Interview with Jean-Marie FABRE, Purchasing Manager for the ONET Group.

Mr FABRE, what does making responsible purchases mean for you?

For me, as for all members of the Purchasing Management team, it means making purchases that take into account the full impact of Sustainable Development demands, in terms of overall product or service costs, respect of the environment and the individual, among the suppliers referenced by the ONET Group.  


Has your membership of the Steering Committee modified your way of seeing your role of Purchaser?

Yes, being part of the Steering Committee has given us the means to put into action the purchasing policies which, while remaining adapted to our specific needs, take into account the environmental and economic dimension clearly and openly.

The Purchasing management team always examines under the heading 'price' the totality of the costs inherent to the product, which means we can integrate the objectives of the ONET Group's responsible ecology approach in an economic choice.

Furthermore, taking part in it means we can realise it is completely possible and indeed necessary to make responsible purchases. This contributes to giving us clear axes for purchases to be made, diminishing the cost impact in real terms, particularly as regards energy and office supplies.  These axes thus become a source of savings.


Does this complicate your way of working?

It doesn't complicate it, but it certainly does modify it.

It has allowed us to locate goods and product differentiation systems from various suppliers contributing to environmental protection and to identify the key points leading to the implementation of our reference criteria, the environmental and social pole, in terms of protection of the individual (verification of these criteria through a request for certifications and signatures of commitment, for example). We reference only suppliers who meet our different criteria; otherwise, they are disqualified.

Does this involve added costs?

No, no impact on direct costs. Nevertheless, it is true that we spend more time, following the research and procedure we have implemented. The approach is somewhat longer than before being involved in the Sustainable Development Committee.
Our analysis of the supplier market and referencing is different today. We rationalise needs and every day we try to reach the objective of the purchaser: buying a targeted product at the best price without losing sight of the demands of the Group's Sustainable Development policy.