All Digitalisation articles – Page 49
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FeatureBosch and MAN win VDA award
Robert Bosch and MAN Truck & Bus have been announced as dual winners of this year’s VDA Logistics Award, with digital logistics solutions in intra-logistics and empty container scheduling, respectively. It is the first time the award has been shared between two companies. The award, from two of the country’s ...
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FeatureMexico conference: Uncertainty well-balanced with optimism
While a degree of uncertainty over the future of free trade between Mexico and its Nafta neighbours to the north once again hung over discussions at this year’s Automotive Logistics Mexico conference, it was more than matched by confidence in the future of the automotive sector. That confidence is being ...
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FeatureMercedes automates tool selection for CLS
Mercedes-Benz has begun using an automated system to provide operation-specific screwdrivers to workers assembling the new, third-generation CLS at its Sindelfingen plant in Germany.The move is designed to provide staff with optimal support by supplying tools automatically along with the right order data and process parameters for the assigned vehicle, ...
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FeatureToyota opts for digital planning
Toyota Motor Corporation is to switch to a cloud-based supply chain management system from a manual set-up, to manage its automotive demand and supply chain processes.The system, called RapidResponse, will unify the company’s global demand and supply planning between its sales and production divisions and help better manage vehicle and ...
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FeatureJapan trials truck platooning
Hino Motors, Isuzu Motors, Volvo group-owned UD Trucks and Daimler subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus have begun highway testing of truck platooning in Japan, under a project backed by the government.Each platoon consists of three 12-metre trucks, spaced about 35 metres apart and driving at 80km/h on motorways near ...
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FeatureOutbound TMS: The search for a system that can't be beat
In recent years, growing computer power, advanced software and algorithms for logistics planning have led to a rise in the use of the transport management system (TMS), which enables companies, among other things, to receive, plan, monitor and report on collections and deliveries. Some manufacturers and logistics providers have implemented ...
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FeatureLogistics IT: Is there an app for that?
At US finished vehicle logistics specialist Jack Cooper Logistics, recounts president Andrea Amico, as part of a contract for carrying out the collection and inspection of ex-fleet vehicles on behalf of a US carmaker, the need to supply seven images of each inspected vehicle was suddenly upped to a requirement ...
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FeatureAutomation: Paving the way for progress
Ask automotive manufacturers what their primary concerns are today within warehouses and factories and they will probably allude to one of three key things – productivity, safety and waste. Although various solutions are available to help alleviate problems in these areas, one of the most important is materials handling technology. ...
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FeatureKuehne + Nagel joins Temasek to invest in technology start-ups
Global logistics services provider Kuehne + Nagel (KN) has signed an agreement with Singapore’s state-owned investment company, Temasek, to establish a joint venture to invest worldwide in start-ups developing cutting-edge technology for logistics and supply chains.The partnership “will be able to accelerate the transformation of the logistics industry,” said Joerg ...
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FeatureFrank McGuigan moves to CEO role at Transplace
North American transport management and logistics technology provider, Transplace, has appointed Frank McGuigan (pictured) as its new CEO, replacing Tom Sanderson, who moves to the role of executive chairman and will serve on the company’s board of directors.McGuigan has been with Transplace since 2011 and most recently served as the ...
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FeatureAudi’s logistics part 2: Pursuing practical progression
There is little question that finished vehicle logistics has been among the least automated segments of the overall automotive production and supply chain process. From loading and unloading vehicles to and from trucks, ships and rail wagons to inspection and parking, as well as scanning vehicles into inventory and tracking systems, outbound logistics has remained, by and large, a manual, labour-intensive operation
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FeatureAudi’s logistics part 1: Prepared for a new reality
The recent history of the Audi brand is written deeply into the company’s supply chain and logistics, and can be read across the carmaker’s expanding geography, plant and parts handling operations
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FeatureA stormy year of negotiations, electric plans and cyber-attacks
As the year draws to close, major uncertainty regarding both Nafta and Brexit remains, as well a lack of clarity on what any changes could mean for the global automotive sector and the logistics industry that supports it.During the past 12 months, OEMs have made major strides towards an electric ...
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FeatureFacing 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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FeatureFCA opens $10.4m Mopar parts centre in Detroit
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) has officially opened its new 46,450 sq.m parts distribution centre (PDC) in Detroit, Michigan, for its service parts and customer care brand, Mopar.The Romulus PDC, as it has been called, was built to address growth in sales and active part numbers by handling the fastest-moving parts ...
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FeatureSiemens Financial Services calls for careful investment in digitalisation
The automotive sector needs to invest carefully to reap the benefits of a potentially more efficient manufacturing and distribution model as the fourth industrial revolution – also referred to as industry 4.0 – takes hold, Siemens Financial Services (SFS) has warned.Advising the sector to get ready for “extended disruption” in ...
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FeatureFord to look at new retail opportunities in first phase of Alibaba deal
Ford Motor Company has signed a letter of intent with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to explore strategic collaborations in connectivity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, mobility services and digital marketing.Under the three-year agreement, the two companies will explore new ways to define how consumers purchase and own vehicles, as well as ...
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FeatureThe 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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FeatureSeat builds tallest warehouse in Spain to support Martorell assembly
Spanish carmaker Seat has revealed it is building an automated logistics centre at its Martorell factory outside Barcelona that will include the tallest warehouse in Spain. The facility is expected to be completed by the last quarter of next year.The logistics centre will cover a total area of 5,700 sq.m ...
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FeatureVolvo to supply Uber with self-driving-compatible cars from 2019
Volvo Cars and Uber have announced a framework agreement under which the ride-hailing company will receive a fleet of self-driving-compatible vehicles from the Sweden-based car company, starting in 2019.In August last year, the two companies announced a joint project to develop new base vehicles that would be able to incorporate ...