LHT`s second supplier conference focuses on e-commerce
This year Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has held its second supplier conference, again with a view to improving and intensifying cooperation with its suppliers. The discussions and speeches focused on the subject of e-commerce and on how the new technologies can be utilized most effectively.
Animated discussions with representatives of individual firms resulted in a better mutual understanding of one another`s needs and pinpointed areas in which improvements could be made. There was a consensus not only that one must focus on cost reductions, efficiency and being more accessible to customers but that greater use must be made of the Internet as a means of communication between customer and supplier. It is the declared intention of both to benefit from the advantages of the electronic marketplace through intensive exchanges of information and cooperative interaction among all parties.
The highpoint of the conference was the presentation of the coveted Lufthansa Technik supplier awards, which this year went to:

* Goodyear in the Best Overall Supplier category
* Arger Enterprises in the Best Pricing category
* Wencor West in the Best Quality category

* Heico Aerospace in the Best Logistics category
* Hamilton Sundstrand in the Best Communication category
* Faesecke in the Best Innovation category
Held in Lueneburg, a medieval town near LHT`s headquarter in Hamburg, the event was attended by more than 110 participants from all over the world. Their lively interest in the proceedings convinced LHT that this is the right approach to fostering relationships based on cooperation. The policy of the market leader in the MRO business is not only to be as close as possible to its customers but also to create a win-win situation vis-à-vis its suppliers and business partners.

“A spirit of cooperation and trust is essential for the creation of a quality product,” said Dietger Burghardt, head of strategic purchasing at LHT, in his remarks. “Equally important is close communication between partners, especially in times of radical change such as we are experiencing at present, when every function from the initial receipt of an order to post-delivery customer service is being transformed by Internet technologies. It`s not enough to be aware that we`re all in the same boat; we have to make sure that we`re all rowing in the same direction.”

——-