Thomas Hübsch
Sales Manager
What are the main characteristics of the automotive industry? In addition to the capacity for innovation and the high market value of the products involved, the processes employed are often used as the benchmark for the manufacturing industry and as a shining example for other industries. I find that fascinating and I see it as my job to promote this kind of process excellence. In my posts, I try to cover the potential behind cross-company collaboration beyond phone calls, faxes, and e-mails. With well over 20 years’ experience in the automotive and IT industries, I’ve got plenty to share with you.
Posts by Thomas Hübsch:
What is driving logistics in the automotive industry?
Matching themes: automotive, Digital Supply Chain, logistics
Digitization is in full swing
For some time now, approaches such as artificial intelligence or the Internet of Things have left the scientific and university sphere. Companies in the automotive and logistics industries have begun implementing these approaches with the technological options available today. The successful digitization of industry-specific procurement strategies is making massive progress and continues to serve as a role model and benchmark for other industries.
What you could see and hear at the Forum Automobillogistik 2019, which took place on 5-6 February at the BMW World in Munich under the motto “Creating value creation – analogue – digital – in real time”, was, as expected, extremely impressive. Read more
Supply chain vs. supply chain – does the paradigm of competing supply chains really apply?
Matching themes: Digital Supply Chain, SCM
“Supply Chain vs. Supply Chain – The Hype and the Reality”. One of my colleagues recently found an article with this title in the internet, and for a number of reasons it struck me as highly interesting and also relevant. Read more
Three steps to digital service procurement
Matching themes: Digital Supply Chain, indirect procurement, service procurement, SRM
At many companies, the procurement of services – either on the basis of an e-catalog or via a free-text order – is still characterized by many inconsistencies. Internal ERP systems often support demand analysis and the approval process by the manager who oversees the budget in the SRM system. But there is often a discrepancy between the content of the order request from what should actually be ordered. In practice, the offer is often sent to the requisitioner by the service provider in an e-mail message or as a paper document – and then not included in the order request. Why does this happen? Because adding all the individual items from the offer to the order request involves a lot of work for the requisitioner. And he tries to avoid this effort.
Digitalization should not be regarded as an expense but as an investment in the future
Matching themes: Digital Supply Chain, Industry 4.0
February 15 saw the conclusion of “Forum Automobillogistik” (Forum Automotive Logistics), a joint event organized by the German Federal Logistics Association (BVL) and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). More than 500 experts and executives from the automotive and logistics industry met in Bremen for two days. The regularly occurring event was hosted by Mercedes-Benz AG, which provided the customer center located at its plant for this purpose. Together with Dr. Joachim Damasky, Managing Director of VDA, Prof. Dr. Wimmer, the Board Chairman of BVL, welcomed the participants under the motto “Smart instead of reactive – on the path to digital dimensions”. Read more
Go or no-go? The business case provides the answer
Matching themes: Digital Supply Chain, Inbound Supply Chain, supplier collaboration
Every supply chain project begins with a close check of its economic efficiency. After all, investments in a new solution should not only pay off, but also lead to noticeable cost reductions over the medium and long term. And it is this savings potential that must be determined in advance – precisely, comprehensibly, and with a solid foundation – because without a specific business case, top management will not provide the necessary budget approval. But what exactly are the decisive factors to calculate the success of a SCM solution? Read more
600Minutes Supply Chain in Munich: Just where is the supply chain headed?
Matching themes: Collaboration, Supply Chain
Munich once again played host to a successful event that serves as a very good platform for cross-company business discussions.
The 600Minutes Supply Chain conference at The Charles Hotel in Munich brings together specialists from production companies and relevant service providers once a year. The event gives them an opportunity to hear addresses and, above all, have one-on-one discussions (similar to speed dating, naturally with a different goal in mind) about the latest logistics and supply chain developments. Read more
Automotive logistics forum makes one point clear: The digitalization of the supply chain is becoming a reality
Matching themes: Industry 4.0, transport management
Nearly 400 people gathered on February 3 and 4 at one of the year’s major automotive logistics events in Frankfurt, Germany.
It has become something of a tradition: The “congress season” kicks off the new year with a joint event organized by the German Logistics Association and the German Association of the Automotive Industry. The latest forum was held under the motto “Supply Chain 4.0: stable, synchronized, scalable.” Read more
Supplier master data remains an issue in the automotive industry
Matching themes: Master data management, Supplier master-data
Automobile manufacturers were as conspicuous as never before at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Yet the focus was not on the industry’s traditional attractions, such as design or performance, but on infotainment systems that are integrated in the interior and implemented in the form of flat screens fitted in the cockpit: “The car is the ultimate smartphone on wheels and as such rightfully deserves a place at the world’s largest electronics show,” said Gary Shapiro, President and CEO of CES, in Las Vegas.
For IT departments at automobile manufacturers, as well as at suppliers, that means: Interaction with service providers is a growing focus alongside traditional tasks. That’s a challenge that begins with long-familiar issues such as supplier master-data management. Read more
The BVL’s 32nd German Logistics Convention in Berlin takes a look at the bigger picture
Matching themes: Industry 4.0, procurement logistics
This year’s German Logistics Convention was held from 28 to 30 October. The motto was “A moving world” and the organizers proved an acute awareness of the economic and the overall political situation: although at the time the motto for the convention was decided on, such developments as the refugee issue and the extraordinary occurrences involving one of the world’s biggest automobile manufacturers could not have been foreseen. Read more
Industry 4.0, M2M and the Internet of Things and Services in the automotive industry: The next generation of e-business?
Matching themes: Industry 4.0, M2M
Many articles today deal with Industry 4.0 and communication between machines and production facilities across company boundaries.
In the related area of the Internet of Things and Services, key players in the automotive industry are hard at work describing application models intended to provide added value, in particular for road users. In terms of information technology, the trends are all about triggering activities through the transfer of data — activities intended to make daily company life as well as daily mobility easier, safer and more pleasant. But just what do these buzz words really mean?