We all have seen a drastic time of pandemic that has affected almost every sector around the globe. this event has already created a history that has been documented for all the years to come. However, many industries have managed to overcome and recover from the consequences of that loss except for a few ones.
Among those still suffering industries, the supply chain is on top. Although, the supply chain constraint has overcome the major hit still it will take time to get normalized as the re-pandemic era. Do you know, it almost has passively affected the automotive industry. the experts and the industry leaders are still trying their best to come up with better strategies for overcoming the supply chain issue.
Following the pandemic-caused semiconductor shortage that cost automakers more than $450 billion worldwide, the automotive sector is at a crucial point in time to assess and strengthen the resilience of its supply chain. The industry still has trouble adjusting to the changing dynamics of the electronics supply chain, even in the face of strong OEM efforts. Considering all the available stats, the experts have recently suggested some strategic moves for the automotive sector to overcome the supply chain issue.
Making informed decisions by using smart insights
The automotive industry needs to be highly strategic and smart when choosing any experimental effort for the industry. Bringing in intelligence that offers visibility into crucial parameters like lead time, part life cycle, and design popularity for electronic components is the first step toward reducing supply chain risks. During the decision-making process, working together with tier-one suppliers is essential to obtaining insights that go beyond conventional measurements such as total produced value added. Teams from engineering, sourcing, and procurement can collaborate to enhance supply chain intelligence by focusing on bills of materials and making well-informed component trade-off decisions. Also, try to pair up with the dealers and distributors that are most in demand in your region. For instance, Japanese cars are in demand in most African regions so, if you are putting cars for sale in Jamaica, the Japanese company’s collaboration will be beneficial.
Besides that, all the dealing should be end-to-end encryption to avoid any conflict of interest between the parties. At this point, while sectors are working together must understand that things may go wrong and could be hard to handle. Hence, the risk factor is higher than the gain. The conflict of interest is not affordable for any of the collaborators.
Adopt strategies that provide flexibility
For the supply chain to be strengthened, creative alliances with organizations providing value-added supply chain services are necessary. Businesses such as Avnet, Arrow, Flex, and Jabil can be extremely important in separating and assigning essential components. They can evaluate and successfully manage inventories for tier-one suppliers because they cover commodities and market visibility. To lower the risk of supply interruption, third-party partners can also offer early supply chain health assessments and recommend substitute components or suppliers. Leveraging these partners’ worldwide reach and competencies improves the resilience, agility, and risk-sharing of the supply chain.
While working as a car dealer, search and collaborate with companies that have multiple dealers in hand and that deal worldwide. This may sound unrealistic for small businesses but to overcome the supply chain interruption, this is the best we can do right now. For long-term planning, there are possibilities that the situation may back to normal.
Strategic partners are not just for inventory control and alternative suggestion. These collaborations may also act as a means of integrating supply chain technology advancements. Working with partners who are technology-focused enables the automotive sector to remain at the forefront of innovation. These collaborations can propel the technical advancement of the sector, whether it is through the use of blockchain for increased transparency, the use of predictive analytics, or the implementation of sophisticated tracking systems. Accepting such innovations reduces risks and establishes the sector as a flexible and progressive player in the market.
Transforming the entire electronic supply chain industry
A transformative strategy is extending the industry’s influence beyond essential integrated circuits (ICs) to encompass a wider range of products. Major OEMs worked on wonderful capacity alignment with semiconductor suppliers throughout the epidemic, but this was mainly centered on new technologies. The automotive sector now has to include a far wider spectrum of suppliers, sub-commodities, and components in its risk monitoring and visibility initiatives. This covers older nodes and other categories than automotive-grade ICs with extended lead times. Through strategic partnerships and more transparency, the sector can proficiently handle risk throughout its heterogeneous supply chain network. Beyond simply transactional relationships, this partnership involves a strategic appropriate alignment that fosters transparency and shared insights. The automotive industry can participate actively in the conversation surrounding specific points and revise its plans to align with supplier capabilities and market expectations.
In the age of digital transformation, using data analytics is essential for making informed choices. Collaborating with significant vendors like as STMicroelectronics, Intel, Infineon, and Onsemi provides you with access to their extensive data and expertise. By integrating sophisticated analytics, the automotive sector may gain a thorough insight into the electronics supply chain, enabling proactive risk management and trend analysis. This data-driven approach facilitates quick decision-making and helps the industry to react rapidly to shifting market conditions.
Wrap for Now
Reducing supply chain risk in the automobile sector requires a thorough overhaul. For efficient decision-making, engineering must coordinate with the teams responsible for sourcing, procurement, and risk assessment. Staying ahead of disruptions requires real-time insight from the external environment rather than depending only on historical data. By providing this intelligence to all pertinent teams, the industry may guarantee alignment, promote cooperation, and set itself up for quick risk assessment and correction.
In an environment where the automobile industry is confronting hitherto unseen difficulties, these calculated actions can reduce supply chain risks while simultaneously setting the sector up for long-term growth and competitiveness. These proactive steps will be crucial to ensuring a robust and flexible future for the automotive supply chain as the demand for automobiles rises and the shift to electric vehicles takes shape.
