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Buyer-supplier negotiations play a central role in supply chain networks regulating the conditions for the exchange of goods. This paper investigates the relationships between influencing factors and their impact on bargaining power. In a multiple case study, we triangulate secondary data from 12 German automotive suppliers. Following a structural equation modelling approach, bargaining power and the effects of those influencing variables are analysed. Four relationships can be found. (1) The availability of internal resources and the existence of strong buyer-supplier relationships have a positive effect on bargaining power. (2) A positive influence of buyer-supplier relationships on gaining access to internal resources can be identified. (3) External market conditions have a small negative effect on bargaining power. (4) No significant effect can be found looking at the impact of external market conditions on internal resources or buyer-supplier relationships. The findings support theory by showing that internal resources and strong buyer-supplier relationships positively influence bargaining power. Based on these results, managers are advised to prioritise strategic resource allocation, implement win-win strategies, and employ benchmarking techniques to enhance competitiveness and strengthen bargaining positions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of workplace ergonomics for office workers is significant for occupational health. Since office employees' work is often mental, this evaluation should include a mental workload assessment as well as a physical assessment. The purpose of this study is to examine the physical and mental workload of office workers of an automotive supplier company. This study was carried out on 250 office workers. The musculoskeletal and physical risks were investigated using Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) and Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), and the mental workload was analyzed with NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). Musculoskeletal disorder risk and mental workload levels were revealed by statistical analysis and examined on the basis of departments. The correlations between risk levels obtained by different methods and the effect of gender and age factors were also investigated. ROSA final score average was 3.69 which corresponds to a moderate risk level. 62.4% of the employees for the chair section and 64.4% of them for the keyboard and mouse section were at moderate and above risk levels. According to the CMDQ results, the body regions with the most discomfort were determined as the neck, upper back, lower back and right wrist. NASA-TLX scores showed that the highest mental workload occurs in office workers in Accounting, Maintenance and Purchasing departments. NASA-TLX scores were found to be correlated with the ROSA final score, but not with the CMDQ scores. Evaluating the musculoskeletal disorder risks and mental workload of office workers together and taking the necessary precautions were beneficial in terms of protecting the health of the employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automotive industry, known for its dynamism and innovation, relies on effectiveness of product and process requirements management. Effective collaboration with OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) is essential for success. The article analyses how product and process requirements evolve during different project phases, following the APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) approach, depending on OEM type. The study focuses on Tier 1 organizations, direct suppliers to the automotive industry, and their diverse approaches to product development. It underscores the need for Tier 1 organizations to maintain flexibility in their operations and to be prepared for changes in OEM demands. The study emphasizes the role of effective communication and coordination among all the levels of the supply chain to ensure the successful implementation of the APQP approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several large multinationals and a few local assemblers dominate the Indian automobile industry. The largest multinational, Maruti Suzuki, entered the Indian automobile industry with a policy of developing local automotive parts manufacturers to achieve high local content ratio. This study seeks to determine the extent to which foreign direct investment (FDI) in host countries contributes to the growth of automobile parts manufacturers. We use district‐level panel data from 2000 to 2008 to assess the linkage between the production of major automobile assemblers and the development of automotive parts suppliers located in the same and adjacent districts to those assemblers. Our regression results show the heterogeneity of the linkages, suggesting that the formation of industrial clusters by local parts suppliers and the expansion of their production capacity are likely to be key determinants of the success of FDI in the Indian automobile industry, rather than relying on in‐house parts production or imports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this research was creation and validation of a methodology for the development of production systems of suppliers of the automotive industry. The theoretical starting points analyze the available literary sources and point to the insufficient treatment of the issue by a comprehensive industry standard representing a gap in the current state of knowledge. The practical part of the research is divided into two stages. The subject of the first stage is the standardization of the methodology through a structured scientific procedure in intensive cooperation with a panel of experts. The