All articles by Chris Ludwig – Page 10
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FeatureIndia Conference: Ford switches to LLP model for inbound and export logistics
As it prepares to open its second Indian plant next month, Ford has switched its inbound logistics outsourcing in the country from the use of a third party logistics provider (3PL), which managed transport through a mix of its own assets and other carriers, to a ‘lead logistics provider’ concept ...
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FeatureIndia Conference: picking up speed on dedicated rail freight corridor
Indian Railways (IR) has begun work on its long-planned dedicated freight corridor for rail, with expectations that large sections of the network could be operational by 2019. The corridor, which will eventually cover India’s ‘golden quadrilateral’ between the regions of Delhi and Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata, is expected to ...
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FeatureIndian government to overhaul road safety bill and integrate multimodal planning
The Indian government has approved a draft bill that would overhaul much of its road safety legislation, while creating a central authority that would be responsible for planning multimodal logistics and improving road planning.Should the bill become law, as is likely, India could see more coordinated planning for its road ...
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FeatureMagna puts more in providers’ hands
As tier suppliers take over more content and engineering in the automotive supply chain, the scope for logistics providers to increase their services and value to companies such as Magna is growing.For decades, the automotive supply chain has seen considerable product development and engineering spread from OEMs to the supply ...
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FeatureAnalysis: logistics in China still needs to shift from big to strong
Automotive logistics providers in the world’s largest market might be saying the right things but the industry lacks transparency in many areas. Christopher Ludwig provides a résumé of the market following an important industry gatheringExecutives at Chinese automotive and logistics companies speak a remarkably similar language when it comes to ...
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FeatureEnforcing the law in China could cripple vehicle carriers
After years of routinely using trucks and trailers that exceed the official width and length requirements, the Chinese vehicle logistics industry could face a rude awakening after the central government toughens its enforcement of road safety rules, according to Zheng Yuqian, vice general manager at one of the country’s largest ...
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FeatureSouth America: Where logistics can hurt you
The 2014 South America conference proved that inefficient logistics can not only disrupt production, but can hurt long-term growth. OEMs in Brazil are looking for ways to improve the supply chain and avoid falling further behind other countries. During previous Automotive Logistics South America conferences, executives worried about Brazil’s logistics ...
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FeatureSouth America Summit: High logistics costs put Brazil behind Mexico
Brazil’s poor logistics infrastructure and tax bureaucracy are contributing to higher costs and declining competitiveness for the automotive industry, with the country losing out on investment in production and the supply chain, notably to Mexico. “Brazil is facing economic uncertainty, but it also needs to address high labour costs, logistics ...
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FeatureLogistics and delays hampering Honda in Mexico
Honda has reportedly faced issues with production at its new Celaya plant in Mexico because of problems affecting both the quality and supply of parts. A consultant speaking to Automotive News has also cited vandalism and hijacking for finished vehicle rail shipments as an issue.According to US Honda dealers in ...
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FeatureChange on the horizon
More than 200 delegates at this year’s ECG Conference in Amsterdam heard that sales and production in Europe are on the rise, but that both the economy and the industry suffer from considerable fragmentation.A market growing, but with wide variation, inconsistency and divergence; an economic region integrated, yet with conflicting ...
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FeatureSustainability and packaging dominate Magna Europe awards
Magna Logistics Europe has recognised six companies in its 2014 Innovation Awards, with solutions addressing supply chain complexity, carbon reduction and packaging efficiency taking top honours.An RFID tracking device for air freight by technology provider TAGnology took first place in the ‘Supply Chain Innovation’ category, while Virtual Vehicle won the ...
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FeatureAudi geo-fencing project takes top VW Group logistics prize
A pilot project at Audi to 'geo-fence' trucks and further automate their check-in for delivery of inbound material at the carmaker's Ingolstadt factory in Bavaria has won the 2014 Volkswagen Group Logistics Innovation award. The prize was given out during a group-wide logistics conference held in Kassel, Germany, which featured ...
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FeatureEditor's note: good problems to have
If they could choose, most managers would probably prefer having more demand for a product than supply. It may stress plants, and increase delivery times, but growing sales and profits usually speak louder to top management than dealer complaints over delivery.However, if not managed properly, having more cars than customers ...
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Delivering a new world of order
Carlos Lahoz (left) reveals how Kia is honing its forecasting and supply chain process across Europe, including improving vehicle allocation and material forecasting. Glovis Europe also discusses its ambitions for Hyundai-Kia’s logistics and beyondA company selling more cars than it has capacity to build can be a ‘good problem’ to ...
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FeatureEndless possibilities
Glovis Europe general manager Frank Schnelle talks about the company's strategy for consolidating logistics in some markets and ambitions to gain transport assets.The growth of Kia and Hyundai in Europe has propelled the expansion of Glovis Europe, the group subsidiary tasked with managing the two brands’ logistics. From its beginnings ...
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FeatureEditor's note: looking for smart guesswork
The Russian market has often confounded this magazine. Sales can change drastically between print and distribution. We’ve written about customs only for governments to reset policy. Today, amid escalating sanctions and shaky ceasefires, no one can guess the outcome for automotive (some are already forecasting plant closures, read more here).Imagine, ...
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FeatureLast mile: the end will be a start
Industries rise and fall, but logistics tends to remain.The Broening Highway moves in two lanes on either side, the road surface cracked into an asphalt web in parts, while elsewhere it is being expanded and resurfaced. It traces a landscape dotted with water towers, small factories, warehouses, empty yards and ...
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FeatureGeneral Motors: waste not, want not
GM’s executive director of global logistics, Edgard Pezzo, left, talks to Christopher Ludwig about cutting waste and cost in a multi-billion dollar supply chain.When Edgard Pezzo took over as executive director of global logistics and containerisation at General Motors, in May 2013, the top logistics purchasing management job came with ...
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FeatureFinding ways to improve benchmarking
Despite a multitude of difficulties, many outbound LSPs are working to benchmark performance, but it will take significant co-operation between OEMs to really push the process forwardBenchmarking in finished vehicle logistics can be a fraught practice. The international scale of the automotive industry, myriad business models and varying company objectives ...
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FeatureDressing for a hot market in a cold network
The 15th annual Automotive Logistics Global conference, held at the MGM Grand in downtown Detroit, brought senior OEM, tier supplier and logistics provider executives to discuss ways of coping with the current growth and changes across the North American network. Most anticipated growing complexity, an increasingly important Mexico, and the ...