1- CONNECTING CLIENT AND SUPPLIERS IN EUROPE 2- PRICE DIFFERENCES ACROSS EUROPE

The Objective
Common Centre objective is to make available competitive suppliers in the packaging sector outside their native country through the definition of a methodology for carrying out an effective supply chain regardless of geographic and cultural distances.
3- INTERRUPTIONS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN AS SOURCE
     OF HIDDEN COSTS 		4- COMPANIES IN A DISRUPTED GROUND
     FOR BASIC COMMUNICATION

What is preventing companies to explore commercial opportunities beyond national borders is the fear of hidden costs. Hidden costs are associated with inefficiency. Inefficiency in the supply chain is a rather inclusive word describing a wide range of problems provoking a financial loss (i.e. late deliveries, misplaced priorities), basically it refers to whatever problem that causes an interruption in the production line responsible for unexpected yet avoidable costs.
5- ADVANTAGE FROM APPLIED METHODOLOGY
     IN A PAN EUROPEAN SUPPLY CHAIN		 6- METHODOLOGY

This objective is obtainable if a company (supplier) is able to take advantage of modern Information and Communication Technology together with a proper practical approach and is able offer it to its client base.
7- COMMON GROUND AS SHARED DATA 8- SHARING DATA AS AN ATTEMPT TO OFFER
     A COMMON GROUND

Our objective is to demonstrate that a company can take advantage of cutting down direct costs (better prices) and hidden costs (maximum efficiency) as well, obtaining a simultaneous double advantage with Pan-European suppliers if special communication tools and methodology are applied.

9- FROM INTERNAL MANAGEMENT TOOL TO EXTERNAL
     INTERFACE FOR CLIENTS		 10- SUPPLIER'S FLEXIBILITY AS PART
       OF COMMON GROUND.
11- ACTIVE OR PASSIVE CONSULTATION IN
       SHARING INFORMATION		 12- INFORMATION CONTENT PROVIDED IN CONSULTATION
13- PLANNING REVISION AS A RESULT OF CLIENT'S CONSULTATION

Point Three
Adapt to changes and unpredictable demand and events. Such a system and information access would be not of much use if implemented in a company that is not able to tune its activity with the needs of its clients. The full exploitation of the system is in the skill of the supplier to respond in a very short time to client's requests based on the consultation of the system. Clients should be able to anticipate, or willingly delay, certain orders according to their needs on the bases of what is presented from the supplier's system. The system is aimed to increase what is called "Situation Awareness", that is the purchaser's ability to be in control of the resources and constraints in its production environment.

14- A SKETCH FOR DESCRIBING A COMMON GROUND
       CREATED WITH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.		 15- SUMMERY OF BENEFITS FROM APPLIED METHODOLOGY

Conclusion
The exact definition in a shared language of all the details concerning products, orders from pending to history, their position in time constantly refreshed, the possibility to follow them in real time in each phase of their production until delivery independently from space and time (on line tracking), the possibility of "translating" this information into paper documents that can be used in cross reference with conventional phone or fax communication in a complementary way, are all qualities that critically build that common ground to which we were referring to as a base of confidence and trust for companies relating in a pan-European scenario. Such methodology gives the possibility to clients in the supply-chain to be "active" in their planning, it offers the possibility to change supplier's activity from an external variable to a controlled variable important to create extra economic gains. The implementation of this methodology is certain to create a better supplying situation than a conventional one with a traditional native supplier. Advantages of control and efficiency add up with better pricing extending the benefits of operating in a wide European scenario to its maximum potential.