Lear will develop new suppliers

Lear is looking for suppliers that can be strategically developed to supply the company's plants in Mexico.

"Our strategy at the moment is focused on locating strategic suppliers according to the regions in which our plants are located (...), we want to have a strategic position to make purchases and thus minimize risks," said Juan Sandoval, buyer of Lear Corporation.

The purchasing expert emphasized that domestic suppliers are good with respect to labor and that they offer fair prices; he estimated that 65% of Lear's suppliers are currently domestic.

Among the products that the purchasing specialist is looking for are the inputs for the structural part in the seats of the automobiles.

"I am looking for inputs that have to do with the structural part of the seats of automobiles, all the tubes, stampings, metal parts, all that stuff," he explained.

Meanwhile, Diana Medina Franco, also a buyer for Lear Corporation, is looking for suppliers related to lumbar support for seats, "cables that go in the headrests, armrests and I see some harnesses, seat belts and air bags," she said.

Both buyers mentioned that in order to supply Lear it is necessary to have structured quality processes, certifications such as ISO or IATF, price clarity and labor formality.

Choosing the supplier

The process to become part of the company's supply chain includes audits, quality and competitiveness review. "Then it would be to develop the supplier, review audits, quality issues, their processes and if necessary conduct physical audits. And if they meet the requirements of our customers, establish a business relationship," said the purchasing representative. "Considering delivery times, quality, development of ideas and cost optimization", are issues that the purchasing manager analyzes.