DETROIT – Ford Motor on Thursday introduced plans to restructure its international provide chain, days after the corporate mentioned it expects to guide an additional $1 billion in surprising provider prices throughout the third quarter.

The provision chain restructuring goals to “assist environment friendly and dependable sourcing of parts, inner improvement of key applied sciences and capabilities, and world-class price and high quality execution,” the automaker mentioned in a launch.

The hassle can be led on an interim foundation by Ford Chief Monetary Officer John Lawler till the corporate selects somebody to fill the newly created chief provide chain officer place.

Lawler is stepping in at a time when elements and uncooked materials prices for automakers and suppliers have been hovering throughout the coronavirus pandemic. The will increase have occurred amid extreme provide chain issues, together with an ongoing international scarcity of essential semiconductor chips.

On Monday, Ford mentioned latest negotiations resulted in inflation-related provider prices working $1 billion larger than beforehand anticipated throughout the third quarter. The announcement, together with a pre-release of some earnings expectations, brought on Ford’s inventory to have its worst day in additional than 11 years.

The restructuring isn’t straight linked to the automaker’s announcement earlier this week, based on Ford spokesman T.R. Reid. He mentioned adjustments to Ford’s provide chain have been underway for a while amid the business’s provide chain issues and its shift to electrical automobiles.

“As we have acknowledged earlier than, that is an space we have gotten higher, and there is nonetheless further room for enchancment,” he mentioned.

Jonathan Jennings, Ford vp of provide chain, may also take further accountability for provider technical help and high quality, the corporate mentioned. He’ll report back to Lawler.

The provision chain plans have been introduced along with additional govt adjustments and appointments involving electrical automobiles, product improvement and different areas of the corporate.

Ford mentioned the adjustments are an acceleration of CEO Jim Farley’s “Ford+ plan for development and worth creation.”