subject of the second stage is testing the methodology on authentic projects of the application sector using case studies. The results of the testing showed that in all projects managed using the proposed methodology there was an increase in performance compared to projects managed in a traditional way. The successful confrontation of the proposed solution with reality (practice) is underlined by the confrontation with the current state of knowledge (theory). The practical benefits of the research are the possibility of implementing the methodology into the pedagogical process at training workplaces and, above all, its application into engineering practice to develop new production systems of suppliers of the automotive industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a well-established method for measuring efficiency among a comparable group of decision-making units (DMUs). DMUs comprise entities with time-related activities—i.e., inputs and outputs. The concept of DMU is not reserved only for business entities; it can also be a project or product. This study focuses on the latter by using DEA efficiency scores to estimate the product price from suppliers' perspective of newly developed products. These prices are then used as a basis for negotiation. However, DEA-based estimations of such product-related purchasing can only account for deterministic input and output relationships and cannot handle unobservable negotiation behavior. Therefore, we propose a two-stage estimator in which DEA is a deterministic baseline estimator that captures production-related price components. We then train regression trees to estimate the behavioral bargaining surplus. We present a real-world application stemming from the automotive supplier industry to demonstrate the applicability of our approach. Most importantly, we confirm the effectiveness of our approach by substantiating the hypothesis that our method provides better estimates than one-step machine learning methods, especially when there is little knowledge about new products, i.e., when data availability is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines a 'trinity' of interconnected components by Mobileye, a company moving into autonomous driving. However, Mobileye is neither an automotive manufacturer, nor a nominal 'big tech' company, but an established maker of 'bolt-on' advanced driver assist systems (ADAS), able to draw on over 65 million vehicles. Through these devices, Mobileye is undertaking a 'platformisation', transforming from an automotive supplier into a provider of autonomous vehicle (AV) platforms. We characterise this as a 'car-agnostic' approach to autonomous driving. Mobileye represents the advancement, and modulation, of a platform logic into a different type of hardware: the car. To understand the implications of this, we argue that Mobileye acts parasitically in three ways: by inserting itself between driver and vehicle, vehicle manufacturer and vehicle data, and specific vehicles and the emerging AV industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous changes in today's market have exposed supply chain (SC) management to severe challenges. Such changes in the market are divided into two general categories: (1) Time-dependent changes such as political, economic, and cultural changes occurring over time and require decision-makers to consider the dynamics of decisions; and (2) Sudden changes and events such as diseases and natural disasters disrupting SCs. This paper investigates the impact of both changes on the decisions of a green supply chain. Moreover, these challenges may affect the organizations' activities in the market and arouse a conflict in the members' goals, leading to competition among members. This paper studies a game model for a dynamic–stochastic supply channel SC with one manufacturer and one retailer, where two types of products (green and non-green) are sold. In this study, two models are dynamically considered: The first model without demand disruptions and the second model with demand disruptions. Finally, the results are compared. On the other hand, due to environmental goals and to survive manufacturers under disruption, the government supports manufacturers in producing green products. Implementing this cooperation, the manufacturer also invests more in improving the greening level of green products, thereby enhancing its demand. Regarding numerous disruptions common in the automotive industry, this case study is conducted on the automotive supply chain to evaluate the models, and the results are presented in the form of numerical examples. Finally, to extract managerial insights, sensitivity analysis is performed on the main parameters of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product variety, in combination with today's unstable market environment, brings strong challenges to manufacturing firms. Single-product assembly systems become difficult to implement as the return on investment is difficult to obtain with decreasing lot sizes and unstable customer demands. Multi-product assembly systems are a possible solution to this problem, as they allow to compensate demand fluctuations throughout the product mix. However, variety is a strong barrier to this kind of production systems. A new method is presented in this paper to identify multi-product assembly system architectures adapted to a product family, based on the identification of components for common positioning. This method has been applied to a supplier in the automotive industry and a return of experience of this case study is provided, highlighting its potentials and barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead firms play a dominant role in the governance structure of conventional global production network (GPN) analyses