9 firms honoured at Pirelli Supplier Awards 2018

Sustainability, innovation and quality of service were the key elements for the Pirelli Supplier Awards 2018, the annual occasion when the company awards nine suppliers from its global supply chain of over 10,000. The Supplier Awards reward those suppliers who shine for their ability to make the Pirelli supply chain even more sustainable and enhance qualitative excellence, making Pirelli’s products more high value, in line with the group’s strategy.

This year’s awards for those suppliers who distinguished themselves over the past 12 months were presented by Matteo Battaini, Pirelli’s chief purchasing officer, and Filippo Bettini, the company’s chief sustainability and risk governance officer, at a ceremony held on 31 August at Pirelli’s headquarters in Milan. The awards were given to nine suppliers in the areas of raw materials, services and machinery.

The most frequently encountered qualities in the awards’ 2018 edition include innovation, quality of service and sustainability, which has its own specific award. Pirelli’s supply chain has

The Supplier Awards reward those suppliers who shine for their ability to make the Pirelli supply chain even more sustainable and enhance qualitative excellence

been constructed to guarantee product innovation, process digitalisation and long-term competitiveness, where respect for the environment and attention to the value of people are considered primary levers of growth.

Pirelli’s efforts towards a sustainable purchasing strategy were recognised by the confirmation compliance for Pirelli’s supply system with the UNI ISO 20400 rule, conferred in February 2018 by SGS Italia S.p.A. – a leading global inspection, verification, analysis and certification services firm. Pirelli is thus the first company in the automotive industry to have received this confirmation of compliance. ISO 20400 constitutes the most important international guideline for supply chain sustainable governance, where the economic, social and environmental responsibility are integrated into the company’s strategies, organisation and purchasing processes.

The winners of the Pirelli Supplier Awards 2018 include:

Glanzstoff Sicrem Spa (Italy), suppliers of textile reinforcements – awarded for the criteria of ‘Quality’ and Speed’ plus the prestigious Sustainability prize, which the company earned for its production of rayon using only cellulose from plantations certified for sustainable agro-forestry management;

JSR Corporation (Japan), a supplier of synthetic rubber awarded for the criteria of ‘Innovation’ and ‘Service Level’;

Thai Eastern Innovation Co., Ltd (Thailandia), PT. Kirana Megatara Tbk (Indonesia) and PT. Prasidha Aneka Niaga Tbk (Indonesia); all suppliers of natural rubber awarded for ‘Quality’ and ‘Service Level’;

VMI Holland (the Netherlands), a supplier of tyre assemblers and machines for semi-processed components for the criteria of ‘Quality’ and ‘Global Presence’;

MDM (Italy), an integrated marketing and communication agency awarded for the criteria of ‘Innovation’ and ‘Speed’;

Appian (USA), a supplier of the business process management platform and related consultancy services awarded for the criteria of ‘Innovation’ and ‘Speed’;

Warehouse Service, Inc. (USA), a logistics services supplier awarded for the criteria of ‘Speed’ and ‘Innovation’.

Matteo Battaini commented: “Pirelli has built its business model, focused on High Value, on product innovation and process digitalisation. To pursue this strategy, it is not only necessary to choose suppliers that are leading companies, but also to build with each of them a partner relationship. It is essential that they share values such as innovation, quality, customer care, product and process sustainability and attention to brand value.

“And, in an ever more dynamic market context, goals must also be shared, such as cost rationalisation, speed of adapting to new technology and implementation of best practices in sustainable management,” Battaini continued. “Today, Pirelli’s procurement involves the management of around 10,000 suppliers for a total expenditure of 3.2 billion euro in 2017, mainly on raw materials (46 per cent), services (36 per cent), machinery (13 per cent) and consumption materials (three per cent).”