China's CRRC rolling stock manufacturing company has strengthened its global presence by meeting over 80 percent of the industry's supply needs locally, powered by its robust smart supply chain and industrial clusters.
As the world's largest supplier of rail transit equipment with the most complete production lines and leading technologies, the CRRC collaborates with more than 2,000 companies on the supply chain for high-speed trains, which consist of 40,000 components in Zhuzhou, a city in south-central China's Hunan Province and the birthplace of China's electric locomotives.
At the CRRC's plant, production lines are operating at full capacity, focused on producing traction converters and network control systems for high-speed rail.
"Once we receive production demands, we plan scheduling based on the overall strategy. Now, with the supply chain collaboration platform, we share these demands with upstream suppliers, boosting supply efficiency and ensuring seamless information exchange for faster customer response," said Qiao Lin, deputy director of the Procurement Center at Zhuzhou CRRC Times Electric Company Limited.
Previously, communication with suppliers would rely on manual data collection, which was time-consuming and often inaccurate, leading to frequent production errors. Today, with a smarter, more agile supply chain, the process is much more efficient.
"With our smart supply chain, order details like specifications, quantities, and delivery dates are shared directly with suppliers in real time. They deliver materials on schedule, ensuring everything arrives before production starts. This streamlines operations and reduces overall inventory levels," said Zhang Fengfei, deputy director of the Operations Management Department at CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Company Limited.
Reducing inventory is crucial for businesses. Less storage space frees up room for new products, and production lines can use materials more efficiently. Finished products are quickly transported to the next stop -- a key advantage of industrial clusters.
Nearby, CRRC Electric also benefits from this system. The company produces customized traction motors and transformers for locomotives using a flexible production line.
Trucks are loaded and ready to roll to Zhuzhou Locomotive, their final stop before assembly.
"Any changes are updated in real time. Adjustments to the production schedule automatically trigger updates to delivery timelines, and suppliers respond accordingly. Their feedback is sent back instantly, helping our production team make decisions. This real-time coordination ensures seamless production and more accurate execution," said Qi Ran, associate director of Supply Chain at CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive Company.
With its products reaching over six continents and more than 50 countries and regions, CRRC is bringing China's speed and expertise to the rest of the world.
CRRC strengthens global presence with smart supply chain
