September 2010 management briefing: Automotive logistics

In this month's briefing we examine the automotive supply-chain and key developments that are shaping it, including the role of logistics in the context of an increasingly global auto industry that is subject to changing sourcing patterns.

SEPTEMBER MANAGEMENT BRIEFING: Automotive logistics (Part 1 – an overview)

8 September 2010

Logistics is a term that embraces a number of different elements, including the physical transportation or materials and parts, supply-chain process control, inventory management and quality control. The elongated supply chains that characterise the auto industry and the cost pressures on automakers and suppliers have left the auto industry at the forefront of developments in the field of logistics. We consider some of the issues that are changing the automotive supply-chain and the broader role of automotive logistics.

SEPTEMBER MANAGEMENT BRIEFING: Automotive logistics (Part 3 - The rise of the LSPs)

30 September 2010

The balance and progress of in- and outsourcing logistics strategies in both inbound and outbound at the major OEMs over the last decade, and the consequent rise of logistics service providers (LSPs) has in some ways mirrored the varying integration of component making at the larger carmakers.

SEPTEMBER MANAGEMENT BRIEFING: Automotive logistics (Part 2 - The rise of the BRICs and logistics challenges)

27 September 2010

The so-called BRIC markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China have continued to forge ahead in demand, output and increasingly, exports. While these regions offer terrific economies to carmakers, their sheer size and often primitive logistics infrastructure mean that OEMs must take careful measure of the real costs of manufacturing and distribution in these new automotive worlds.