Automotive Industry Information Systems: From Mass Production to Build-to-Order

Abstract

Building cars to customer order has been the goal of volume vehicle manufacturers since the birth of mass production. Eliminating the vast stocks of unsold vehicles held in distribution parks around the world represents potential savings worth billions, yet the current supply chain resembles islands of control, driven by production push. Despite recent advances in information technology offering total visibility and real-time information flow, transforming an” old world” industry to adopt customer responsiveness and build-to-order represents a significant step change. This requires overcoming barriers both within and between supply partners and at all levels of the supply chain. Yet, what are these barriers really like and how can the industry overcome them?