08 January 2013
Neuilly-sur-Seine, 8 January 2013 – Thales was officially recognised today for its responsible supplier relations policy at a ceremony presided by Fleur Pellerin, Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Innovation and the Digital Economy at the French Ministry for Productive Renewal. The Group was one of four major companies selected for the responsible supplier relations quality label by the French government’s Business Relations Mediation scheme and the French association of purchasers and purchasing managers (CDAF).
The quality label recognises French companies that have demonstrated balanced, sustainable relationships with their suppliers and subcontractors. Certification is granted for three years to promote and recognise continuing application of the ten commitments for responsible purchasing laid out in the Charter of Inter-Company Relations, which Thales was among the first companies to sign when it was drafted in 2010.
Alain Monjaux, Thales’s Director of Supplier Relations and internal mediator for SMEs, said he was proud that Thales had been among the first French companies to receive the quality label. “This distinction is an endorsement of the policy we have been pursuing for a number of years aimed at sustaining more balanced, more responsible relationships with small and medium-sized enterprises. The evaluation process is also a valuable exercise in its own right, an opportunity to benchmark ourselves against the best practices in the profession and an added stimulus in our quest for excellence in supplier relations.”
Thales has recently taken steps to strengthen its commitment to SMEs and stimulate innovation in a spirit of shared success, signing a new charter in support of innovative SMEs in December 2012. Under the terms of the charter, signed in the presence of Arnaud Montebourg, Minister for Productive Renewal, and Fleur Pellerin, Thales has undertaken to further assist SMEs in conducting their innovation projects and reaching their future growth and development goals. In exchange, the Group gains access to innovative technology and secures its supply chain in certain areas of innovation. About 4,000 small and medium-sized enterprises are Thales suppliers, and almost 500 of these companies are closely involved in the Group’s R&D activities. Thales is one of 19 major French groups to have signed the charter.
The new charter initiative and the quality label for responsible supplier relations are both part of a proactive policy of support for SMEs that Thales has pursued consistently for a number of years. Other milestone agreements and initiatives have included:
• signing of the SME Pact in France in 2006 to promote feedback and share best practices between major groups and SMEs
• wide-ranging involvement of small businesses and medium-sized enterprises, which account for 75% of the Group’s purchasing spend in France
• signing of the Charter of Inter-Company Relations governing relations between contractors and SMEs and incorporating the ten commitments for responsible purchasing.