant role to play in France's strategic independence.

 

 

* ADER program for Agility, Development, Excellence and Reinforcement was born out of a JP Morgan Chase Foundation initiative and was thus named in the memory of French aviation pioneer, Clément Ader.