In order to provide its customers with competitive equipment and systems, in accordance with contractual commitments, the Group has chosen to focus its industrial activity on integration and testing. Reliable, competitive partners produce the elementary subsystems, and only certain critical technologies that give the Group a competitive edge are maintained internally.
Offset agreements and industrial transfer obligations negotiated under contracts, as well as the need to distribute activities in line with the Group's "multi-domestic" approach, are also part of the decision-making process.
The Manufacturing function is involved in all phases of the process, from modelling to series production of a product or system, and performs the following functions for the unit:
participation in the design, in accordance with the necessary rules and procedures enabling internal or external production, with the requirement of proposing technical solutions offering the best trade-off between cost and performance
drafting of consistent manufacturing documentation, managed in configuration
scheduling and launch of production, in close collaboration with the Supply Chain function to guarantee seamless continuity of supply chain management
internal manufacture of components and products not available on the market, if this provides a competitive advantage
subcontracting of other manufacturing
integration and testing of products and systems.
The Manufacturing function is of prime importance for two reasons: firstly, it is the ultimate stage of the process leading to delivery of products and services, which will satisfy the end-client; secondly, it represents the unique technological know-how that guarantees the present and future independence of the Group.
Manufacturing activities, like purchasing, are key activities in the transverse Supply Chain process. They enable us to provide reliable and competitive products, equipment and systems that are rigorously defined and correspond exactly to customers' requirements. The Manufacturing function as a whole includes manufacturing and testing engineering; production engineering studies (scheduling, planning and sourcing); manufacture of electronic, mechanical and specific sub-systems; integration, development and final testing of the product, equipment or complete system; and shipping and delivery.
Typical career path
After an initial post in engineering, in a manufacturing workshop or in testing and integration, successive positions in manufacturing programmes (industrial architecture, supply chain, etc.) lead to a post as Generalist Manager.