Two years later the appeal has taken body

European military shipyards, buy all! It is, in substance, the President of DCN, historic provider the Royal message to competitors a day of 2004, when the Euronaval show. The location was not trivial, since the event brings together every two years the gotha of maritime defence industry. The idea, common sense, is revolutionary, because it is addressed to competitors: to share purchases to reduce operating costs. Two years later, the appeal has taken body. Reflected in the planned meeting tomorrow to El Ferrol.

Here, Systems North of the Spain, Jean Idier, Director Navantia, for a point of important progress. "We can expect between 5 and 30 savings on our purchases, not to mention the reduction in delivery times," he said.

Formalized in a real club the Warship European Procurement Club, or WEP Club , the association has solid foundations. After a period of gestation in 2005, the statutes, the Organization and confidentiality agreements have been developed. And to move forward, the club of the five is currently limited to standard purchases, which still represent 20 of the cost of production of a ship.

Five of the twenty-six standard products identified were thus selected with for each, a designated officer: BAE for the steel, DCN for the valves, Fincantieri for the cables, Navantia for pipes and VT for the doors. Load to each head of an inventory of what the other members of the club purchase the product in question, to try to make possible the most common needs, and thus to infer potential gains. It is the purpose of the meeting of El Ferrol on 28 November, should be the result of this work on the table.

The next step "Negotiate with framework agreements that will be of contractual declensions Corporation, while supply will remain driven by the building", says Jean Idier. In the meantime, the first tangible results of the WEP Club realized the culmination of a reflection initiated in cooperation with the Italian for "Horizon" frigates or the Spaniards with the multi-mission frigates for DCN. "In both cases, we have seen that their buyers had things to teach us", he says.

A service valued

But mostly it for DCN to a new step in its transformation. Become Corporation of private law in 2003, about to open its capital to Thales, the ex-arsenal of the Navy knows that its future through a structuring European alliance. The context leaves no choice. On the one hand, the French Navy (the customer) expects always less expensive ships. The other State (shareholder) is a still more profitable company. Without forgetting the defence budgets of European countries, at best stagnant, the absence of major multinational programmes, competition every day more aggressive low-cost, Asian countries including and, internally, the wage increases with the replacement of State workers by engineers...

For joining forces in a position of strength, DCN should make the best possible economic profile. Which is such a drastic reduction in internal costs. Jean-Marie Poimboeuf set the cap: 500 million euros per year by 2008. With more than 65 of operating costs, is approximately 1.7 billion euros per year, the buying position is first online. Where a series of actions in depth for several months already.

Human first, the function has not much to see what it was in 2002: 370 equivalents full today, against 516 at the time. Many departures, but especially the arrival of new profiles, more adapted to a competitive environment. "Half of the buyers were not there before the change of status", summarizes Jean Idier. Another shipyard: computer has been completely reviewed around a package of the Oracle Corporation, inter alia, that implementation must be achèver this month. But the essential lies elsewhere.

"There where it has much to gain, it is by better work together technicians, buyers and suppliers," assures Jean Idier. (Almost) caricature example, for the famous multi-mission (FREMM) frigates, the largest program in European cooperation of all time: studies offices had produced any documentation on wipers. Purchased directly from suppliers, the economy has reached 30...

To do that technicians, buyers and suppliers to better understand, common trainings were on foot, with concrete applications. Always in the case of the FREMM, and with the assistance of an outside firm, major purchases have passed to the screen. Result: 20 savings in six months by ship. And DCN well do the same for the nuclear attack submarines "Barracuda", which the notification is expected by the end of the year.

If the purchasing function discovers a new youth, sister of the "appros" will not remain in rest. "This was never a priority", said Jean Idier. Too many numbers, too many stocks, but more than 60 million euros of potential gains per year in ensuring that the right product is delivered to the right place at the right time. Launched in June, a plan of 56 actions should result in 2008.

And of course providers have not been forgotten, requires them to DCN requesting "change their habits", competition, whose number has been reduced, and that must adapt to the new rules of the game of their client. To date, nearly 90 of them are engaged in a process of progress, the key performance indicators. A magazine destined for "actors of the development providers plan" saw the day last July. And, the only economic performance, a new phenomenon reflects, according to Jean Idier, the success of the overall approach of procurement transformation: hitherto little valued service earns its letters of nobility. For evidence, General engineer of armament asked to deal with the charentais Lane site.