In this session, learn how Toyota Motor Europe is transforming its supply chain through digitalisation and just-in-time principles.

JC Deville firmly believes that “a resilient supply chain is the silent engine behind every thriving company.” The carmaker tests real-time visibility tools, AI, and GPS tracking to enable its unique just-in-time approach.

Among Toyota’s many digitalisation initiatives, this presentation focuses on a pilot project that delivers tangible improvements, driven by empowered members. These efforts lay the groundwork for future expansion and support Toyota’s long-term vision for a robust, customer-focused supply chain.

Key Takeaways:

• How member development is key for the success of digitalization from blockers to enablers.
• The importance of partnerships to drive meaningful supply chain digital transformation.

With continued upheavals and challenges in European automotive supply chains, stakeholders can differentiate their supply chains through improved visibility, more joined-up collaboration and data analytics, from the latest demand planning to TMS tools and risk monitoring. But resilience isn’t only about having the latest technology or AI functions but about bringing together the right data about the right risks at the right time. Achieving this will depend on an integrated data strategy, strong partnerships and agile ways of working across digital, logistics and data teams.

Join this session and learn how automotive manufacturers and providers can futureproof supply chain and logistics, including:

• Spotting the trends in supply chain orchestration that will shape the future
• Recognising how stakeholders can differentiate themselves in an era of uncertainty
• Evaluating the technology landscape in the future and what solutions will be coming forth
• Joining up external and internal data to develop proactive and predictive logistics and supply chain management

Since no single organisation can effectively run a supply chain on its own, collaboration between stakeholders is crucial to optimising inventory levels, streamlining processes and reducing risks. Such collaboration depends on multiple levels of cooperation, including shared data and system links, for example through APIs and tracking. But whilst digital technologies can help, the strongest partnerships also depend on trust, shared goals, common understanding and openness.

This session will explore the digital and personal connections required across digital transformation, including across automotive suppliers, logistics, IT, storage, facility and technology players.

Hear from supply chain specialists on how they are:

• Building the foundations of a collaborative relationship based on trust, security and mutual benefit
• Developing common visions, end points and open communications between stakeholders to remove barriers to collaboration
• Ensuring the system and technology connections to share data and information, including APIs and real-time tracking
• Assessing how collaboration can enhance and improve their digital supply chains

As requirements for agility and resiliency increase, and the potential of AI expands, Scania is reimagining how its logistics can embrace digital transformation. Join Johan to learn how the commercial vehicle manufacturing is breaking down silos, democratising digitalisation and rolling out widespread use of AI-powered logistics and support tools.

Lindahl will share Scania's strategic journey of moving beyond traditional IT roles to create a more integrated, agile approach to digital innovation across its logistics organisation and partners, making digitalisation everyone's responsibility, from software developers through to logistics domain experts.

Lindal will share examples of Scania’s digital success stories, including a shift to AI-powered EDI service, as well as the rollout of virtual assistants that now supports 2,000 part suppliers and logistics management. He will also look ahead to Scania’s AI strategy for the years ahead, as the company puts more focus on AI literacy and empowering logistics teams with cutting-edge tools.

Key Takeaways:

• Strategies for breaking down IT and business silos
• Practical approaches to democratising AI and digital innovation
• How to create a culture of continuous learning and technological adaptation

A digital supply chain is based as much on human capability, mindset and encouragement as it is technological advances. Yet the importance of having an agile, digitally focused and cross-functional workforce can be easily overseen when implementing digital tools and transformation. The companies who embrace these new ways of working, including combining expertise across logistics, IT, analytics and leadership, are often those who see the most effective outcomes.

Attend this session to discover how OEMs and suppliers are developing their organisational and talent strategies, and what steps they take to:

• