Siemens: Increased Sourcing in Emerging Countries
Siemens has launched a new supply chain management initiative to significantly improve the efficiency of its cooperation with suppliers. Read more
Italy is new Partner Country of Hannover Messe
Approximately 210,000 visitors – one out of four of them from abroad – came to Hannover Messe from 20-24 April, featuring 6,150 exhibitors. Read more
Ultrasound for Machines
Material defects, deformations and corrosion of components can lead to the need for extensive servicing measures and expensive downtime. In order to prevent such machine failures, KT-Systems GmbH is presenting a postage stamp sized ultrasound sensor at the Hannover Messe 2009 which can be used for permanent monitoring of components and structures.
Due to its size, the sensor can be connected directly with the relevant component, which allows it to detect the smallest defects (such as fatigue cracks), deformations or wear. The resulting data is read via a ground device and is then analyzed on a computer. As well as traditional materials, such as steel and aluminum, new building materials, such as the fiber composites found in airplane construction and wind power plants, can also be checked by the sensor.
Intelligent RFID Label for Transport Monitoring
At the Hannover Messe 2009, researchers from the Fraunhofer Facility for Electronic Nanosystems (ENAS) will be presenting an intelligent RFID label that is suitable for monitoring the transportation of high-quality goods.
During the transport, the label records temperature, inclination and vibrations. A sensor system allows the data to be logged, saved and read at any time via RFID. The label is a result of the BMBF (German Federal Ministry for Education and Research) cooperative ASIL project, in which Fraunhofer ENAS has worked together with the partners KSW Microtec, ELMOS Semiconductor AG, Schenker Deutschland AG, memsfab GmbH and the Chemnitz Technical University Center for Microtechnologies.
UPM Renews Supply Chain
The Finnish Group UPM will renew its paper business supply chain. In Northern Europe, the plan is to establish a regional supply chain centre in Tampere, Finland. In Central Europe, UPM is planning two regional supply chain centres in Germany: one in Augsburg and one in Dörpen. Read more
Supply Chain Management Increases Performance
The study “Global Supply Chain Management Excellence” by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, in collaboration with WHU (Otto Beisheim School of Management), Stanford University and ETH Zurich shows: supply chain management significantly impacts company performance. Read more
ABB Delivers 2,100 Robots
ABB has signed a frame agreement with BMW Group to deliver 2,100 industrial robots over five years, beginning in 2010, to support the carmaker’s operations in Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. Read more
Continental and Schaeffler: Purchasing Cooperation
Through a global purchasing agreement, the automotive supplier Continental and the Schaeffler Group have started the first large joint project in the history of cooperation between the two companies. The purchasing cooperation was contractually agreed as of March 27, 2009. Its goal is to optimize cost of materials and achieve a savings potential of 350 to 400 million euros for the period between 2009 and 2011. The number of suppliers of production materials is to be cut from 5,600 to 2,800. Read more
Warehouse Optimization as Top Priority
Two out of three supply chain managers currently feel their work to be strongly affected by the economic crisis, far more than by customer requirements (46 percent) or the pursuit of sustainability (37 percent). These are the findings of an international study conducted by Capgemini Consulting on the current situation in Supply Chain Management (SCM). 300 companies were questioned for the study.
„Although the total number of SCM projects for 2009 has not decreased by the crisis, changes in the goal setting have become visible,” says Dr Martin Raab (photo), Head of SCM at Capgemini Consulting.
Since the beginning of the crisis, managers have focussed on projects involving fast cost cutting or better contract terms. The top ten of current SCM projects are led by steps aimed at warehouse optimization (48 percent), followed closely by strategic SCM projects (45 percent) and projects for long-term planning and forecasting (44 percent).
“The study makes clear however that, for managers, a short term success through warehouse optimization or contract renogatiations has priority over those SCM projects with a long-term effect,” states Dr Martin Raab. A loss of 14 percentage points shows that strategic SCM projects are the clear loser of the crisis. This does not really surprise Dr Martin Raab who points out a considerable risk involved: “Now is the time for cost cutting to be combined with innovation and process optimization. This is the only way to achieve a competitive edge that will be of use right after the recession.”
The complete study „Crisis dominates the supply chain agenda in 2009“ can be downloaded at Capgemini.
