Opinion – Page 4
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ArticleChina leads the car-sharing market, despite the challenges
The Chinese government is using car-sharing – short-term car rental, usually charged by the hour – to stimulate the new energy vehicle (NEV) market and increase individual mobility efficiency. In June 2017, the central government released draft guidance for the car-sharing industry, outlining some supporting policies. The guidance specified certain ...
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ArticleFacing digitalisation-driven disruption
Historically, traditional logistics players such as DHL, Kuehne + Nagel, DB Schenker, UPS and Nippon Express have operated in a stable world, where efficiency, standardisation and low cost have been the keys to success. Digitalisation, however, has begun to change this focus, transforming the market. New, digital-native entrants are better ...
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ArticleThe secret to fine-tuning your supply chain
‘Disruption’ is a word we’re beginning to see a lot more of on global, political and industrial fronts and these all impact on the supply chain. In order to thrive, today’s automotive supply chains must be built on resilience and flexibility, as events tomorrow could have a direct impact on ...
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ArticleHow autonomous vehicles will impact on the supply chain
There’s a huge buzz in Silicon Valley about electric engines, ride-hailing and driverless cars, with Uber, Tesla and Waymo all making waves. Morgan Stanley sees a major transformation taking place and recently predicted that Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving unit, could be valued at $70 billion by 2030.The big car manufacturers ...
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ArticleGetting better with age
It has been an incredible journey over these last 20 years working on Automotive Logistics, expanding both our publications and our conferences around the world. Louis Yiakoumi may have lost a few hairs since starting Automotive Logistics, but the industry has gained influence and reputationI can still remember the beginning ...
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ArticleStill breaking down barriers in automotive supply chains…
What has changed in 20 years of covering the automotive supply chain?
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ArticleBuilding trust with blockchain
Car clocking is a trend that is on the rise, with HPI Check reporting that in 2016, one in 16 cars were affected, an increase of 20% from 2014.While EU legislation slated for 2018 will make the practice illegal in that jurisdiction, laws are unlikely to solve the problem. For ...
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From the industryA digital platform for changing the outbound sector
Fracht SIA’s transport management software is able to handle everything from purchasing, transport scheduling to route data services, accounting and more
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ArticleEDI to facilitate ever more sophisticated sequencing
While few OEM plants run totally ‘make to order’, it is becoming more common that each successive vehicle build on an assembly line will be different. This requires the delivery of parts to line side in an exact order, planned in ‘time buckets’ of as little as four, or even ...
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ArticleKeeping taxes and duties in mind
For so many businesses, success can be attributed to how effectively the supply chain is managed and its impact on growth, costs and profitability. So many aspects including overall cost, supplier sourcing, manufacturing strategies and distribution network structure are impacted by the accelerating globalisation of business combined with taxes and ...
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ArticleHow finished vehicle logistics can shed its laggard reputation
Vehicle logistics has long been accused of lagging other parts of the supply chain – notably inbound or in-plant logistics – in technology, precision and processes. OEMs and providers complain about the same problems, year in, year out, from poor visibility to a lack of common standards.That it is really ...
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ArticleDigitalisation: for better or for worse, you can't just ignore it
Disruption or continuous improvement? That is the question over what digitalisation, autonomy and electrification will do to automotive logistics. Will new players swipe away older ones as though deleting undesirables on an app, or will technology improve efficiency and customer reach?The stock market drives the bleaker outlook for some. With ...
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ArticleStronger than ever
ECG president Wolfgang Göbel sees plenty of things to celebrate this year – even if political turmoil and gridlock are getting in the wayLast issue, I wrote that 2017 was on track to be ECG’s busiest year yet. In this edition I am happy to say that continues to be ...
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ArticleAir charter services for the automotive sector are flying high
The use of airfreight to move automotive parts over expanding global supply networks is on the increase. A recent analysis of shipments across IAG Cargo’s global network shows that over the past year it has seen a 22% increase in shipments of automotive parts by air. Consignments made up one ...
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ArticleKeeping the heat on
The summer of renegotiation is upon us. Officials and policy wonks in the UK and US have invited their counterparts out of the sun and into shaded rooms, red pens in hand, trade and multi-lateral agreements spread on the table. For their sake, we hope the rooms are all air-conditioned.Officials ...
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ArticleHow to make the most of the quiet times
Stefano Pollotti is the managing director of Gefco Middle EastThere is not much doubt that after five years of relatively solid growth in the Middle East, the automotive market has suffered over the past 18 months. This inevitably affects all aspects of the industry including traditional logistics, ultimately the ...
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ArticleMaking a success of collaboration
Greg Brady is CEO and founder of multi-party business network provider One Network EnterprisesThe automotive industry is in the midst of massive change. From ride-sharing services, advances in mechanical innovation and autonomous vehicles, and shifts in fossil fuels and hybrid power, these disruptions are helping to fuel some amazing ...
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ArticleThree steps to ensuring supply chain success
Making the supply chain a success is extremely important for everyone involved. To achieve this is usually complex and dependent on a number of factors.When you look at these factors in more detail, however, you can narrow them down to just three things: trust, time and transparency.Clearly, the first is ...
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ArticleWhy supply chain digitisation can mean making the best of what you already have
There is nowhere to turn in the vehicle logistics sector without encountering ‘digital transformation’, whether related to autonomous and connected vehicles, or optimising data.The EU transport commissioner, Violeta Bulc, recently told members of the Association of European Vehicle Logistics (ECG), that only companies who improved digital connections, whether in collecting ...
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ArticleA back-to-the-future approach to connectivity
Resolving the connectivity required in tomorrow’s logistics networks is a challenge. But there’s no need to look to future technology on this score, as a highly appropriate solution is already in our hands. Neil Hamilton is VP business development at Thingstream, a division of mobile company Myriad GroupThe growth ...