but this framework is not fully applicable in sectors where (new) regulations, technologies and subsequent market changes have a disruptive effect on its governance structure. This paper proposes an analytical framework to examine how disruptive effects of industrial megatrends in forms of new regulations and technologies and the subsequent market changes could alter the competitive dynamics between lead firms and their tier-I suppliers. Although lead firms are becoming more specialized and highly efficient in specific product segments, they may not always have inter-firm control over their tier-I suppliers. GPN boundaries become more permeable when there is an external shock, such as new regulations or massive shifts in consumer demand, or the entrance of an entirely new lead firm, possibly due to a technological breakthrough or innovative use of existing technologies in a product. This external shock could have disruptive effects on the GPN, from the exit of current lead firms to the entrance of new tier-I suppliers or lead firms. Consequently, a reconstituted GPN with a newly established boundary is then produced. Applying the analytical framework to the automotive industry, it is argued that selected (and new) systems suppliers with expertise in micro-electronics are not only in a prime position to capture the value generated by the increasingly stringent regulatory environment on safety and environmental standards, but also more resilient than the incumbent automakers to three emerging megatrends: electrification, digitalization and autonomous driving. JEL: F23, L14, L20, L62 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a model for evaluating production strategies, policies and methods based on fuzzy set theory. To illustrate the application of a model, the longitudinal case study was carried out in the sector of automotive components and parts production in Serbia. Within the automotive supplier industry, analysis is concentrated on the Cooper Standard company, one of the world's most prominent component suppliers. The study was conducted with the management team of the Cooper Standard branch in Serbia. Triangular fuzzy numbers are employed to effectively evaluate the critical areas of production management and overall competitiveness over time. The findings of the empirical survey confirmed the usability and usefulness of the proposed approach. Also, the longitudinal character of this case study provided an opportunity to follow the patterns of change over a period of 5 years (2019-2024). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we compile a new data set of firms in the Thai automotive industry and discuss the localisation of both automotive parts suppliers and assemblers in Thailand. We first review the factors affecting the development and location of the Thai automotive industry and examine how Thailand came up with the strategy to promote one-ton pickup trucks as the first 'product champion'. We argue that the government played a significant role in creating a 'sizable' domestic market and building the essential infrastructure, resulting in the promotion of dynamic growth and a vibrant productive capacity. Then, applying Duraton and Overman's continuous approach, this paper examines the localisation of automotive firms. Using the spatial distribution of manufacturing establishments as a benchmark, this study finds that all categories of parts suppliers were significantly localised. Moreover, it is revealed that statistically significant localisation takes place only within 150 kilometers with respect to the bilateral distances between suppliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper examines how small local firms integrate into the automotive value chains and what entry barriers they face during this process. Using primary data from surveys on domestic suppliers and interviews with subsidiaries of Japanese automotive producers operating in Indonesia, the study found that apart from the initial condition of local firms that were mostly less capable and inexperienced in the modern manufacturing system, the subsidiaries also purposively created various entry barriers and provided limited assistance. Consequently, the linkages opportunities available for local firms were confined to lowest-tier suppliers and the integration process as new suppliers was arduous, costly and time consuming. Given such a situation, the paper proposes the insertion process as a new industrial upgrading trajectory and labels it as entry upgrading. Moreover, the research also suggests that workers' mobility and demonstration are pivotal channels for local firms to acquire advanced knowledge necessary for their entry upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ekonomika is the property of Society of Economists 'Ekonomika' and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Increasing product variety and fluctuating demand have led to the need of assembly systems that can adapt to multiple different products as the return of investment for dedicated assembly lines is more and more difficult to achieve. In response to this challenge, the paradigm of reconfigurable assembly systems has emerged. However, configuring and optimizing these systems still pose challenges in the industry. This paper proposes a new simple optimization approach for the configuration analysis and optimization of a reconfigurable multi-product assembly system in the automotive industry, using configuration selection, task allocation, and sequencing. Its effectiveness is validated throughout three real industrial study cases in the automotive supplier industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufacturing companies become more and more dependent on reliable information from the shop floor. This information