All articles by Christopher Ludwig – Page 26
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FeaturePSA Dongfeng and logistics – dealing in reality
The deal to rescue PSA signifies both risk and reward for its logistics providers in Europe and China.The deal to rescue PSA Peugeot Citroën between Dongfeng Motor Group, the French government and Peugeot family will transform the carmaker’s global strategy over the coming years as the brands look to treble ...
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Redrawing the line side
Carmakers are looking carefully at ways to simplify inbound logistics to assembly lines, including kitting operations and, in some cases, insourcing.After a number of recent visits to automotive plants I have noticed changes to the ways that carmakers are thinking about final deliveries to the assembly line. Manufacturers as diverse ...
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FeatureTNT expands management team
As part of its reorganisation of domestic and international logistics management for later this year, TNT Express has announced a new top leadership team, which includes a number of former DHL executives. CEO Tex Gunning and CFO Bernard Bot will be joined by Marco van Kalleveen, who takes up the role ...
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FeatureHansmann goes deeper in-plant at German factories
Hansmann Logistik has gained further work for in-plant logistics services at car plants in Wolfsburg and Osnabrück in Germany. The provider will take over operations that include sequencing, storage, empty container handling and line feeding.Although Hansmann declined to identify the carmaker, the Volkswagen Group has its headquarters and largest global ...
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FeatureLocal logistics and engineering partnership at Nissan Europe
Nissan Europe has benefited from closer collaboration between engineers, suppliers and logistics during vehicle development, especially for its Sunderland plant The UK automotive industry has been the darling of Britain’s nascent economic recovery, praised equally by politicians, economists and union leaders. Vehicle sales have bucked the euro-zone crisis; production has ...
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FeatureNissan won’t shift Qashqai to Russia this year
Although Nissan will eventually shift some production of its second-generation Qashqai crossover model from the UK to Russia, the transfer won’t happen this year. According to Colin Lawther, senior vice-president for manufacturing, purchasing and supply chain management at Nissan Europe, the carmaker will first stabilise production of the new Qashqai, ...
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FeatureBetter logistics help propel Nissan Sunderland
Logistics costs in automotive are now often more expensive than manufacturing vehicles within a plant, according to Nissan Europe’s purchasing and manufacturing boss. As a result, the company’s efforts in recent years to reduce those costs have been important to the success of the carmaker’s plant in Sunderland, in the ...
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FeatureDuclos replaces Davies as head of US vehicle logistics for Toyota
D’anne M. Duclos (pictured left) has replaced Nancy Davies as vice-president of Toyota Logistics Services (TLS), the outbound logistics and vehicle processing arm of Toyota Motor Sales USA (TMS). Davies, who has held the role since 2008, has moved over to a position in sales and production planning at TMS ...
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FeaturePearlman takes over US rail for Toyota as Nelson retires
Missy Pearlman (pictured left) is now the national rail strategy and operations manager for Toyota Logistics Services, the outbound logistics and vehicle processing arm of Toyota Motor Sales USA (TMS) based in Torrance, California. Pearlman has replaced Michael Nelson, who retired last week following a 40-year career in automotive logistics, ...
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FeatureKroon takes over Renault Nissan’s European logistics as MacDonald heads to India
Renault Nissan has appointed Frans Kroon (left) as vice-president of Alliance Logistics Europe, heading up the joint division between the two carmakers for inbound and outbound logistics operations and engineering across the wider European region. Kroon has replaced Colin MacDonald, who has been promoted to deputy-managing director for the Renault ...
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FeatureEditor's note: supply chain design and development
"I love the expression: supply chain design,” a prominent logistics executive in China told me recently. This enthusiasm reflects a trend in the country’s latest wave of factory expansion. Rising production costs and historically inefficient logistics have prompted carmakers to pay closer attention to the shape of supply chains when ...
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FeatureEditor's note: Medicine for the convalescents in finished vehicle logistics
While global markets were topsy-turvy by the end of 2013, vehicle sales in several of the most important regions were in good if not rude health. The two biggest, China and the US, have grown at their fastest pace in years. Others, like India, remain in a funk, but should ...
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FeatureSupply chain promises deferred, but not yet broken in India
This year’s Automotive Logistics India conference came at the end of a tough year for the domestic automotive market. But the downturn has not prevented manufacturers from striving and investing to improve speed and flexibility in their supply chains.Report by Christopher Ludwig and Zoë Apostolides in PuneIt was not supposed ...
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FeatureChina reports: an industry on the advance
In China’s complex automotive landscape, logistics is crucial, but OEMs and 3PLs still face a steep learning curve on which they can help each other.In this story... Push for quality logisticsSupply chain engineering 3PLs falling behindExport servicesWorking togetherChina’s vehicle sales and production growth has been explosive for much of the ...
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FeatureLast Mile: adding value to growth in China
Logistics will be a crucial differentiator as competition in China increasesThere is a new wave of factory openings across China. While the joint ventures for the Volkswagen Group and General Motors are the most aggressive, with plans to increase annual production capacity to 4m and 5m units respectively, others who ...
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FeatureChina reports: Rolls-Royce's first-class deliveries
In this story...Flying in salesA quality aftermarket Bespoke logisticsChauffeur-driven careQuality over quantityRolls-Royce director for China Henrik Wilhelmsmeyer describes how the company ensures premium delivery of vehicles and spare parts in one of its most important marketsFew products or possessions – a private jet, a Beverly Hills mansion, a yacht off ...
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FeatureReports from China: under pressure to perform in outbound
Competition and demand in a country of huge scale and diversity makes for a prosperous, but uncertain vehicle logistics marketIn this story...Chinese challenges Global port standardsTrailer length tricksMoving to multimodalPrivate vs. state-ownedGeely's exportsVehicles logistics providers in China face some of the most challenging conditions in the world. As well as ...
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Reports from China: automotive market could outpace logistics
As sales look set to boom, the need for efficient logistics solutions has never been greater in China, but how can supply best meet demand?In this story... Looking sunny: the current climateEnvironmental repercussions?Bottlenecks restraining growth Haphazard legislationMultimodal solutionsThe Chinese automotive market could be set for another ten years of double-digit ...
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FeatureWhat will China’s latest reforms mean for automotive logistics?
The outline of the Chinese government’s reforms following its third plenum congress could have a significant impact on the automotive logistics sector. We analyse the changes proposed to finance, investment, commodity prices and state-owned enterprisesThe document released last week by the Chinese central government following an important closed door meeting ...
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FeatureBrazil struggles to keep supply chain costs from taking off
The Automotive Logistics South America conference in São Paulo heard familiar laments about infrastructure and the creative ways that Brazilians keep the supply chain moving. Port reforms and continuing automotive investment is putting more emphasis on improving logistics operationsClick here to read the full version of this report. When automotive ...