All articles by Christopher Ludwig – Page 33
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FeatureGefco’s global resurgence
On the acquisition trailRussian returnOpportunities within the groupEuropean capacity shiftsIT evolution and an electric futureGefco is using its strong position to expand globally and acquire assets for vehicle logistics, both as the outbound arm of the PSA Group and as it diversifies its customer base, writes Christopher Ludwig.Gefco stands out ...
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CSA could be a boon for some, but worries persist
Following regulations under the first phase of the Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010 programme, introduced last December, the US Department of Transport’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has released a draft strategic plan for 2011-2016, called Raising the Safety Bar.The report outlines a framework for making trucking safety the administration’s ...
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FeatureFlexibility over austerity
Even as the financial markets ricochet up and (mostly) down the prognosis for the motor industry and its supply chain in North America and Europe looks more to be one of caution rather than outright alarm.“We are seeing the return to caution,” said Christophe Stürmer, director of OEM research for ...
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FeatureWhiplash with worry
Manufacturers and logistics providers may find themselves dizzy trying to balance demand and capacity with economic worry.Is the automotive industry in for another whirlwind ride as the global economy hits more sharp turns? The dangers remain, with high unemployment, government debt and austerity measures in Europe and the US coupled ...
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FeatureProviders long to be longer in India
The long and the short of itGovernment lethargyWhy should automotive be so special?Business as usual for mostThe Maruti side, and the othersKeep firm and carry onThe Indian authorities’ inability to define a length for car carriers has led to confusion and fines in certain states, while the industry is unsure ...
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FeatureStaying afloat on shifting seas
Shipping lines reign in capacityA more complex networkA quick recovery from earthquakeTough market for European short-seaCould emission regulation benefit road transport?From financial crises to environmental disasters, the ro-ro market has weathered an almost perfect storm in the last few years. With tougher emission rules in the offing and new-building at ...
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FeatureIn Profile: Evelyn Chiang, Tesla
Evelyn Chiang’s first taste of logistics was when she was 13, virtually penniless, and supporting her family. Today she is the vice president of supply chain and IT at EV-maker Tesla Motors.
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FeatureNeapolitan strength from Grimaldi
Automotive backboneNaples leads the growthScrap the old, in with the newProtecting profitsGrimaldi is having a record year, and Christopher Ludwig shows that the Naples-based company’s success is thanks to its strategies for automotive, investment and diversification.Relative to its general business strategy, 2011 should have been a catastrophe so far for ...
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…tracking every car
In the vehicle logistics industry, perhaps the most common IT-related complaint from OEMs is that Amazon customers can trace $15 book purchases online up to delivery, but carmakers cannot track $30,000 vehicles. Track-and-trace systems have become the norm in almost every logistics-based industry.FMCG customers expect product deliveries within a 15-minute ...
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The inefficiency of the false monthly peak
The volatility of volumes in the vehicle logistics sector causes huge dilemmas for providers. LSPs plan capacities with a degree of flexibility built in, but artificial peaks at the end of the month are creating more flagrant variations between forecasted volumes and the actual capacity that the industry can afford ...
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FeatureAgility required
Continental is bouncing back in China, but is aware that the country’s bureaucracy and lack of visibility present particular challenges to a supply chain that requires a flexible approach.A need to lower inventory;Complex and growing opportunities;Keeping up with logistics demand;The Japan crisis;Sticking to current contracts.The story of Continental in Asia ...
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FeatureGroup dynamics at VW
As the head of VW Group Logistics, Thomas Zernechel is keeping logistics innovation at the forefront of the carmaker’s global expansion, particularly with the rollout of its ‘new logistics concept’.Capacity planning down the tiers;Moving towards crossdocks;Letting the train take the strain;Rolling out hubs for outbound;The role of C02 reduction;A return ...
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FeatureThe business case for premium freight in the routine supply chain.
For many years, the automotive industry has set the standard in lean supply chains. The motivator for this level of efficiency is necessity; automotive manufacturers are in a challenging position, producing a highly advanced product at a low cost considering the technology content. Car prices have not increased in real ...
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FeatureGeodis going further and deeper in automotive
Geodis Wilson is emerging as a major player on the global automotive logistics stage. Part of the Geodis Group, 100% owned by the French railways, SNCF, the company is expanding rapidly on every continent for automotive, from expansion of its airfreight facility in Atlanta to being a full 3PL to ...
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Japanese exports washed away
The full impact on vehicle exports of Japan’s devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami off its north-east coast near Sendai was still being assessed at the time of going to print, but already signs point to significant damage to certain ports and production stoppages of at least three days to ...
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Speaking 30 Customs languages
The latest in the EU’s long line of supply chain security legislation is the introduction of the Import Control System (ICS), which requires the provision of advanced shipment information to Customs authorities.ICS is a transactional program requiring up to 30 data elements for EU Customs filings on each and every ...
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Measures to mitigate risk
Maintaining a standard of performance for materials that flow across extended supply chains is critical to maintaining a thriving global automotive industry. One way to ensure that flow is by assessing an enterprise’s best practices in logistics.The Materials Management Operations Guideline/Logistics Evaluation (MMOG/LE) is one such established method for making ...
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The business case for outsourcing supply chain management
Growth requires focusFast path out of the crisisSeeing the futureSimplifying the complexOutsourcing supply chain operations is not a new concept; for nearly as long as there have been supply chains, there have been opportunities to reap the benefits of outsourcing. What is new is the extent to which outsourcing provides ...
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FeatureSupply chain aftershocks
The devastating earthquake in Japan has led to widescale production stoppages at the majority of plants in the country, and has threatened global production with supply shortages, the extent to which was unclear at the time of going to print, particularly as the crisis unfolded at Japan’s nuclear power plants. ...
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FeatureKeeping it well covered
Damage superhighwayPrevention is better than cureInsurance and recovery processes in the finished vehicle supply chain are designed to ensure that the responsible party pays for any damage, but they can also help drive up quality, as Jonathan Ward reports. Additional reporting by Christopher Ludwig.The fact that a new car rolls ...