APC 2014 Annual Report Download - page 35

OVERVIEW OF THE GROUP’S STRATEGY, MARKETS AND BUSINESSES
ORGANIZATIONAL SIMPLICITY AND EFFICIENCY
A more modular approach to information systems 6.2
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Schneider Electric is completing a 3-year IT strategic cycle working smarter: leverage a global IT platform for our
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(2012-2014) in line with the Connect company strategy. This IT employees in order to provide an interface accessible anywhere
strategic cycle was comprised of four strategic directions: and anytime by end users;
run IT as a business: clear governance rules to run IT with
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standardize where it creates value: six IT domains as modular
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efficiency, speed and security.
as possible and which can be easily integrated for agility and
focused differentiation; The IT strategy of Schneider Electric is being refreshed in order to
align with the New Company Program Schneider is On, and an
make diversity efficient: one ERP federation with coordinated
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updated IT Strategic Cycle will be introduced in 2015.
data in order to minimize the number of ERP migrations by
replacing only when necessary;
Worldwide redeployment of production and supply chain resources 6.3
Schneider Electric has more than 240plants and 100distribution supported by the extension of Six Sigma and Quality and Value
centers around the world. Customer satisfaction is its top priority. Analysis programs across the Group. By deploying these
optimization methods globally and sharing best practices, the
While working constantly to improve occupational health and Group intends to raise the operational performance of all its plants
safety and environmental protection, Schneider Electric’s to the same high standard.
manufacturing policy aims to fulfill four key objectives, in order of
priority: Schneider Electric’s plants and products comply with increasingly
extensive and stringent European regulations and with international
to achieve a level of quality and service that meets or1)
standards governing environmental protection in all host countries.
exceeds customer expectations;
In many cases, the Group anticipates future standards. In1992,
to obtain cost-competitive products while continuing to2)
Schneider Electric defined a formal environmental policy, which
deliver strong and consistent productivity;
was revised in2004 to take account of changes both internally and
to develop system speed and efficiency and limit production3)
externally. This policy is designed to improve production
sites’ risk exposure (currency parity, geopolitical risks and
processes, promote eco-design, integrate customer expectations
changes incost factors);
into the Group’s environmental protection approach and raise
awareness among all employees and partners about environmental
to optimize capital employed in manufacturing operations.4)
protection and energy efficiency. In order to limit risks related to the
A number of the production facilities and distribution centers are environment generally, the Group has implemented an
dedicated to the global market. The other units are located as ISO14001-compliant process to continuously improve the
close as possible to their end markets. Although design and/or environmental performance of its plants and supply chain centers.
aesthetic features may be adapted to meet local requirements, Nearly all of our industrial sites have now been ISO14001 certified,
SchneiderElectric standardizes key components as much as and so we can address our efforts towards new areas for
possible. This global/local approach helps Schneider Electric improvement, which were initiated and/or pursued in 2012–2013,
maximize economies of scale and optimize profitability and service like ISO50001 certification (energy efficiency) as well as qualitative
quality. and quantitative improvement of our sites’ water consumption and
Drawing on its global scope, Schneider Electric has re-balanced industrial waste generation.
and optimized its manufacturing and supply chain resources. Schneider Electric has implemented a policy to systematically
In Western Europe, the United States, Japan and Australia, identify and reduce its industrial risk in order to secure maximum
adaptation plans continued to be deployed with a focus on service to its customers and to minimize any impact of disaster,
specializing production and supply chain units and reducing the whether it is internal in nature (fire) or external (natural disasters).
number of sites. This policy relies on local actions to remove the identified risks
following audits led by an external firm recognized by insurers, as
Continuous improvement on a global scale
well an action plan for the continuity of production. If, after
corrective actions, the risk remains too high, then the activity is
repeated at another Schneider Electric site. Since 2014, this
At the same time, an industrial excellence program called process has been extended to single-source suppliers in order to
Schneider Production System (SPS) has been rolled out in all reduce the risk level in five areas (financial, geopolitical, industrial,
plants to substantially and continuously improve service quality and quality and dependence on Schneider Electric activity).
productivity. The program also takes environmental criteria into
account. Based on a lean manufacturing approach, SPS is
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2014 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC