27
As a manufacturing company, Linde is active on a variety of procurement markets worldwide. During 2004, it purchased goods and services worth a total of around €4.5 billion.
Due to our complex organization of business segments which are globally active and involve many different products, we coordinate our purchasing activities using both a central purchasing organization and decentralized purchasing teams working on site. Within the business segments, supplies required are grouped together, so that the Group can have a stronger market presence, obtain price advantages and assure availability more effectively.
Linde is constantly examining the opportunities which arise from changes to the important procurement markets. Our purchasing departments systematically analyze the Eastern European and Asian markets in particular.
We are currently working on a central Group-wide purchasing guideline to streamline our purchasing organization. This guideline will be based on an efficient review and control system, which will monitor the activities of our buyers across the world and will take into account all the existing review and control procedures.
