Supplier Integration as an Improvement Driver – An Analysis of Some Recent Approaches in the Shipbuilding Industry

The interfaces between buyers and suppliers as an important optimizing field within the supply chain, is in both theory and practice, becoming more and more important in many industries. This is especially the case in the shipbuilding industry because of the special product, market and production structure. The purchasing strategies, concepts and processes in the maritime industry have undergone considerable changes during the last decades. Trends such as increased outsourcing and focus on high quality and complex types of ships have caused many European shipyards to move towards system integrators. As a result, many of the so-called „full shipyards“ have become „assembly shipyards“. This means that most of the value-added of many shipbuilding companies is assembling modules and systems provided by suppliers. As a result the suppliers are responsible for a large part of the ship’s production and engineering.