Features – Page 24
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ArticleETA accuracy: Going up in the customer’s estimation
Carmakers and logistics providers are now starting to bring ‘Uber-like’ tracking and delivery forecasts to the finished vehicle sector...In this story... VW's platform enhancements Visibility over exceptions Trying to stay invisible Tracking reverse logisticsScott Mabry may well smile when he reflects on the inspiration for enhancements to Volkswagen Group of ...
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ArticleRussian component exports: Shaping up to ship out
OEMs and tier suppliers in Russia have plans to support their flagging domestic business with more components exports With vehicle assembly in Russia operating well below capacity, over the past two years carmakers have tried to increase vehicle exports to other regions, including eastern Europe, the Middle East and Latin ...
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ArticleFord cancels plans for plant in Mexico as GM defends its position
Ford has confirmed it is cancelling plans to build a $1.6 billion assembly plant in San Luis Potosi, in north-central Mexico, citing slowing demand for the smaller vehicles intended for the plant for the move, rather than recent criticism from president-elect Donald Trump over production in Mexico for export to ...
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ArticleHail damage: Make do and mend or shelter from the storm?
Hail poses obvious risks for finished vehicles left out unprotected but there are various steps that can be taken to address the problem – some of them based on prevention and others based on cureThe risk of hail damage when storing or moving vehicles out in the elements can be ...
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ArticleHonda Cars India: ‘Delivery is the key to success’
Honda Cars India’s head of supply chain management, PR Ramakrishnan (pictured), outlines his approach to meeting higher customer expectations in a changing regulatory landscapeHonda Cars India, like the country in general, has its eyes on growth, as it expands its plants, model line-up and dealer network. Also like India more ...
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ArticleGeneral Motors: The new law of supply & demand
GM has restructured its order fulfilment, supply chain and logistics to share more common objectives, grouping them together in a department reporting to James BovenziThe size and complexity of General Motors’ supply chain mean that designing and sourcing the most effective logistics and distribution network for the carmaker is a ...
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ArticleBLG move to Bronka is a vote of confidence in Russia
German logistics provider BLG Logistics and LLC Fenix, the owner and operator of the Russian port of Bronka, have signed an open-ended agreement for the handling of finished vehicles through the port.Vehicle-handling activity will move into full swing in 2017 in an early sign of confidence in the recovery of ...
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ArticleBMW’s ‘connected’ logistics part 2: Towards a sustainable supply chain
BMW is looking to reduce its use of air freight while increasing its use of rail freight to ensure its future vision of a ‘Connected Supply Chain’ is truly sustainable
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ArticleBMW’s ‘connected’ logistics: Shaping a self-steering supply chain
BMW’s senior vice-president of logistics, Jürgen Maidl, and other executives talk to Automotive Logistics about the carmaker’s drive towards a decentralised and fully connected logistics flow
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ArticleAmerican Honda: Looking for smart, sustainable solutions
All photos of Chuck Kendig by: Walter SavinovichAmerican Honda’s head of sales planning and logistics, Chuck Kendig, reveals the philosophy behind his approach to managing the carmaker’s outbound flows and describes how the department operates to cope with changing model demand Since April 2015, when Chuck Kendig inherited vehicle ...
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ArticleParts materials: Metal manoeuvres
Aluminium has been threatening to edge steel out as a material for automotive components thanks to its weight advantages. But while aluminium’s role in components is growing, modern steels still dominate the supply chain – and the future requires the best of bothIn this story... Rising use of aluminium Steel ...
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ArticleSouth America summit report: Never let a serious crisis go to waste
The South American automotive landscape is looking bleak as sales and production continue to drag and excess capacity increases. But a crisis is also a turning point, as speakers at this year’s Automotive Logistics South America summit in São Paulo pointed out... Bleak outlook in Brazil Exports offer some ...
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ArticleBMW and logistics automation: from prototype to (augmented) reality
The premium carmaker is taking a step-by-step approach to bringing smarter automation and digital technology into its day-to-day operations, with big plans for the future. BMW’s senior logistics managers are pushing new technology into the carmaker’s supply chain, with a number of pilot projects involving automated guided vehicles (AGVs), robots ...
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ArticleFreight audit & pay systems: Better ways to pay the bills
Concluding our two-part look at freight audit & pay (FA&P) systems (see part one), Automotive Logistics investigates the variety of ways in which they can be used throughout the supply chain, weighs up the challenges of doing so and assesses some likely future trends... Although the exact nature of FA&P ...
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ArticleChanging trade agreements in the spotlight after US election
A week after Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the US presidential election, automotive manufacturers and experts are still piecing together what his new administration could mean for vehicle production, trade and investment across North America and beyond.Global trade deals with the US seem likely to fall back in priority or ...
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ArticleIndia conference report: Looking for the next leap forward
India’s automotive industry is set to become the third biggest in the world but its growth is testing the infrastructure to the limit and bringing a high level of complexity to the supply chain. There are also big changes ahead related to tax policy and equipment legislation, which bring their ...
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ArticleTen years in India part 3: going back on the Indian highways
Continuing our celebrations ahead of the 10th Automotive Logistics India conference on November 8th-10th, we look back at a journalist's adventures and activism aboard the nation's car carriers.About six years ago, our intrepid India correspondent, Ramesh Kumar, set off on a defining journey – one that would change not only ...
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ArticleService parts distribution: Less distance, more speed
Aftersales service is critical to a car buyer’s satisfaction and brand perception. We find out how OEMs are dealing with the growing pressures on North American parts distribution networksIdentifying efficiencies in service parts distribution is a key issue for OEMs – servicing retail outlets is the primary goal of any ...
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ArticleTen years in India part 2: MM Singh from Maruti Suzuki
Continuing our celebrations ahead of the 10th Automotive Logistics India conference on November 8th-10th, we look back at our past decade of exclusive interviews and coverage of the Indian automotive supply chain. After reviewing Tata Motors from ten years ago in part 1, Today, we’re going back in time ...
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ArticleEuropean vehicle logistics could get left behind in the digital dust
Experts at this year’s ECG Conference in Hamburg pointed to the risks and rewards for outbound logistics of the automotive industry’s shift towards digital technology and e-commerce[sta_anchor id="1"]Despite its recent run of economic recovery and relatively strong growth, the European finished vehicle logistics industry could become a victim of technological ...