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All articles by Chris Ludwig – Page 8
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ArticleHonda special reports: A highly cultivated logistics ecosystem
Honda’s North American logistics team, led by Dana McBrien (pictured right), oversees a network that has grown from an empty cornfield into a truly global and ever-expanding organism. Along with senior staff administrator Kevin Wade ( left), who leads the transportation team, McBrien allows Christopher Ludwig an insight into the ...
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ArticleSouth Korea part 3: From export champions to masters of logistics
Some aspects of South Korea’s supply chain may come under pressure as logistics requires more value than just shipping constant high volumesEven if South Korea is displaced from its top-three spot on the global export podium, it will remain important for logistics. The country’s vehicle logistics are notable for their ...
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ArticleSouth Korea part 2: Widening the lens
Market analysis: an increase in regional manufacturing is changing South Korea’s export production while premium imports become more popular within its bordersWith a relatively small domestic market, South Korea’s automotive industry remains highly export focused. According to Tsukasa Watanabe, lead analyst for Asia Pacific at PwC Autofacts, the ratio of ...
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ArticleSouth Korea part 1: A history of transformation
A relentless and often turbulent wind of change has blown through South Korea in recent decades, turning it from a low-cost industrial centre into a global technology and export powerhouseSouth Korea’s industrial renaissance began slightly later than the post-war booms in Japan or western Europe, however it has arguably endured ...
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ArticleSouth Korea special reports: Miracles and vehicles on the Han
As the world’s third largest exporter of vehicles, South Korea – and especially Hyundai Motor Group – makes a big splash when it comes to vehicle shipping and logistics. But as the industry changes, with growing regional production, fewer exports of some vehicles, and more competition at home, the supply ...
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ArticleRussia conference: learning to grin and bear it
The Russian market has fallen to its lowest level since the global economic crisis, and manufacturers and logistics providers may face a long road to recovery. However, more than 150 delegates at the Automotive Logistics Russia conference made it clear that they remain committed to the market. Christopher Ludwig and ...
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ArticleRussia conference: Russian manufacturers will miss localisation targets
The depreciation of the rouble has had a devastating impact on the Russian automotive industry, pushing up the price of imported products, including vehicles and parts, while hurting household incomes. However, the fall in value has also impacted manufacturers’ attempts to reach supply localisation targets agreed with the government. Failure ...
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ArticleVolvo: Extending a 'second home' advantage
After building a logistics management team from scratch in Europe, Volvo Car Group will do the same for its growing operations in China. Christopher Ludwig talks to Magnus Ödling, who will lead the transformation, including a tender later this yearIt could well be that 2014 will be looked on as ...
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ArticleA tale of two seasons for North American vehicle logistics
The 6th annual FVL North America conference brought together 350 delegates to sunny California, where they discussed the lingering chill of winter affecting the logistics network, at the same time that sales and investment in the sector continue to sizzleAdditional reporting by Marcus Williams and Rachael HoggIt was the best ...
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ArticleToyota’s fuel cell future rolls on
In launching its new, hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the Mirai (left), Toyota had to work carefully with a number of chemical organisations, right through to the United Nations, to make sure the vehicles could be shipped in the most efficient way possible.In the push for alterative fuel vehicles, whether plug-in ...
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ArticleChina conference: the big come to get stronger
Speakers at the 12th annual Automotive Logistics China conference pointed to efforts at both the government and industry level to improve services, become more efficient, market orientated, and international, particularly with growth slowing down. Christopher Ludwig and Rachael Hogg report from ShanghaiThere is no getting around just how big the ...
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ArticleBCUBE to handle parts sequencing for Qoros
Chinese carmaker Qoros has outsourced operations for sequenced parts to Italian logistics provider BCUBE ahead of plans to launch production of a new model later this year at its factory in Changshu, 80km north of Shanghai. It is Qoros’s first outsourcing of inbound and plant-related logistics services, while for BCUBE ...
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ArticleToyota part 5: take me to the water
In the conclusion to this five part series on Toyota's North American service parts distribution, the company reveals how applying the Japanese principle of Genchi Genbutsu helped the carmaker to manage through recent labour disputes at the port of Long BeachAn example of how TPS principles characterise business decisions as ...
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ArticlePart 5: More than just words
The implementation of the Toyota Production System at NAPO means terms such as ‘lean’, heijunka and kaizen are applied to every aspect of logistics, warehousing, order and corporate strategyThat the Toyota Production System (TPS) is adhered to at the OEM’s own North American Parts Operations may not be a surprising ...
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ArticleEditor's note: virtually keeping up with customers
In many sectors, logistics is being transformed by e-commerce, with brands connecting more to the mobile customer, who in turn demands order fulfilment as fast as you can swipe a screen. The effect this is having across the general logistics market is pretty staggering as companies compete to manage last ...
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ArticleToyota part 4: Looking for the ‘holy grail’ of predictability
Toyota’s visibility across its parts and distribution centres works to the great benefit of dealers, but the carmaker’s challenge is ultimately to try and distinguish real demand from stock replenishment requestsToyota’s North American Parts Operations (NAPO)has built inventory visibility across its part centres and distribution centres, thanks partly to an ...
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ArticleSimon Stacy and Bob Mountain add logistics responsibilities at Honda Europe
Following a recent restructuring at Honda’s sales and manufacturing divisions in Europe, the carmaker has made changes to the logistics management covering its primary European production plant in the UK and across its outbound logistics for the region.As of April 1st, Simon Stacy (pictured), previously head of car logistics at ...
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ArticleToyota part 3: On time, any time, all of the time
Run with the precision of its famed production system, transport management forms the backbone of Toyota’s service parts distribution, with daily, multimodal services, and strong controls over expedited freight Toyota’s North American Parts Operations (NAPO) division manages a complex set of transport flows designed to allow for the latest possible ...
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ArticleToyota part 3: Reverse opportunities
Toyota is exploring options for integrating remanufactured and recycled parts into its logistics network.Along with dealer distribution, NAPO is responsible for reverse logistics for the return of packaging modules, as well as collecting dealer part returns. However, with the growth in hybrid vehicles, Neil Swartz and his team are moving ...
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ArticleToyota part 3: In-house quality applications
Toyota is using its in-house truck fleet for service parts distribution as a competitive advantage, while also trialling innovations including a new smartphone app for driversToyota is fairly unique in having its own in-house fleet of trucks for parts distribution. Toyota Quality Parts Express serves major routes out of the ...