represents the current state of the shop floor and is often the basis for control decisions. By relying on this information, the quality of the information becomes a crucial factor, as it may decisively influence the result of the control decision. To ensure sufficient information quality, a six-staged method, called 'Information Quality focused Value Stream Mapping for the Control of Production Processes', is introduced in this paper. It is based on the value stream mapping (VSM) and extends parts of the value stream analysis (VSA) to capture relevant information needed within the value stream design (VSD). Furthermore, the method extends the VSD to select and develop methods for the coordination and control of the production processes and to harmonise the necessary information flows for coordination and control. The application of the method and the relevance of harmonising information quality is illustrated by an industrial application at an automotive supplier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the relationship between regional assets and value capture with a focus on knowledge and intellectual property assets. It traces, over an extended time horizon, the upgrading and later downgrading path of a single supplier firm in a peripheral location to illuminate the degree to which value capture trajectories are shaped by the power geometries of regional, network, and macroeconomic forces. The analysis suggests that functional upgrading does not insulate firms from the risk of downgrading and exclusion, but rather that it changes the nature of their vulnerabilities. In this case, functional upgrading was associated with ownership changes, a progressive disassociation of intellectual property assets from their underlying regional knowledge resources, the relocation of production activities to hubs in global networks, and eventually to the redirection of captured value from the region. The analysis contends that regional assets are assets that capture value in the region, and that when knowledge-based regional assets are created by interactions within firms, firms should be considered as regional assets. The conclusion considers the implications for regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Soziologische Revue is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study explores the strategic drivers of digital transformation (DT) at subsidiaries. Our research framework derives strategic drivers from a tripod model that integrates the resource-based, the institution-based, and the industry-based views. We use two longitudinal case studies at global automotive suppliers' Hungarian subsidiaries. We found that each view highlights a different set of strategic drivers. DT in the subsidiaries is boosted by proactive local management and mature process improvement routines (dynamic capabilities); parent–pull relation (internal institutions) and state support attracting manufacturing FDI (external institutions); as well as buyers' increasing expectations and supplier-related factors (industry-based view). By combining these views, we claim that drivers related to the external institutional context and the industrial competition are usually filtered by the global management before contributing to resource adjustments at subsidiaries in a coercive top-down manner. Despite this seemingly deterministic DT process, local managements can actively shape DT, even that of the MNE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to reveal the intellectual capital values of firms operating in the BIST automotive and BIST automotive supplier industry sectors as of February 2023. The sample of the study consists of 2019-2021 period-end data of eight firms in the automotive sector and 11 firms in the automotive supply industry. To determine intellectual capital, the calculated intangible value method was utilized, and a seven-stage calculation process was followed. According to the findings from the study that Doğuş Otomotiv has the highest value for intangible assets in the automotive sector and Ege Endüstri in the automotive supply industry. In the automotive sector, Türk Traktör invested the least in intellectual capital, while in the automotive supply industry, Bosch Brake Systems was the company that invested the least in intellectual capital. Firms with high intellectual capital are the most profitable firms in the sector. In this context, a linear relationship exists between profitability and intellectual capital: However, there is no linear relationship between tangible assets and return on tangible assets in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the issue of standardization of project management (PM) practices of development activities of automotive industry suppliers. Development activities are critically important for ensuring the final quality of the developed products and related production systems while keeping the target costs. The key to their successful management is considered the use of modern PM practices. In order to represent the current best practices and to be apparent and transparent, the PM practices must be properly standardized. A comprehensive branch standard of PM in automotive industry is however missing. In order to fill the gap in the current state of knowledge, consecutive steps of standardization were defined. This article describes one of the initial steps, a systematic literature review of existing resources that could serve as a valuable basis for standardization. The results show that general PM standards are suitable for treating the quality of project processes and branch PM standards of automotive industry for treating the quality of project product – manufacturing processes of automotive suppliers. The paper discusses the individual methods within both groups in