All features articles – Page 54
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FeatureThe Mexican parts rush
With car production jumping across the border to Mexico, manufacturers are making increasing use of the country’s developing intermodal services, writes Anthony Coia.Mexico is resurgent as a manufacturing and export base for the automotive industry. While the country has suffered from violence and security issues relating to drug crime in ...
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FeatureChina slowdown prompts supply chain network changes
An ever-changing picture. How logistics providers are relentlessly developing their networks despite the slowdown in Chinese productionDelphi aims to take control;Lear tackles logistics cost issues;Fiat-Chrysler's export network;Gefco builds on joint ventures;Go west, 3PLs.Although the world’s largest vehicle-producing nation has experienced a slowdown in manufacturing over the past year, carmakers, tier ...
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FeatureTracking the long haul in rail
We review the North American industry’s investment and capacity utilisation for moving vehicles by rail.North American network;Improving direct rail links;Battles on the west coast;Worry over railcar shortages and allocations;An industry making improvements.The port of Portland, on the US northwest coast, is an obvious destination for vehicles exported from Asia; Toyota, ...
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FeatureDamage control
Improving parts protection at Ford of Europe;Rapid response;Investigating causes;Mobis reassesses aftermarket packaging;Packaging for air freight;Continuous improvement at Renault.Inbound and aftermarket component supply chains achieve remarkable levels of quality, yet damage in transport is still the cause of up to half of all claims. Jonathan Ward reports on how the industry ...
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FeatureBuilding on the bridge
Marcia MacLeod reports on what suppliers and logistics providers in the Turkish market are doing to localise automotive production and improve logistics costs for the total supply chainTurkish automotive production is growing again, with opportunities in logistics for both established third-party logistics providers and new entrants to the country. Turkey’s ...
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FeatureYusen targets auto freight forwarding and aftermarket in Europe
These are tough days for container shipping, with most of the major lines reporting losses, struggling with overcapacity and trying, with varying degrees of success, to push rates back to sustainable levels. Sailing against the winds of the market is particularly difficult when moving thousands of boxes is almost always ...
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FeatureRussian Railways will buy Gefco stake
As Automotive Logistics was going to press, PSA Peugeot Citroën announced that it had entered into exclusive negotiations with Russian Railways (RZD), the state-owned rail operator, to sell a majority stake in PSA’s logistics provider, Gefco, and form a “strategic partnership”. PSA said that it would sell a 75% interest ...
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FeatureCan outbound keep up with North America’s changes?
Rail and road capacity better than expected Move to hub-and-spoke distributionReducing empty backhaulsDynamic ETA and visibilityElectronic data sharingA new associationA flexible futureDelegates at Automotive Logistics Global debated the implications of vehicle production growth in Mexico, and whether the industry will offer enough direct services and capacity to handle changing vehicle ...
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FeatureGefco profits slide as PSA struggles
Gefco Group, the logistics subsidiary of France’s PSA Peugeot Citroën, has seen its profits slide nearly 56% in the first half of 2012 compared to 2011 following drops in revenue in Europe and particularly across Peugeot Citroën, its parent and largest customer. Gefco has also seen its margins squeezed ...
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FeatureSecrets of a success story at JLR
Logistics providers have played a key role in the global growth of Jaguar Land Rover, and the OEM wants to extend co-operation even further.Contracts of trust;The supply chain and its history;A complete LLP strategy;Reducing premium freight spending by 80%;Global systems for order to delivery;A collaborative outbound strategy;Network planning;The recruitment challenge.The ...
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FeatureReadying the new model army
What happens when?;Bridging the distance;Value added;From concept to execution;Innovative concepts;Environmental considerations.New model programmes present the biggest opportunity to improve the performance of inbound packaging, but is the industry making the best use if it? Jonathan Ward reportsPackaging decisions in vehicle manufacture are intimately linked to new model programmes. While carmakers, ...
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FeaturePremium logistics for a premium US service
Christopher Ludwig talks to Mercedes-Benz USA about the carmaker’s delivery and inventory management challenges in maintaining an efficient spare parts network.A different kind of dealer in the US;Why not three times a day?;The NAFTA project and sharing truckloads;In-house versus 3PL parts warehouses;Packaging standards and returnable loops;Can't just throw money at ...
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Automotive sector can do better on innovation
When it comes to innovations in logistics, the automotive industry is good at confirming the merits of its own success, but it might do better to look beyond its own factories towards solutions from other industries, as there are signs it is losing ground in logistics developments as it continues ...
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FeatureBehind the great automotive cover-up
Damage analysis is one way OEMs try to determine which materials and methods will best protect vehicles. Additional reporting by Christopher Ludwig.Foams, films, tapes and more;Transport mode setting;A false faith in protection.Scratches, chips, dents and other minor blemishes disappoint consumers, annoy dealers, lead to warranty claims and sometimes even result ...
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FeatureSailing on uncertain seas in South America
Stormy arrival;Uncertain legislation;Fiat forges ahead;Chinese imports tamed;Ford goes it alone;Expanding in the south;Argentina and red tape;CAT taps Delta Dock.The Latin American vehicle trade was strong in 2011, with its ports ranking among the largest in the western hemisphere for new car handling. But operators in Brazil and Argentina face new ...
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FeatureMoving towards modernisation at FAW
The logistics arm of China’s FAW Group is investing in resources and strengthening its organisation in preparation for the challenges that will come with being a public company, according to its head, Kan Shanggang.An important group entity;FAW logistics;Rail and waterway;Expanding the business;The customer is the important challenge.As China’s carmakers have ...
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FeatureA price to pay for premium success
Balancing cost with growth;Very similar networks;Diversity makes the difference;The NAFTA project;Comparing the VW Group;A study in VPC management;Return of the capacity question;A rewarding culture.German OEMs like BMW and Mercedes-Benz find themselves in a difficult yet enviable position as they work to match strong US sales growth with the necessary outbound ...
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FeatureSearching for the best connection
Size does count;Converting the masses;The name of the aim;Scheme goes large;Potential for progress.Malcolm Wheatley reports on the development of an open-source EDI connector that aims to extend electronic business-to-business connectivity to the smaller and medium-size suppliers in Europe’s automotive industry.Based just outside of Barcelona, aluminium diecasting manufacturer Ruffini counts among ...
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FeatureTied to the green principle
Regulatory realities;The real cost of regulations;Strategies for reducing emissions and cost;How to measure emissions;Future trends.Andrew Williams reports on how LSPs are attempting to reduce emissions and costs in response to environmental concerns and changing regulationsIn recent years, automotive logistics companies have come under increasing pressure to improve the environmental performance ...
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FeatureBreaking down barriers
Vendor challanges;Building a safe supply chain;Choosing the right packaging;The devil and the deep blue sea.Ramesh Kumar talks to those involved with India’s complex logistics operations at Hyundai and Fiat about issues such as supplier challenges, seasonal changes, crossdocking aspirations, packaging priorities and controlling supply.Complexity is the name of the game ...