Digital technology is enabling tremendous advancements in supply chain and transport management with real-time insights at all stages and from numerous angles. The flow of goods across the automotive system is becoming increasingly complex and uncertain; access to high-quality data could help suppliers improve their competitiveness and optimise operations.
From procurement support and shipment tracking to container management, insights are increasingly vital as players respond to expectations for faster delivery and the need to manage ever more shipments. Suppliers in this sector are exploring new ways to receive more granular, real-time information on end-to-end supply chain events.
Frank Schlehuber, Senior Consultant for Market Affairs at the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), believes that such increased transparency will promote end-to-end optimisation and has the potential to save significant time during warehouse processes. In the journey towards greater automation, it could prove essential. “We are digitalising vehicles rapidly and introducing more autonomous functions,” he tells Automotive World. “This will require a fully monitored supply chain to make sure the right part goes to the right vehicle. The digitalisation of the supply chain is a prerequisite for connected and automated driving, and using it in freight transport is just an additional benefit.”
