All SCM articles – Page 37
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FeatureLogistics at centre of Renault's EV development
Renault is putting logistics considerations at the centre of its plans for electric vehicle manufacturing in Europe. The company has chosen its Flins plant, 30km outside Paris, to make its future zero-emission electric city car, based on the Zoé Z.E. Concept shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show earlier in September. ...
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FeatureUS carmakers call for level playing field with Korea
As part of his first trip to Asia, which begins tomorrow, US President Barack Obama will visit South Korea to push for a wide-ranging free trade agreement (FTA) with the republic that has been sitting around since 2007. But US carmakers are calling for the removal of barriers to US ...
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FeatureSupply chain strategy behind Chery plant in Dalian
Logistics cost and strategy considerations are behind Chery Auto’s decision to build a new plant at the port city of Dalian in northeast China. The $688m plant will start manufacturing for both the domestic and overseas markets from June 2011, with an annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles. “Building a ...
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FeatureAudi improves synchronised logistics concept
Audi’s senior logistics executives are working on further improving the transport efficiency of the carmaker’s ‘new logistics concept’ (Neues Logistikkonzept, NLK) – a system designed to synchronise the supply sources based on stabilised production programmes. One key figure of this new process is the development from the current consolidation centres ...
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FeatureLogistics is holding South Africa back
An inefficient supply chain, high logistics and port handling costs could cause carmakers in South Africa to lose future production volumes to global competitors in Asia, South America and even the EU, according to executives at last week’s South African Automotive Week in Port Elizabeth. Total costs for South Africa’s ...
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FeatureAre supplier parks the answer for South Africa?
As the South African automotive industry has struggled with a chronically underdeveloped local supplier base, leading to higher logistics cost and poorer manufacturing productivity, both industry and government in the country are making efforts to improve the supply chain’s efficiencies by developing supplier parks and logistics centres based near plants ...
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FeatureStay close on the bumpy road ahead
Flexibility in the supply chain remains the most important challenge for OEMs and LSPs according to surveys held at last week’s Automotive Logistics Global conference in Dearborn, and crucial to maintaining that flexibility was the ability to share information and remain innovative, something that needs improve and quickly. The surveys ...
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FeatureCautious reaction to scrappage extension in UK
Monday’s announcement by the UK’s business secretary Lord Mandelson that the UK scrappage scheme would be extended for a further 100,000 vehicles has been cautiously welcomed by carmakers around the country who were keen to stress that any lift was very much part of a wider European set of initiatives. ...
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FeatureCarmakers don't want the inventory
The historically low finished vehicle inventory levels in North America are here to stay, according to several carmakers speaking on day one of the 10th Automotive Logistics Global conference in Detroit this week. Keynote speaker Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s group vice president, global manufacturing and labour affairs (pictured), admitting that the ...
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Greater efficiency in India is just around the corner
Inefficient processes, inadequate infrastructure and multiple tax structures are being blamed for the excessive cost of logistics in India, according to a new report from CRISIL Research, the country’s largest independent research house. But the findings suggest that greater efficiency can be achieved by outsourcing to 3PLs, supported by more ...
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FeatureLogistics challenges for Toyota in Texas
Following Toyota’s decision to stop production at the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant in Freemont, California from next March, the carmaker is facing logistics challenges at its San Antonio plant in Texas where Tacoma production will transfer for production next year. The company is investing around $100m to upgrade ...
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Volvo Logistics embraces biodiesel initiative
Volvo Logistics is participating in a carbon-conscious joint venture with DHL, IKEA, H&M and Preem that has led to the opening of the first petrol station in western Sweden selling environmentally-adapted fuel. The station is based at Skandiahemnen port in Gothenburg, close to Volvo’s plants and the trans-shipment terminal in ...
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LSPs must weather the storm
Much sought after optimism in the European vehicle market has been hit by gloomy forecasts from leading business analysts who have warned of an increased risk to carmakers' cash flows in the first half of 2010 and a threat to half of all European suppliers, including finished vehicle logistics providers. ...
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FeatureHow to avoid a blackout in Brazil
Buoyed by government incentives, Brazil’s automotive market has performed well during the global recession, but without investment in its infrastructure the country could be facing a logistics blackout when sales and production take off again in earnest. This was the message from last week’s Automotive Logistics South America conference in ...
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FeatureThere is more to explore in Turkey for German LSPs
Manufacturers in Turkey have called for more investment in automotive logistics from foreign companies, particularly from Germany. Both Ford and tier one supplier Avon Automotive have pointed out opportunities in the Turkish markets, saying that now is a particularly good time to investment, even as the market has seen huge ...
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FeatureSCM a competitive advantage in future says ZF
In a future industry where automotive components developed and built in China are just as highly engineered and innovative as those built in Europe, logistics and supply chain management could become one of the most important distinguishing advantages for a company to increase its sales, according to John Sobeck, Corporate ...
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FeatureLSPs chase the Chinese dream
This week’s Automotive Logistics China conference in Shanghai left little doubt that China is the true land of opportunity for the automotive industry and its suppliers during the global recession. Carmakers and tier ones such as FAW Group, Dongfeng, Geely and Magna called for expanded logistics services including milkruns and ...
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Feature“We need to agree to speak the same language”
At this year's China conference in Shanghai delegates called for better and more consistent standards to stabilise the industry. “The price of logistics service has declined, and the economics of small and medium sized LSPs have been hurt severely. Some companies have been experiencing an extreme loss.”Wei Yong, Economic Operation ...
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FeatureSupply chain scheme could limit risk
The withdrawal of credit insurance for automotive parts suppliers in the UK has led to warnings of a domino effect of bankruptcies across the sector, which could impact on logistics service providers. But a new state guarantee scheme due to be announced in next week’s Budget could provide help by ...
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FeatureSafety first in the supply chain
Tier suppliers are realising they need a more strategic focus on supply chain management and logistics cost control as the economic downturn exposes inefficient supply routes and sourcing patterns. The problem is hitting those that have expanded global production in recent years but have not pursued a global or even ...