S S TR TR A A TE TE G G I I C C R R E E P P O O R R T T G G O O VE VE R R NAN NAN Dealer Network Suppliers and Other Partnerships C C E Our third-party dealerships are the direct contact point for our brand Our suppliers are fundamental to our business. Carefully chosen E to our customers. They enable us to maintain control over our brand partnerships provide us with an important source of technical F positioning and luxury customer service in a cost-effective way. expertise and brand enhancement. F I I NAN WHAT MATTERS TO THEM? WHAT MATTERS TO THEM? NAN C C IAL – Brand awareness and desirability – Responsible procurement, trust, ethics and open dialogue IAL S – Brand strength and Company support – Operational improvement S – Programmes to identify and generate sales opportunities – Competitiveness T T A – Increased customer satisfaction and retention targeting ultra-luxury – Strong relationships A T T E segment – Financial performance E M M E – Ultra-luxury product and product refresh – Building capability and expertise E N N T – Return on investment – Design and technical expertise T S S HOW WE ENGAGE HOW WE ENGAGE F – CEO and Board engagement to strengthen dealer relationships – Continuous engagement to create partners, not suppliers F U and support demand-driven strategy B – Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Mercedes-Benz AG securing U R R T – Strengthening and alignment of central and regional senior access to technologies critical to our long-term plans B T H H E management, supporting closer dealer relationship and – Strategic supply arrangement with Lucid to create industry-leading E R R INF communications ultra-luxury high performance electric vehicles B INF – Attendance (physical or virtual) at local dealer conferences held – Sponsorship of Aston Martin Aramco Formula One® Team to provide OR during the year B a direct global marketing platform targeting key customers and OR M – Rollout of dealer network programmes and systems to monitor enhancing the brand B M A A T performance aligned to growth opportunities across all sales and – Dedicated Supplier Quality Development team to manage supplier T I I ON after sales areas quality and performance ON – Implementation of Dealer Operating and new Corporate Identity – Cross functional team working closely with suppliers to resolve standards to drive dealers to consistent ultra-luxury behaviour issues – Introduce new models and maximise launch activities to fully – Commodity team structure established and being used effectively support ultra-luxury brand positioning – Supplier risk meeting cadence working cross-functionally to mitigate – Development of in-house training team to carry out in-dealer potential risks to production product training through the addition of a training content creator – Collaboration with suppliers to deliver innovation and economic – Continued development of digital platforms, supporting increased improvement engagement and elevated brand representation – Supplier scorecards to identify areas for performance improvement OUTCOMES OF ENGAGEMENT OUTCOMES OF ENGAGEMENT – Higher levels of customer engagement and satisfaction – Improved Responsible Procurement Policy to redefine our standards – Increased brand awareness driving greater level of customer and minimum expectations to suppliers enquiries, resulting in increased sales and market share – Implementation of a leading automotive sustainability platform to – Increased demand for Aston Martin products delivering more collate validated sustainability and governance data from suppliers. profitable business for dealers and Aston Martin, across all areas of The platform is a pivotal change to strategically embed the business Environmental, Social and Governance (‘ESG’) into Procurement due – Increased enquiries from ultra-luxury automotive groups wishing to diligence and sourcing activity, to enhance supplier data represent Aston Martin management and risk identification and subsequently enable collaboration with all suppliers to strengthen their sustainabililty performance and scoring. – Rollout of new 2024 Responsible Procurement Policy aims to help suppliers identify and improve their own sustainability goals – Strong relationships with Mercedes-Benz AG and Lucid ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2023 25