Tooling Sourcing - Die Cast Aluminium Foundry
Sourcing
Challenge / Requirement
Following a very large customer contract award the client (with a further similar award to follow), a large new aluminium high pressure casting foundry, had a requirement for an extensive suite of High Pressure Die Cast tooling, trim tooling and downstream fixtures (approx. £30m over five years). With no “plug and play” UK source for this size and complexity of tooling and a limited number of European Tool makers capable of producing large tooling in the numbers required. The challenge was to create a large enough pool of current and potential development suppliers to support the business for the long term requirements.
Process
A supplier event was hosted at client’s new facility for 32 suppliers over 3 days to promote the client as a supply chain partner, highlight the extent of the requirement and to discuss each supplier’s suitability in one to one interviews.
Outcome
Following the event the chosen suppliers which had the ability to manufacture compliant tooling were negotiated with to finalise pricing and contractual terms, UK suppliers who showed potential for future supply were met with and strategic action plans developed to bridge the gap between current ability and future require.
Benefits
Through negotiations, the solution for the initial requirement for High Pressure Die Cast tooling used an optimised spread of suppliers with a saving of approximately 1.8m EUR from the budgeted cost of 6.7m EUR, with a projected saving over the life of programme of approximately 8.1m EUR. 2 UK suppliers are being developed to provide a ‘local’ base of supply.
