It is some time since we took the opportunity via ‘Link’ to update our supply base on the progress of the ‘Supply Chain Simplification’ programme. A great deal of progress has been made towards our goal of having a Global Purchasing organisation that will provide a platform for real and continuous improvement in the way that we work together with our suppliers.

What has happened so far?
In January 2007, we launched Phase 1 of our Supply Chain Simplification programme as a direct response to feedback from our customers and suppliers that Rolls-Royce can be complicated to do business with. During this first phase we created the Supply Chain Units (SCU’s) globally and embedded Supply Chain Management teams (SCMT’s) in the UK to manage the purchased element of their parts portfolio.

What are Supply Chain Units?
Rolls-Royce Gas Turbine Operations are organised into 10 Supply Chain units:

• Combustion & Casings
• Component Services
• Compressors
• Controls
• Fans
• General Machining
• Installations
• Rotatives
• Transmissions, Structures and Drives
• Turbines

Each Supply Chain Unit is responsible for developing and executing a total supply chain strategy encompassing internally manufactured parts within their globally distributed facilities and purchased parts within suppliers around the world.