Supply Chain Management in the Automotive Industry

Technology Category

Processors & Edge Intelligence - Embedded & Edge Computers

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation
Discrete Manufacturing

Use Cases

Supply Chain Visibility
Inventory Management
Fleet Management

Services

System Integration
Hardware Design & Engineering Services

The Challenge

The automotive industry is characterized by high quality expectations, product variety, and process complexity. Globalization and increasing customer requirements have forced car manufacturers to offer a large range of vehicle models and options. This complexity, coupled with the pressure of international competition, makes efficient logistics a challenge. The industry also faces the challenge of ensuring that a vast variety of car components supplied by various sources in different countries is delivered to the production plant on time. This requires well-engineered mobile computing solutions. Another challenge is the just-in-sequence production principle, which requires the delivery of the correct individual automotive parts to every workplace in the production line, in the exact sequence in which the vehicles are being assembled.

About The Customer

The customer in this case study is the automotive industry, which is one of the world’s most important economic sectors by revenue. The industry is characterized by high quality expectations, product variety, and process complexity. Car manufacturers in this industry are forced to offer a large range of vehicle models and options due to globalization and increasing customer requirements. For instance, a single model series of a premium German automobile brand can reach 1017 possible automobile variations. The industry also prefers to ship vehicle components to be assembled on-site in local manufacturing plants, a principle known as 'completely knocked down' (CKD), to reduce import duties and freight costs.

The Solution

Advantech-DLoG provides mobile computing solutions to support the automotive industry's logistics processes. Their forklift terminals are used for production logistics processes, in-house transport, scanning transport goods, and purchase order processing. For inbound production logistics, Advantech-DLoG’s robust vehicle terminals like XMT 5, MTC 6, and the DLT-V8310, mounted on forklifts and tugger trains, ensure that parts and components are delivered to the production line on time and in sequence. For operator and tool management, the rugged information terminals of the UTC series can display important production data on the shop floor, as well as changes to production steps and components. For spare parts logistics, Advantech-DLoG MTC 6 vehicle mount terminals with 10“ und 12’’ displays on forklifts or order pickers ensure precise and flexible management of original parts logistics.

Operational Impact

Advantech-DLoG mobile computing solutions support logistics processes, reducing error and failure rates, and facilitating uninterrupted production.
The solutions increase the ROI, guarantee consistently high product quality, and ensure that deliveries and deadlines are met.
The terminals are completely sealed against dust and water in line with the IP67 protection class, guaranteeing flawless operation even in moist or polluted environments.