Keeping in Step with OEM Mandates

Trends in the automotive industry keep manufacturers on their toes. In the past, for example, suppliers manufactured individual parts for the OEMs. Today, those same suppliers must provide much more complete assemblies, requiring them to coordinate production with their individual parts suppliers.

This Tier .5 supplier trend, as well as more dependence by OEMs on automotive sequencing, makes timing of production and deliveries absolutely crucial. Top performers produce products under demanding specifications and schedules, while continuing to increase output through higher efficiencies and elimination of waste. They reduce product lead-time and costs, and are able to focus on their core competencies with the help of self-empowered teamwork, value-driven performance measurements, and consolidation of operations. Lean manufacturing practices and integrated information systems are at the core of these cost-containing improvement efforts.

MAPICS (now Infor) enterprise software solutions help manufacturers improve product innovation for faster time-to-market, synchronize multi-entity operational collaboration for on-time replenishment, and use information integration to reduce costs.