STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Aug. 27, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Autoliv Inc. (NYSE:ALV) - the worldwide leader in automotive safety systems - has introduced an internet portal allowing suppliers instant access to Autoliv's online purchasing community. With this new tool, Autoliv's suppliers and business partners will be able to track orders and production forecasts, monitor supplier performance, assure conformance to Autoliv's supplier quality assurance plan and access vital documents such as product drawings, Autoliv Standards, and terms and conditions.
"The Autoliv Partner Portal (APP) is designed to simplify and improve the quality of our supplier communication," said Halvar Jonzon, Vice President of Purchasing for Autoliv. "As the portal is rolled out to our supply base, we not only expect to successfully reduce leadtime in our projects, but we believe it will help our suppliers to reduce waste and cost as well."
The introduction of the Autoliv Partner Portal marks a major expansion of Autoliv's supply base management strategy. It enables Autoliv to consolidate several independant web sites around the world into a single worldwide partner portal with single-entry access for the web-enabled services suppliers need to do business with Autoliv. According to Kent Barnes, Manager of Purchasing: "We will not only be able to train and integrate new suppliers at a faster rate, but we will be able to identify those suppliers performing for Autoliv and gravitate toward those with proven delivery and performance records. The portal will also enable suppliers to compare their own performance with that of other Autoliv suppliers."
Autoliv decided to use internal experts to design the site after studying the ready-made solutions offered on the market. "By designing this portal in-house, we were able to customize it to meet the specific needs of our suppliers and business partners. Communication will be faster and easier, and will reflect a truly global company to the supplier community," said Mr. Jonzon.
The site has been rolled out to 20 suppliers worldwide and the majority of Autoliv suppliers across the globe will have access to this new system by the end of the year.
Autoliv Inc. develops and manufactures automotive safety systems for all major automotive manufacturers in the world. Together with its joint ventures Autoliv has close to 80 facilities with some 32,000 employees in more than 30 vehicle-producing countries. Sales in 2001 amounted to U.S. $4 billion.
Inquiries:
Halvar Jonzon, Vice President of Purchasing, Tel +46 (8) 587 20 607 Kent Barnes, Manager of Purchasing, Tel +1 (801) 625.9271
This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net
The following files are available for download:
www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/08/27/20020827BIT00550/wkr0001.doc www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/08/27/20020827BIT00550/wkr0002.pdf