more detail and recommends what purpose they are suitable for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global automakers are required to apply Automotive SPICE (A-SPICE) to evaluate the development capabilities and qualities of suppliers in addition to the automotive functional safety standard (ISO 26262) for preventing accidents caused by errors in the electronic components. However, rapidly changing software requirements and environments make it difficult to follow A-SPICE and ISO 26262, leading to late detection of software defects in the system qualification test, which is the final verification stage of the V-model. Correcting these defects incurs additional time and cost. This study proposes an enhanced qualification test strategy and technique, which ensures zero defects at an early stage, thereby saving time and cost. The proposed strategy and technique are performed by advanced exploratory and optimization tests that utilize a risk-based test strategy to solve problems. The risk-based test strategy is established at the beginning to identify highly potential problems and is derived from the 1st stage advanced exploratory and 2nd stage optimization tests based on ISO 29119. The test is performed during a CDC system qualification test using an "advanced HILS," which supports UDS and XCP protocols. The proposed test techniques can solve problems during an early phase and achieve zero defects in a CDC system qualification test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimising available resources and minimising production costs and throughput time is vital for first-tier suppliers in the worldwide automotive sector. To develop this type of optimisation and efficiency, MAHLE applied Action Research (AR) in one of its factories located in Spain. A multidisciplinary collaborative work team was created with the aim of deploying the AR initiative in combination with Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma tools. Four improvement and learning cycles were deployed and key performance metrics were defined to collect and measure data in order to analyse the improvements achieved. The application of the AR initiative in the production line of a power filter device enabled improvements in both production times and quality indicators in the manufacturing process. The most outstanding results were the improvements made in the decrease in initial throughput time (34.78%) and in average daily rejections (73.53%). In addition, the AR initiative generated practical and theoretical contributions for business and academia, allowing the AR initiative to be applied in other areas of the company, and contributing to the current state of the art in the industrial application of this methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study is to develop a framework for the implementation of a Supplier Kanban System. Design/methodology/approach: The research was conducted within a factory focusing on the warehousing and supplier-related operations using an action research methodology. Findings: The study period spanning over six years was aimed to reduce the inventory and the manpower required to manage this inventory. This initiative led to a substantial average savings of more than 500,000 Malaysian ringgit annually. Research limitations/implications: The focus of the study is on a framework for implementing a Supplier Kanban System in a small or medium-sized company within the automotive industry. Practical implications: This framework is designed to be self-sufficient such that the members of the organisation can use it without the help of external experts or consultants. Social implications: Reduction in inventory stored in the warehouse, the amount of redundant work carried out by the employees and other non-monetary improvements which are difficult to monetise resulted in a much better work environment and happier employees. Originality/value: The change in the paradigm of the manufacturing value chain affects the Tier 1 and 2 suppliers in Malaysia. The lines and value chains posing challenges to the suppliers have brought the idea of the Supplier Kanban System. The Supplier Kanban System adopted the action research cycles and continuous learning cycles, and this process was documented and developed as the Framework for the Implementation of a Supplier Kanban System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

logistics occupies an important place in production activities and directly affects the duration of production and product quality. Considering the limited number of studies in the literature on production logistics, which is so important, it is seen that the studies are related to the determination of storage strategies, selection of storage vehicles, structuring of material transport movements, selection of material transport vehicle types, cellular layout, structuring of intracellular and intercellular movements. The use of fuzzy and weighted fuzzy information axiom, which is a fuzzy-based selection approach, for transport activities in industrial cells will be a new study in the literature. The information axiom, which is included in the design methodology with axioms, was used to determine the simplest internal logistics transportation method. An application study was carried out in the factory of an automotive supplier company. The most suitable option among alternative transport methods with different criteria was determined by applying fuzzy information axiom and weighted fuzzy information axiom methodologies. With these approaches, it has been tried to find the simplest and most efficient cell feeding method that provides the most customer expectations. The differences between the current internal logistics transportation method and the proposed lean internal logistics