All features articles – Page 49
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FeatureTruck fleet purchasing part 2: tailoring trucks to fit a niche
In the second part of our study into truck fleet procurement for vehicle logistics, manufacturers and equipment providers explain how they are striving to meet the large needs of a very small industry.Talking to car hauliers about their fleet purchasing strategies reveals just how specialised their requirements are for vehicle ...
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FeatureTruck fleet purchasing part 1: LSPs better shop around
Given the high costs in purchasing and running fleets, it is vital that car hauliers consider their options carefully when buying power units. We speak to the buyers to find out what they want Assessing performance and designBuying in a niche marketLife-cycle costA buyer’s spec listService parts and maintenance Although ...
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FeatureLogistics and outsourced labour
Thousands of outsourced logistics workers will stage a symbolic mini-strike against DHL and Jaguar Land Rover in a protest against pay and the use of contracted labour. Is it a sign of greater risks in the supply chain?The dispute that has simmered this summer in the UK between Unite, the ...
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FeatureUK relaxes cabotage restrictions for car transporters
While the UK will lift restrictions of EU-operated trucks during two peak periods each year, the new law does not appear to open the door to a further liberalisation of controversial cabotage restrictions. The UK government will relax restrictions on car transporters from other European Union member states operating in ...
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FeatureJapanese supply chain in US firing on all cylinders
As Japanese OEMs see record growth in US-based production, parts sourcing and vehicle exports, the carmakers are investing significantly to increase manufacturing and logistics capacity across the region. Japanese carmakers are investing heavily in the US supply chain following growth of more than 37% in vehicle production in the ...
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FeatureEU auditors call for end to Marco Polo-style subsidy programmes
The European Court of Auditors has called for an end to future EU transport subsidies that would be similar in design to the European Commission’s ‘Marco Polo’ programmes, which are set to expire this year. But there is still appetite for multimodal funding, albeit in a different form to Marco ...
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FeatureBlicher appointed president for UTi Asia-Pacific
Global supply chain services provider UTi Worldwide has appointed Ditlev Blicher as president, Asia-Pacific. Blicher, who will be based in Shanghai, succeeds Brian Dangerfield, APAC president since 2010, who is leaving the company for personal reasons. Blicher moves over from Ceva Logistics where he was vice-president, Group Operations. There he ...
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FeatureBlack Sea ports back in focus
Carmakers and logistics providers operating in Russia are looking at the development of ports in the south of the country around the Black Sea, with small ro-ro facilities and shipping services beginning at the port of Novorossiysk.For several years manufactures have used Ukrainian ports, including Illychevsk and Sevastapol, with capacity ...
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FeatureToyota's total supply chain vision
Toyota’s North American Logistics Control division is taking a more centralised approach to managing its inbound logistics network in an effort to influence the carmaker’s purchasing decisionsThe Toyota Production System (TPS) demands similar processes for logistics wherever they may take place in the world. The emphasis on heijunka – the ...
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FeaturePackaging: to own, or not to own?
What influences OEMs and suppliers in their decision to own or outsource packaging in different regions? The approaches vary considerable and depend on factors ranging from the existence or non-existence of standards, as well the types of parts flowsIN THIS STORY... Questions of ownershipReasons to outsourceRegional variationsContainer evolution The automotive ...
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FeatureFord packs for home
Ford Motor Company is looking to increase the percentage of returnable packaging and special racks that it owns by up to 50%, as the carmaker seeks to gain more control over its assets in a number of important markets around the globeVehicle manufacturers rightly consider packaging to be a vital ...
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FeatureGefco changes organisation and strategy
The changes at Gefco over the past year have been among the most closely watched in the automotive logistics sector, notably with RZD RussianRailways buying 75% of the company from PSA Peugeot Citroën, and General Motors outsourcing its logistics management in Europe to Gefco as a fourth party logistics provider ...
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FeatureIntegrating men and machines for Chinese warehousing
Cost, safety, efficiency and control must be considered for warehouse management and materials handing equipment as Chinese manufacturers work to balance manpower and automation in the supply chainAs carmakers open new plants across China, and costs for labour and materials rise, the balance between automation and manual labour continues to ...
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FeatureFord and SAP: putting all parts under one roof
Coordinating Ford’s complex service parts supply chain with minimal financial or asset waste requires an IT system that sets a global standard. The carmaker worked together with SAP and Caterpillar to create and implement a global solution IN THIS STORY... Teamwork in supplyDeveloping a systemForecasting in segmentsOne system for a ...
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FeatureIT updates: global platforms move to the cloud
Across several articles, we explore how IT systems are being used to integrate data, visibility and cost in the supply chain. First, carmakers are increasingly turning to cloud computing across global platform engineering In these articles...Global platforms in the cloudMapping the supply chainCost modelling supply chain costsAutomotive companies ...
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FeatureIT updates: three OEMs join forces to map supply chain
Across several articles, we explore how IT systems are being used to integrate data, visibility and cost in the supply chain. Here, Aston Martin, Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota Motor Europe share a platform for supplier dataRecent events have shone an uncomfortable light on the ‘blind spots’ in carmakers’ supply ...
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FeatureIT updates: cost modelling the supply chain
Across several articles, we explore how IT systems are being used to integrate data, visibility and cost in the supply chain. In this final part, we look into why Tofas and Iveco are turning to cost-modelling software to help improve their manufacturing and supply chain decisionsaPriori provides automated cost analysis ...
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FeatureSupply chain risk and reward for Malaysia
Global carmakers and suppliers are investing more in Southeast Asia, eyeing a growing middle class in Indonesia, a developed production hub in Thailand, and low-cost opportunities in countries such as Vietnam. Toyota, Honda and General Motors have increased production across the region, particularly in Thailand, while GM will open a ...
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FeatureSpanish dealers raided in anti-trust action
The Spanish government’s anti-trust authority, the National Competition Commission (CNC), has opened up investigations into a number of automotive dealers and distributors across the country that are suspected of being involved in a price-fixing cartel affecting vehicles and services, as well as the exchange of commercially sensitive information. The investigation ...
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FeatureLogistics providers debate EC policy in Dublin
European vehicle carriers are facing a number of pressures relating to road and short-sea transport regulation, with little give so far from the European Commission (EC). The Association of European Vehicle Logistics (ECG) has been talking to representatives in Brussels about directives governing stimulus packages, vehicle trailer lengths and the ...