All features articles – Page 36
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FeatureSoftware quality assurance and the supply chain
Everyone in the logistics industry is aware that supply chains are becoming more complex. On top of this increasing complexity, technology is playing a bigger role, as cars become more and more like drivable computers or smartphones.The rise of the so-called ‘connected car’ – those equipped with internet access – ...
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FeatureHands-free handling
While it may lag behind other in-plant activities in its use of robotics, the quest to automate finished vehicle movement within factories and yards is well underwayCompanies including General Motors, Audi, BMW, Daimler, Volvo and Tesla – not to mention Google – have all promised that the autonomous car or ...
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FeatureKeeping a yard ahead of the game
Outsourcing responsibility for end-of-line yard operations can present challenges as well as benefits for both carmakers and their logistics partnersIn the relentless drive to squeeze cost out of automotive supply chains, specialisation is the watchword. Carmakers increasingly see their own core competence as manufacturing; for their part, logistics providers understand ...
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FeatureHonda part 6: Nurturing a rich harvest
From inventory management and container tracking to carbon reduction and data mining, Honda’s holistic improvement is set to continueHonda’s logistics have changed dramatically over the past decade or more, including more production sites, global suppliers and consolidation points. The introduction and expansion of a lead logistics provider has helped to ...
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FeatureHonda part 5: Working better, together
An emphasis on collaboration is helping the carmaker maximise efficiency, minimise cost and possibly avoid capacity and driver shortagesWhile part of the Honda North America logistics strategy has been to increase consolidation between all its plants, there has also been a move towards wider collaboration in the supply chain, whether ...
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FeatureHonda part 4: At the centre of change
Honda’s Regional Logistics Centre represents a move towards integration and commonality in the US, but it has also brought about ‘another way of life’ in the OEM’s homelandA good example of where Honda’s logistics have delivered a fully integrated, common supply chain solution for North America is the company’s Regional ...
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FeatureBreaking supply chain taboos in South Korea
Production growth out of the Korean peninsula is slowing, but its role in the global supply chain looks set to become more important as Hyundai-Kia and tier suppliers increase global productionSouth Korea’s supply chain is at the heart of the country’s success in automotive production. A dense network of competitive ...
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FeatureSouth Korea part 5: Complexity made simple at Pyeongtaek
Still expanding during a period of relative stability or even decline in exports, Pyeongtaek-Dangjin port is also searching for terminal efficienciesPyeongtaek-Dangjin port is South Korea’s largest for moving finished vehicles, with volume in 2014 at a record 1.5m total units, including transhipment, used and commercial equipment. That is nearly three ...
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FeatureSouth Korea part 4: Full steam ahead
A mix of carrier, 3PL, 4PL integrator and central logistics purchaser, Hyundai Glovis’s strength and expansion rely on third parties as well as Hyundai-KiaThe rise of Hyundai Glovis has been the logistics parallel to Hyundai and Kia’s emergence as production and export superpowers. The company has solidified its position as ...
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FeatureChina modes: No single way forward
As the Chinese market faces slower growth, changing trade in ports, and the prospect of new trucking regulations, there is rising interest, as well as difficulty, in expanding rail and waterborne logisticsChina’s vehicle logistics industry is facing twin pressures. On one hand, the country’s production and sales of passenger vehicles ...
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FeatureZF’s truck technology to benefit logistics
Driver shortage is one of the biggest concerns facing the logistics and supply chain industry. The reasons for the shortage include fewer younger drivers entering the profession, the baby boomer generation retiring, lifestyle, and stricter regulations on safety records and hours of service. It is estimated now that 35,000-40,000 drivers ...
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FeatureTransport equipment: On the road to improvement
Transporter manufacturers face rising demand and complexity, with a need to balance regulations with load factors and growing concerns over driver ergonomicsGrowth in vehicle production in many markets has increased demand for car-haul equipment. But while there is demand for trailer manufacturers to produce more equipment, the sector must ...
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FeatureNorth American ports: Ebbs and northbound flows
Our annual survey reveals a new port at the top of the vehicle processing table and greater growth in south-eastern ports. However, the tide can turn quickly. Christopher Ludwig contributed to this reportThe vehicle market in North America remains on an upward track, with rising sales and increased production in ...
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FeatureHonda part 3: A history of integration
Over the course of some combined 60 years at Honda, Kevin Wade (left) and Dana McBrien (right) have had a huge influence on the carmaker’s logistics systems. And they are not done yet...It takes longer to till some kinds of soil than others. Creating a more integrated logistics network and ...
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FeatureHonda part 2: Getting the lay of the land
To fulfil the scale, diversity and flexibility of its North American production, in 2014 Honda bought some $25.5 billion of production parts from 700 suppliers across the US, Canada and MexicoHonda’s footprint in North America has grown substantially since Soichiro Honda first set up a motorcycle factory in Marysville, Ohio ...
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FeatureHonda part 1: Field of dreams
Since Honda took root in a cornfield in Marysville, Ohio, the carmaker has created a supply chain of stunning complexity, length and scaleCarmakers preside over plants and sales channels as diligent farmers and shepherds would cultivate their fields, flocks and harvests. The supply chain supporting it all, meanwhile, has typically ...
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FeatureHonda special reports: A highly cultivated logistics ecosystem
Honda’s North American logistics team, led by Dana McBrien (pictured right), oversees a network that has grown from an empty cornfield into a truly global and ever-expanding organism. Along with senior staff administrator Kevin Wade ( left), who leads the transportation team, McBrien allows Christopher Ludwig an insight into the ...
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FeatureTRW to benefit from ZF's flexible logistics following takeover
On May 15th this year, ZF completed the acquisition of TRW in one of the biggest supplier takeovers for years. TRW is now managed as the fifth division within ZF, maintaining its brand name. The deal makes the automotive supplier the second largest in the world and the combined company ...
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FeatureSouth Korea part 3: From export champions to masters of logistics
Some aspects of South Korea’s supply chain may come under pressure as logistics requires more value than just shipping constant high volumesEven if South Korea is displaced from its top-three spot on the global export podium, it will remain important for logistics. The country’s vehicle logistics are notable for their ...
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FeatureSouth Korea part 2: Widening the lens
Market analysis: an increase in regional manufacturing is changing South Korea’s export production while premium imports become more popular within its bordersWith a relatively small domestic market, South Korea’s automotive industry remains highly export focused. According to Tsukasa Watanabe, lead analyst for Asia Pacific at PwC Autofacts, the ratio of ...