Automotive

SEC's Conflict Minerals Rule Is in ... Conflict

May 19, 2014

Just two weeks before companies are required to begin filing reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the presence of conflict minerals in their products, confusion reigns.

2014 Material Price Outlook

May 16, 2014

IHS

Top industry analysts provide valuable insight on pricing, availability, and production of key global commodities for the coming year.

Landstar Puts Heavy Machinery Manufacturer on the Right Track

May 15, 2014

Challenge: A world-wide manufacturer of heavy machinery was looking to reduce costs by moving some of its forklift product via railway service, but had been unsuccessful due to the rail industry’s reservations about transporting forklifts on trains. The customer was also looking for LTL service without incurring costly freight damage, something they had experienced with other carriers in the past due to ill-advised trans-loading.

Many Dealers, Manufacturers Oppose Recalls of Used, Rental Vehicles for Immediate Repairs

May 13, 2014

New York Times

Auto dealers have opposed legislative efforts to require recalled used and rental cars to be immediately repaired, arguing that not all recalls require swift attention.

Global Vehicle Production to Increase by 21 Million Units by 2021; China to Account for Half

May 12, 2014

IHS Automotive

Global automobile production will increase by 21 million units by 2021, and has grown by 25 million units since 2009 as the industry continues to recover from the impact of the global economic recession, according to a forecast by IHS Automotive, part of IHS Inc. China will dominate, but there is a considerable upside attached to the North American industry as it attracts foreign investment, and in the European industry as its domestic markets climb back. Japanese and South Korean production will decline as local OEMs focus their efforts overseas.

Coping With the Nightmare of Consumer-Product Recalls

May 12, 2014

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

My previous post covered the difficulty of tracing and ensuring the quality of automotive and aerospace parts. The job is just as tough for consumer packaged goods and food producers.

Was Toyota's Move to Texas Because of Lower Taxes - or Location, Location, Location?

May 6, 2014

Los Angeles Times

Toyota's plan to close its Torrance headquarters and ship 3,000 jobs to a Dallas suburb has triggered a new round of hand-wringing among those who see business-friendly Texas gaining at the expense of regulation-choked California.

Logistics Challenges in Mexico

May 6, 2014

Matt Hamson, CEO, Coronado Logistics, Inc.

In Automotive and Aerospace, Every Part Matters

May 5, 2014

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Think it's tough tracking finished goods from source to sale? Trying doing the same for the millions of parts that go into them.

You Can't Make a Car with 3D Printing, But You Can Produce a Jet Engine

May 2, 2014

Computerworld

The 3D printing market is expected to quadruple over the next decade to $12bn, moving from its main use today of creating prototypes to the most complex of production parts, according to Lux Research.

Automotive

The latest supply-chain news, analysis, trends and tools for executives in the automotive industry — which consists of companies that produce automobiles, utility vehicles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles and heavy trucks. Learn how automotive companies and their suppliers around the world are managing the flow of products across all channels of the enterprise. Experts sound off on forecasting and demand planning, supply-chain visibility, logistics outsourcing, inventory optimization, transportation management, warehouse management, supply-chain security, corporate social responsibility and more.