2024 Conference Programme

As transformation of automotive supply chains continues apace in North America and beyond, with the development of electrified and software-defined vehicles, increasing competition and cost pressure, OEMs and suppliers are radically rethinking the nature of supply chains and logistics. That includes how transport networks are designed and work, how suppliers and data are managed, and the cyber security protocols and digital infrastructure need to support the end-to-end value chain and product lifecycle.

In the opening session to the first ALSC Digital Strategies North America, key leaders in this transformation will share their vision and plan for accelerated digital transformation of automotive supply chain management

Join us for an exclusive keynote and panel to learn more about:

-How manufacturers are evolving supply chain IT landscape to cloud-based systems and greater connectivity, and using it to create more proactive, resilient, efficient and sustainable logistics
-Innovative digital supply chain mapping solutions to meet sourcing and regulatory requirement
-Cyber security risk assessment strategies across the supply chain
-Important progress in implementing supply chain digital twins

A lively panel discussion will follow where you will learn more about how digitalisation strategies will help automotive manufacturers match the need for speed to market, reach greater efficiency, and meet regulatory and sustainability targets.

Data is at the heart of a successful digital supply chain and logistics strategy – especially the effective use of trusted, identifiable data. Gaining actionable value from the millions of datasets generated every second across the value chain is a challenge for most, if not all organisations, from changes in the bill of materials (BOM) to logistics and delivery visibility.

However, focusing on the data with forensic precision can empower stakeholders to discover hidden value within, and enable them to deliver not only more resilient and sustainable supply chains, but also greater visibility, fewer security risks and more long-term competitive advantages.

In this session, hear what OEMs and suppliers did to glean hyper-value from their data and what strategies and enablers are required for success. In particular, learn how to accelerate gaining valuable business intelligence, set KPIs and go beyond dashboards to actionable value.

A key challenge in the era of digitising logistics and supply chain operations is system integration and connectedness of the entire ecosystem. Modern supply chain systems should allow all stakeholders to seamlessly integrate processes, technologies and inputs from across suppliers, customers, BOM and logistics, using a common language to communicate effectively and exchange data efficiently. The resulting digital interoperability should lead to more end-to-end visibility, information tractability and transparency – it can also set the groundwork for building large datasets and using artificial intelligence and generative AI in logistics and supply chain operations.

Inevitably there are critical challenges when trying to integrate systems from company to company let alone legacy systems within an organisation. Creating a unified transparent view of real-time data across multiple platforms and protocols is becoming mission-critical, but requires extensive planning, trust and technological collaboration.

Attend this session to discover case studies of how manufacturers, logistics and technology providers are working together to develop agile, resilient and efficient digital supply chains based on data interoperability and systems integration.

To truly benefit from digitalisation in the supply chain, it has become essential to have a digitally skilled and agile workforce. With an eye to the future, what skills and talent should automotive supply chain organisations invest in now so that OEMs and suppliers have the right skills in the right place at the right time? Not only do they need a workforce who are technologically aware but should be data literate and problem-solving leaders.

As supply chains become even more intelligent, so the workforce and individuals within it will need to adapt and evolve to new job functions. Future-proofing the workforce entails creating new and different teams, away from silo working and more cross-functional groups, broadening digital fluency and investment in training and long-term workforce planning.

Attend this session to discover how OEMs and suppliers are developing their talent strategies, gaining management buy-in for investment and achieving milestones in future proofing their workforces capable of supporting a digitally connected supply network.

Automotive manufacturers aim to improve supply chain costs and capacity utilisation by digitalising more planning and operations for inbound, material and finished vehicle logistics across cloud, shared data architectures. However, there are significant differences across systems and offerings, notably for vehicle logistics, for which carmakers often rely on a patchwork of legacy systems, manual processes, and inconsistent visibility from logistics providers, limiting data integration and visibility.

But what can help close that gap, and allow the end-to-end supply chain to benefit from network optimisation, along with advanced data analytics, machine learning and AI? And if no solutions exist, can manufacturers develop such systems effectively in-house?

