All articles by Christopher Ludwig – Page 36
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FeatureIn Profile: Joe Hinrichs
Joe Hinrichs' rise at Ford has been as quick as it has been impressive. Having worked a decade for General Motors, and several years at a manufacturing investment firm, he first came to the attention of Automotive Logistics in 2002, when he took over as Ford’s executive director for material ...
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FeatureSuppliers are healthier, but face capacity shortfalls
The outlook for tier suppliers in North America has improved significantly in 2010 with higher vehicle sales coming atop aggressive moves to cut costs. The recent “Automotive Supplier Barometer”, released in May by the Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA), a North American supplier group, reveals significant improvements in production capacity ...
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FeatureWhen will packaging be king?
A panel of packaging engineers and experts from automotive manufacturers discusses with Maxine Elkin why packaging needs to have more recognition from management and at all stages of the supply chainThis year our panel of packaging experts has once again pointed to pallet standardisation as a central theme for automotive ...
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FeatureDaimler wants a total supply chain view
Dr Holger Scherr, head of Worldwide Transport Logistics, wants to bring a change to logistics at Daimler, helping the OEM to better understand logistics across all of its business unitsLogistics is the proof for production strategiesTransport beyond supply-and-demand economicsA step toward cooperationPotential incentive schemes for inbound carriersIn 2009, as Daimler ...
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FeatureIn Profile: Christian Mardrus of the Renault Nissan Global Alliance
A ten-year Renault veteran, Christian Mardrus is an engineer by training, but has spent a large part of his career in the sales area, including as director of the French sales network, before being appointed senior vice president of information systems in 2006 and joining Renault’s management committee in 2008.Last ...
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FeatureThe rise of emergency logistics services
Push to pull modelJust-in-time assemblyRelease of new modelsScheduling inaccuracyManufacturing shift to the EastWill it last?The financial crisis saw an unpredictable rise and fall of different logistics segments. Transport and warehousing, being the core logistics activities, remained relatively stable, even though the revenue generated out of them dropped significantly. Green supply ...
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FeatureTide shifting toward America for vehicle flows
Of all major automotive markets, the most significant sales growth over the next three years may well be in North America.Although we should not forget that even double-digit increases in car sales here would still only mean recovering to pre-crisis levels by 2012, the indicators are reasonably positive nonetheless. While ...
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FeatureCan ERP play a greater in the auto supply chain?
The automotive industry has typically lagged beyond others in the use of ERP systems, particularly for functions beyond accounting or demand management. That is starting to change, with India and China leading the wayAn historically limited use of ERP in automotiveConfigurability more than customisationIndia and China are moving ahead of ...
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FeatureWill logistics help end a long winter in Eastern Europe?
Sales in Eastern Europe and Russia have generally been decimated, although with manufacturers taking a long view, logistics has a critical role to play in making or breaking the recoveryRussia shores up domestic productionThe headache of getting goods into RussiaDomestic troubles as wellInstability in Central and Eastern EuropeRenault Nissan ties ...
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FeatureWho is the greenest of them all?
The jury is still out on whether or not the automotive logistics sector is really going to make carbon emissions a definable KPI ahead of government regulation. But as Maxine Elkin discovers, companies at least have plenty to talk aboutWe keep being told that carbon management will become a part ...
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FeatureHankook Tire keeps on rolling on
The Korean tyremaker has just had a record year and is looking to extend its reach in both mature and emerging markets, with logistics playing an essential role in maintaining service levels to OEMs and dealersHankook expands production in EuropeGlobal growth in the aftermarket continuesThe logistics network from South KoreaTyre ...
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FeatureFord’s Asian vista
Expanding in Asia Pacific Africa, Ford is growing the smart way with a push toward stronger electronic communication across its supply chain here, including the rollout of its European order-to-delivery system, Vista.Forecasting freight and dutyFlexible manufacturing and supplyBeing the first to build-to-order vehicles in AsiaSupply chain IT: champagne taste, a ...
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FeatureSearching for the silver lining
Last year was a devastating one for European ports that depend on car handling. But while recovery is uncertain, Piotr Switalski uncovers the collaborative strategies towards which both ports and policymakers must work (Christopher Ludwig contributed reporting).
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FeatureGrooming the yard
Specialised software on the riseTagging to trackIncreasing productivityThe road aheadIT systems, whether hardware or software, are beginning to be more sophisticated for managing flows in and out of vehicle yards. Jim Romeo reportsWhile the automotive inbound and outbound supply chain has become more complex, the IT systems used to track ...
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FeatureEuropean car ports are waiting on an Asian dream
China’s big paper plansAssessing the European landing pointKia went to a smaller port, and so could othersChina and India have raced ahead in domestic car sales, but logistics providers and port operators in Europe are wondering when, and if, they will arrive on local shores in any substantial way. Malcolm ...
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Handling cars with a little less human touch
Chock full of vehicle sizesProtect only where it countsDesign the terminal rightLooking to Asia as a guideA group effortSixthSeventhEighthWhile OEMs spend significant amounts of money on protective products, the most important measure that can be taken is training staff and developing careful processes for handling and inspecting vehicles. Carmakers and ...
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FeatureCan one size ever fit all?
Flexible and adjustable equipment stands outDesigning the perfect car carrierA divided EuropeWhat to tell your carriersCarmakers are gravitating towards similar standards and technology for road carriers, but the recession has made investment tougher than ever. Carrier builders and customers speak about how much cutting-edge technology and processes countThe purchase of ...
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FeatureGetting the sea legs back again
Circling the globe to find growthRussian headacheShort-sea outlookCapacity conundrumPredicting the right balanceOcean carriers are sailing just a bit steadier as they emerge from the stormiest of seas this past year, with at least a mild recovery anticipated for Asian trade lanes in 2010. Finished Vehicle Logistics charts their course.The global ...
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FeatureToyota to providers: ...let’s talk about price!
Road carriers need to speak up if they want to slow downA missed opportunity and deferred risk?But it’s still business as usualA closer look at the networkHave other OEMs changed more, or just said so?Time for a change for TPS?The door is open for providersEighthToyota’s recent struggles in Europe had ...
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FeatureA new year, with new (old) locations?
Since the late 1960s the geography of the automotive sector has been fairly fixed, with most car production in the region where the cars were sold. That strategy remains the mantra of many supply chain executives at OEMs today as well.The exception to this of course has been Japan and ...