All features articles – Page 34
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Nissan North America part 4: No outsourcing on the cheap
Logistics providers play important roles across Nissan’s supply chain in North America through different outsourcing strategies. For inbound logistics, the carmaker has a strong in-house team to manage transport lanes, working with a large mix of carriers and some third party providers. For in-plant logistics, Nissan also handles most operations ...
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Nissan North America part 3: The search for southern comfort
Nissan has been trying to draw suppliers from the Midwest closer to its US operations since as far back as 1983. Today, the carmaker’s huge volume, together with its new Integrated Logistics Centres at plants, could make it a more attractive proposition.Within John Martin’s wide remit as Nissan’s head of ...
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Nissan North America part 2: Building on global experience
When John Martin (left) declares Nissan’s North American operations and supply chain as the most competitive, he speaks as a global citizen for Nissan. After holding production and supply chain leadership roles across the UK, Europe, North America and at Nissan’s headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, Martin has seen many sides ...
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FeatureNissan North America part 1: A super-size supply chain with sales to match
John Martin, Nissan North America's senior vice-president for manufacturing, purchasing and supply chain is presiding over high times in the carmaker's top global market North America has become a region of superlatives for Nissan. The carmaker has grown to record levels in the US, where sales this year are likely ...
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Volkswagen Depot Kassel part 3 : Saving space to grow
Big Data and broader technological advances will play an important role in future parts procurement and logistics at Depot KasselDr Claus Wriebe tells Christopher Ludwig about inventory reduction strategies that will keep Kassel at the centre of Volkswagen’s parts supply chain for years to comeFor years, Volkswagen’s OTC in ...
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Volkswagen Depot Kassel part 2: Mitten in Europa
Pictured are the 420,000 sq.m set of OTC buildings in Baunatal, with part of the Kassel plant in the foregroundAs reflected in its main location, Depot Kassel plays a central role in the Volkswagen Group’s global service parts strategy, requiring flexibility as well as a high level of automation.Kassel/Baunatal ...
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FeatureVolkswagen Depot Kassel part 1 : The beating heart of service parts
Dr Claus Wriebe has been working in Volkswagen's spare parts logistics for more than 14 years, and took over as head of Depot Kassel in early 2014In a three-part report Automotive Logistics explores the scale and importance of the Volkswagen Group's colossal parts operations, centred around Kassel, GermanyManaging service ...
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China to confirm new trailer standard for car carriers
A strange era in China’s vehicle logistics industry may finally be on the verge of ending. In a country where 80% or more of passenger cars move by truck, and around which an industry of 30,000 or more car-carrier trucks has developed, the vast majority of equipment in use is ...
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Ready to re-emerge
The Automotive Logistics India conference presented positive signs that India may be on the right path to improving economic performance and development in critical areas of logistics, including multimodal. But as ever, the pace is slower than many would like. Marcus Williams and Christopher Ludwig report from Delhi The tragic ...
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FeatureVideo interview with Paulo Sarti, managing director, South America, Penske Logistics
Paulo Sarti, managing director of South America for Penske Logistics, spoke with Christopher Ludwig, editor, Automotive Logistics Group about the increasing need to share information, investment in new technology, and thinking differently.
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FeatureBMW: Getting connected for a new era of distribution
BMW’s vice-president of vehicle distribution Ulrich Wieland (right) and head of global vehicle dispatch and transport Mathias Wellbrock (left) talk about how connected car technology could transform the OEM’s outbound operations over the next decade
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Video interview with Orlando Moral, operations director, Chery Brazil
After his presentation at the recent Automotive Logistics South America conference in Brazil on how Chery is currently hibernating in order to come back stronger, Orlando Moral, operations director at Chery Brazil spoke with Christopher Ludwig, editor, Automotive Logistics Group about the difficulties, challenges and opportunities for the OEM in the Brazilian ...
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Video interview with Ana Quaresma, head of commercial, Latin America, WWL
At this year’s Automotive Logistics South America conference in Brazil, Ana Quaresma, head of commercial, Latin America, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, spoke with Rachael Hogg, assistant editor, Automotive Logistics Group about the prospects for WWL over the coming years, and the challenges of operating in the current market.
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South America: holding out for better times
Facing further declines and difficulties, OEM executives talk about their plans to survive the ongoing Brazilian storm For the Brazilian automotive industry, 2015 has been bad, and next year is expected to be even worse. However, despite the sharp declines and pessimism, executives are optimistic that things will eventually get ...
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Renault: A new direction for parts supply
Thomas Vernier, Renault’s vice-president of aftersales logistics (above), talks about the OEM’s attempts to make network cost savings while improving customer service around the world, as well as the opportunities to further integrate logistics and distribution within the Renault Nissan AllianceRenault has been setting, and achieving, ambitious sales growth, cost ...
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South America conference: Taking control in a crisis
The 7th Automotive Logistics South America conference, held in São Paulo, Brazil, may have brought together delegates experiencing recession, and suffering from declining volumes, but the Brazilians showed their resilience and creativity. Companies emphasised how to reshape supply chains in a crisis, and how they could move forward together stronger, ...
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Faurecia: The power of four into one
Tier one supplier Faurecia is consolidating its North American logistics network in a bid to reduce logistics costs, optimise its networks, and build better relationships with carriersFaurecia, based in Nanterre, France, is among the world’s largest tier suppliers, ranking seventh globally for 2014, according to the latest Automotive News list ...
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North America: Staying flexible in a challenging landscape
Against the backdrop of a recent rise in ground count and decrease in overall velocity, rail operators and equipment suppliers must innovate and invest to meet carmaker’s demands. Anthony Coia and Christopher Ludwig report.North America remains the world’s most dynamic and important market for vehicle logistics by rail. Although the ...
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India: Chasing away the railroad blues
Legislation and equipment design have brought Indian railways far down the track from where they were ten years ago, but infrastructure and standards still lag behind developed regionsIndia’s vehicle logistics has long been dominated by truck, with production growth over the past decade putting even more strain on the country’s ...
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Europe: Trains without frontiers
Some progress has been made in improving cross-border European rail flows, but economic and regulatory difficulties persist, with state-owned operators still the strongest competitors. A good starting point for any discussion on the development of European rail networks over the past decade and into the next one is the question ...