This session will explore the system and product development opportunities in inbound, material and vehicle logistics systems and data, as well as the challenges in current technology and notable gaps in processes and market offerings. Logistics and digital leaders will outline what they require to update or develop critical systems, including investment and technical barriers. Experts will also share best practice and industry-leading examples.

Join this session and learn insights on:

-System requirements for modernised inbound and vehicle logistics systems, including operations and capacity planning, transport management, warehouse and yard management, track and trace, freight audit and pay systems
-Specific differences and gaps, for example in vehicle logistics systems and capturing logistics milestones
-Benefiting from the shift to cloud-based, data-centric IT architectures for logistics
-Developing systems in-house versus advanced off the shelf systems
-Next-level data opportunities for core logistics systems, including data analytics, machine learning and AI

Digital transformation of logistics and supply chains is here to stay. Yet to keep growing and providing tangible benefits, the return on investment has become a constant consideration. This is especially true when considering that digitalising the supply chain doesn’t happen overnight – it’s a long-term process with changing priorities and goals, new technologies coming on stream and increased risks and rewards. And yet logistics, IT and purchasing teams have tight budgets, and investments must be prioritised and pay back dividends.

Whether measuring the hard ROI in dollar terms, or soft ROI in terms of process improvements, the investments in technologies, people and processes have to be measured using innovative ROI models that encompass end-to-end supply chain and operational impacts. Going further, the measurements themselves can also boost the strategy to increase investment within a circular process.

Join this session to understand the best approaches to determine ROI based on supply chain objectives, and to demonstrate how investing in the right new technology can create greater visibility, offering increased opportunities and providing higher ROIs.  

As digitalisation spreads across the value chain, so does the risk of cyber threats. Whether attacking data storage services or business emails through infected software or hardware, attackers have an array of single-entry points that can cause disruption across the entire network.

Since malicious attackers would target the weakest point across the network (whether a vulnerable supplier or smaller logistics provider) OEMs, suppliers and logistics providers have to collaborate to protect and enhance their end-to-end network. To respond to the constant cyber threat in a digitalised supply chain, stakeholders need to have a common understanding of the cyber risks, identifying weak points within the network, complying with new regulations whilst having a clear plan to increase resilience.

This session will delve into what manufacturers and providers can do to monitor and protect their shared network whilst minimising disruption across the value chain.

Whist logistics and supply chain systems, including TMS, YMS and control towers, provide real-time data to help improve logistics routes, manage inventory and assess changing risks and bottlenecks, there are even greater opportunities to design, simulate and adapt supply chains in the virtual world, minimising delays, reducing engineering changes and improving responsiveness in real-time. Moreover, the use of digital supply chain twins can reap benefits that include improving sustainability, cost reduction and greater agile planning.

Already, logistics and assembly planners are actively using virtual factory, warehouse and other simulations of facilities and products. However, the practical implementation of digital supply chain twins remains fraught with obstacles. Many manufacturers lack of master data strategy, struggle to integrate parts and logistics data, lack system scalability as well as workforce skills to develop true digital supply chain twins, let alone the even larger scope of the ‘industrial metaverse’.

However, companies continue to make advances in logistics and supply chain simulation. Join this session to discover the steps to evolve supply chain planning to multi-layered digital control towers, and eventually digital supply chain twins and the metaverse. Learn what obstacles to avoid and how they bring about benefits on sustainability and decision-making.

As supply chains rapidly evolve, what digital advances can be expected in the next ten years, specifically within the North American market? One thing is certain, change will continue at pace and organisations seeking to maximise revenue and profits will be future planning and future-proofing their systems now.
Whilst collaboration vs competition will always be a consideration, what challenges need to be overcome when, for example, automation and AI permeate logistics and supply chain operations to support better risk identification, demand management and intelligent decision-making – heading towards a sentient supply chain. How do organisations get there and what steps must be taken now: including increased collaboration with stakeholders, reshaping business models and investing in new technologies.
Attend this closing session as we gaze into the future and outline what scenarios may unfold and how OEMs, suppliers, logistics and technology providers should prepare.