All Inventory management articles – Page 36
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FeatureThe pros and cons of short-sea in Mexico
The picture in Mexico is constantly changing. At this year's Automotive Logistics Global conference in Detroit, Roberto Zavala, head of Mexico for Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, said it was a country of contrast, or “two Mexicos”. One is the booming emerging market with huge amounts of investment and development, but the ...
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FeatureMore needs to be done to reduce waste in the outbound sector
All aspects of the automotive industry generate waste, whether that is environmental, in terms of productivity, or in business; and logistics and the supply chain are not exceptions. While efforts by OEMs, suppliers, and logistics service providers to reduce waste have significantly stepped up over the past few years, more ...
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FeatureComing to an automotive supply chain near you
The 16th Automotive Logistics Global conference, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center, brought together an industry growing and with positive outlooks. However, the potential changes heralded by the digital economy could upend business as usual. The question is when? Discussing disruption: (l to r) XPO's Bradley Jacobs; UTi's Ed ...
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FeatureInnovative logistics is about joining the dots differently
Innovation is something that is often confused with simple improvement in the automotive logistics industry but it is not about finding new ways of doing the same thing and patting yourself on the back; its about joining the dots differently.Speaking at this week’s Automotive Logistics Global conference in Detroit, William ...
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FeaturePositive signs for US-Mexico cross border material flow
[Updated 28th September] Mexico is set to be the United States’ largest trading partner by 2018. Last year, 20 years after the NAFTA agreement was signed, trade between the two countries hit $592 billion, closing in on the $660 billion in trade between the US and Canada. The automotive industry ...
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FeatureLLamasoft plugs the data gap with latest supply chain agreements
Supply chain design software provider LLamasoft has recently announced partnerships with three leading supply chain companies to provide it with data for its modelling customers. The improved data builds on LLamasoft’s provision of software services, which are designed to improve supply chain operations, including those in the automotive industry.In the ...
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FeaturePanel discussion: working out the efficiency equation
This year’s Import Export North American conference covered a lot of territory, from managing changes in export and import patterns, new flows from Mexico, capacity limits and increasing safety and quality holds. To close the conference, a panel of vehicle logistics executives from Ford, BMW, Nissan and Honda discussed their ...
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FeatureThe 'X' factors of port efficiency
Speakers at the 2015 Import Export North American conference in Baltimore pointed to the need to improve visibility in the international vehicle logistics chain, and to work closely together ahead of what could be major changes to import and export patterns. Christopher Ludwig and Rachael Hogg report from Baltimore ...
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FeatureThousands of cars destroyed in Tianjin port explosions
*Updated on 17/08 and 18/08 to include more information*Two huge explosions in the port of Tianjin, near Beijing, have caused devastation to large areas of the city, killed at least 114 people, and left many hundreds injured. Several thousand imported cars stored in a logistics park have also been completely ...
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FeatureMercedes-Benz to invest “several hundred million” in global logistics realignment
[Updated July 30th] Mercedes-Benz Cars has announced a multi-million euro investment in the realignment of its global logistics organisation that will involve both inbound and outbound flows and incorporate the supply chain management unit within its central production organisation.“Our investment of several hundred million euros in our supply chain management ...
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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 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 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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Editor's note: organising power
There is often more going on below the visible surface of a supply chain. A transmission factory might be installed near an assembly line, but the casings may come from 1,000km away. Petrol engines might be produced at an integrated campus, but clean diesel or low-emission products may be centralised ...
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FeatureEditor's note: swimming with the current in South Korea
South Korea is in a period of reflection and transition. Following decades of rapid expansion, the country is seeing a mix of slower growth with changing consumer and civic expectations. When I visited in late April, it was the anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster, which left hundreds of school ...
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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 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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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 ...