Challenge: A U.S.-based global solar photovoltaic manufacturer was aggressively expanding into new markets such Australia and the Middle East with high solar incidence. However, the company lacked resources to design to local standards and meet sourcing cost pressures from increasing competition. Limited knowledge of the new geographies restricted the company's ability to quickly enter new markets with competitively priced products.
Third-party logistics companies with experience in Mexico and strong partnerships with leading Mexican carriers and customs brokers can make cross-border shipping a truly seamless activity, says Dennis McCaffrey of XPO Logistics.
"New business reality." That's an apt way to describe the position of any company that has just emerged from four years of reorganization under Chapter 11 of U.S. bankruptcy law. And it's precisely the challenge that Delphi Automotive faced back in 2009, when it sought to reinvent itself and shore up relations with an army of suppliers.
The UK government and the automotive industry are investing £500m ($755m) each to double the number of jobs created or secured in the automotive supply chain by developing an Advanced Propulsion Centre.
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.
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!
Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.