transportation method are given. In order to help decision makers, make decisions without hesitation, the study has been strengthened with sensitivity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This methodological paper proposes two codifiability indicators to examine trade and manufacturing statistics and the spatial distribution of value-added manufacturing activities. Codifiability is defined as the level of documentation about the manufacturing processes of a product required to allow tasks to be replicated by other suppliers. First, the codifiability indicators allow researchers to examine products that are grouped under the same sub-product class in conventional statistics, but the manufacture of such products could involve vastly different technologies and thus the level of value-added. A proprietary database was used to delineate the supply networks of automakers in passenger vehicles and their major tier-I suppliers between 2000 and 2015. Second, codifiability allowed the researchers to unpack the spatial distribution of value-addedness of each supplier in the production network, as illustrated by the top two parts suppliers to the automotive industry, Bosch and Denso. The importance of codified standardized commodity parts with lower value-added in the continental European home market illustrates the importance of geographical proximity for Bosch, while the dominance of non-standardized service parts with lower level of codification and higher value-added in its exports to North America is also consistent with the ‘follow the customers’ process in the overseas market reported in the automotive industry. The relative importance of service parts with lower level of codifiability in Denso’s home market illustrates the division of labour with other cross-holding suppliers (especially Aisin and JTEKT) and thus the effects of the interlocking cross-holding of Japanese automobile and parts suppliers, which reconfirms the importance of cultural proximity in Asia’s (Japanese) supply networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite materials are being widely used in the automotive industry where they are progressively replacing metallic materials as structural parts for being robust and lightweight. Their complexity, often leading to lots of unknown behavioral effects when placed near the electronic systems present in vehicles, should be studied and treated. In the automotive industry, the shielding effectiveness of these materials should be considered as the most important parameter to be known in advance. Faurecia, one of the world's largest leading automotive suppliers, sought to assess the shielding effectiveness of their product such as dashboards and door trims. Their objective was to enhance the shielding effectiveness, thereby ensuring superior isolation and protection of electronic systems against electromagnetic interferences (EMI). Thus, this paper presents a novel method for characterizing the shielding effectiveness of various composites using two electromagnetic methods to cover a wide frequency range, starting from 10 Hz up to 8 GHz. The first method, based on loop antennas, was used to cover the low frequency range starting from 10 Hz up to 120 MHz. Frequencies between 100 kHz and 1.5 GHz were not discussed in this paper due to the numerous existing studies in this frequency range, using coaxial transmission cell. The second method, employed for frequencies higher than 1.5 GHz, consists of ultra-wideband antennas (Vivaldi). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of engineering complex technical systems is determined by meeting customer requirements and institutional regulations. One example relevant to the automobile industry is the United Nations Economic Commission of Europe (UN ECE), which specifies the homologation of automobile series and requires proof of traceability. The required traceability can be achieved by modeling system artifacts and their relations in a consistent, seamless model—an effect-chain model. Currently, no in-depth methodology exists to support engineers in developing certification-compliant effect-chain models. For this purpose, a new methodology for certification-compliant effect-chain modeling was developed, which includes extensions of an existing method, suitable models, and tools to support engineers in the modeling process. For evaluation purposes, applicability is proven based on the experience of more than 300 workshops at an automotive OEM and an automotive supplier. The following case example is chosen to demonstrate applicability: the development of a window lifter that has to meet the demands of UN ECE Regulations R156 and R21. Results indicate multiple benefits in supporting engineers with the certification-compliant modeling of effect chains. Three benefits are goal-oriented modeling to reduce the necessary modeling capacity, increasing model quality by applying information quality criteria, and the potential to reduce costs through automatable effect-chain analyses for technical changes. Further, companies in the automotive and other industries will benefit from increased modeling capabilities that can be used for architecture modeling and to comply with other regulations such as ASPICE or ISO 26262. