All features articles – Page 28
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FeatureJLR part 1: Ensuring logistics is not a victim of success
With so much expansion, change and inevitable risk still ahead of the carmaker, JLR’s director of global material planning and logistics, David Dyke, is pushing his department’s influence across the company and the supply chain to gain efficiency and further strength
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FeatureBrexit and shipping: Playing a game of wait and sea
A country’s ports and the shipping lines that serve them are at the front line of fluctuations in international trade. So is the UK sector bracing itself for a Brexit-induced storm? The past two years have been busy ones for any company involved in the import or export of vehicles ...
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FeatureBMW and Greer: A port far from any storms
No ocean-going vessel ever docks there but an inland port at Greer, South Carolina, has proved a perfect solution for BMW’s import and export parts shipping needsIn this story... Seeking new options A custom designed platform Expanding the scope of service Storing for successPerhaps the truest measure of efficiency and ...
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FeatureGlobal conference: Keeping up with technology’s potential and risks
The Automotive Logistics Global conference offered examples of technological change, advantages and dangers. The question is whether manufacturers and logistics providers are investing enough attention and capital in keeping up with them.Rapid advances in digital technology are driving changes in the logistics processes that support the global automotive industry, from ...
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FeatureGlobal conference: Know your supply chain better
Manufacturers and logistics providers at the Automotive Logistics Global conference are doing more to integrate their supply chains from end to end, and are keen to use data and analytics to anticipate problems before they arise.
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FeatureOpel/Vauxhall: Stable & ready to launch
Following a period of transformation and improvements in production planning, Opel is on a product offensive. Director of logistics Andreas Graffe and outbound logistics manager Michael Gorny discuss the importance of ‘frontloading’ logistics to support it. In this story... Supporting change A stable supply chain Hitting the right slot Investing ...
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FeatureBrexit: Who’s in the driving seat... and where are we going?
With the dust far from settled after a shock UK referendum result in favour of leaving the European Union, we assess the country’s future trade possibilities and their implications for the automotive logistics industryIn this story... Shock to the system Gauntlet to government Cuts on the cards? Future trade scenarios ...
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FeatureIndian carriers fight penalties and OEM indifference
Vipul Nanda, president of India's Car Carriers AssociationJust when you thought the question of car transporter lengths in India was sorted out, it may be time to think again.Following its draft legislation providing for a maximum length for finished vehicle carriers of 18.75 metres earlier this year, India’s Ministry ...
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FeatureBox of delights
A box is a box is a box, right? Well no, actually. Returnable container manufacturer Schoeller Allibert reveals that there is far more to returnable containers than four walls and a lid, if the sector is to keep up with its customers’ needsThere isn’t an automotive company in the world ...
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FeatureFreight audit & pay systems: Making payment less painful
Freight audit and pay systems can provide great control over auditing and paying for logistics-related services Got a proper handle on what's going on in your supply chain? FA&P systems could help...Freight audit and pay (FA&P) systems are often used by manufacturers and logistics integrators to process, audit, verify and ...
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FeatureFVL Import Export summit: Making sure bigger is also better in ports
The third Finished Vehicle Logistics Import Export summit revealed the need among vehicle-handling ports for more investment in space, berths and inland transport, at the same time that OEMs and logistics partners need to work together to improve the uneven flow of vehicles that 'vessel bunching' and larger ships are ...
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FeatureTruck platooning: a future benefit for automotive logistics
A recent test of truck platooning has successfully demonstrated the technology’s considerable potential for commercial vehicle fleets... In the first half of 2016, the Netherlands held the presidency of the council of the European Union and during this time, Melanie Schultz van Haegen, minister of infrastructure and environment (which transport ...
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FeatureVolvo Trucks: High, heavy and smart
[sta_anchor id="1"]Volvo Trucks North America is improving its complex delivery network across the US, including investments in new technology and in supporting its carriersReflecting continued strength in the US economy as well as sustained low oil prices, last year saw strong growth for sales of medium-and-heavy trucks in the US. ...
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Feature2015 North American port survey: Ports get an extra lift from a rise in imports
[sta_anchor id="1"]Our annual survey found most ports are seeing strong imports across North America, leading (in some cases) to parking constraints and vessel bunching. The future may look different, but operators and OEMs need to get smart about spaceOur survey of North American ports for 2015 confirmed partly what we ...
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FeatureSouth Africa: Flagging but still fighting
[sta_anchor id="1"]South Africa’s economy is battling problems, but its vehicle exports and role in global vehicle programmes mean it continues to attract investmentSouth Africa’s economy is in the doldrums. A rout in commodity prices has damaged consumer spending power. The country is skirting perilously close to having its debt rating ...
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FeatureDeliveries are feeling the crunch
If you can’t get your product to market, every other competitive advantage is lost – a problem Europe’s OEMs could face as transport capacity tightens for moving finished vehiclesNew vehicle registrations across Europe have been rising, including double-digit sales increases in recent months across the EU. ACEA, the European carmaker’s ...
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FeatureChina: Cutting costs and creating efficiency
The evolution of inbound and outbound networks is reflecting Chinese economic slowdown and reforms, as well as opportunities for stronger, more advanced automotive logistics services[sta_anchor id="1"]China’s passenger car market has been in a period of hyper-growth, rising more than fourfold over the past decade. However, with sales slowing to single ...
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FeatureTesla’s supply chain set for a surge
Tesla has captured the car industry’s collective imagination in many ways since its start-up in 2008, including how it builds and sells its electric vehicles.Besides the novelty of the products themselves, the intrigue is partly down to co-founder Elon Musk, one of the great entrepreneurs of this generation, seen in ...
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FeatureBMW: Flexing up for the fourth revolution
BMW’s partnership with Fraunhofer has produced innovations in materials handling to support its global parts exports, but these are only a first step towards wider digitalisation and automation in logisticsThere’s nothing wrong with asking for a little help every now and then, especially when it comes to developing and testing ...
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FeatureBrazil: Life in the narrow margins
[sta_anchor id="1"]OEMs and their LSPs are grappling with collapsing sales in Brazil even as new plants come online. As a result, they are looking for new ways to slash costs and boost exportsBrazil’s economy is facing crippling political and economic challenges, with the general outlook poor and vehicle sales crumbling. ...