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the post-covid world, governments explore options to enhance their policies so that corporations can act as successful motors of recovery and sustainable growth. Countries select various objectives related to global value chains (GVC), such as participation, value capture, inclusiveness and resilience, yet might be unaware of the position of corporations they are supposed to motivate. In this paper, we aim to (re-)investigate the position of Visegrad Four (V4) suppliers within the regional automotive value chains and to compare results with suppliers in other EU member states using the trade in value added (TiVA) statistics. We set two research questions: How does the position of V4 in automotive GVCs differ from the positions of other EU member states and significant other automotiveproducing countries? What is the link between the domestic value added in gross exports of final automotive products and the selected policy variables? A multiple linear regression model is run with TiVA in the automotive industry as the dependent variable and independent variables embodying proxies of GVC-oriented policy consequences. The analysis identifies significant differences in value-added levels between V4 countries and other EU countries, and other large automotive-producing economies. Labour costs, productivity, investment in R&D and innovation support are among the factors where V4 countries fall behind. Implications for Central European audience: The results of our research might be helpful for respective authorities and governments in V4 and other Central and Eastern European countries. They can be of use when setting goals and implementing policies targeted at promoting innovation, upgrading within existing GVCs and in cooperation between universities and research centres on the one hand and the automotive industry on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an intuitive model for default dependencies in supply networks and its application in firms' capital management. Modern supply chain networks are characterised by horizontal ties between firms within a particular industry or group, which are sequentially arranged based on vertical ties between firms in different layers. The recognition and accounting of these simultaneous interdependencies is crucial for a more advanced understanding of complex inter-organisational relations. Using the state-of-the art vine-copulae, we model these multidimensional interdependencies in the automotive industry, and capture the default tail dependency between alliance partners. Further, we apply our model to determine the optimal economic capital, such that companies can absorb unexpected losses from defaults in supply chain, while avoiding over-capitalisation. Our findings should spur managers to analyse their supplier networks with respect to default dependencies and to take this phenomenon into consideration when making sourcing decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, cost reduction, without compromising the quality and functionality of products, is a strategic issue for most companies. Therefore, companies must have adequate cost management systems and be prepared to implement cost reduction plans in order to maintain the desired levels of profitability. Many companies perform cost reduction initiatives in the form of a project, involving the necessary departments and employees to work towards a specific target cost or cost reduction goal. This research is on product cost optimization projects applied by companies that follow a lean approach. The studied company, a first-tier supplier of the automotive industry, developed a cost reduction methodology to be applied in the production phase named Ratio Project Planning (RPP). This methodology was analysed from a project management perspective. To turn it more effective and efficient, a dashboard that includes the performance indicators regarding RPP was developed and implemented. This tool supports decision-making, allowing real-time monitoring and better management of the whole process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on prevention through design (PTD) and on the reasons that the use of zero energy lockout/tagout (LOTO) for all service and maintenance tasks creates a range of adverse impacts. Topics covered include U.S. regulations, standards, and rulings designed to help PTD practitioners control hazardous energy more effectively and the use of risk assessment and the determination of feasible risk reduction for alternative methods to LOTO when energy is needed for completing a task.

This research examines the influence of a firm's portfolio of environmental projects on its ability to efficiently improve environmental outcomes. The data comes from Chinese automotive suppliers of a western manufacturer and consists of 154 environmental project portfolios that contain 614 environmental improvement projects as well as firm‐level data from Dun & Bradstreet. A data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to estimate the firms' efficiency in transforming resources into environmental outcomes. Then an econometric analysis evaluates the impact of the portfolio effect (i.e., environmental project portfolio composition) on the firm's efficiency in improving the environment. The empirical results show that when firms reduce the heterogeneity in the types of environmental projects in their portfolios (i.e., a more focused portfolio), they can more efficiently improve environmental outcomes. However, firms may want to introduce diversity in the types of environmental projects in their portfolio (i.e., reducing the focus).The analysis shows that more environmentally capable firms can increase the diversity of the projects in their portfolios without negatively impacting outcomes. In addition, firms can better manage diversity in their portfolios when they balance socially oriented projects with technically oriented projects. This study contributes to the theory of project portfolio roles in improving environmental outcomes and offers several novel insights for project portfolio managers working to improve environmental outcomes with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Elektronik Industrie is the property of Hüthig GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)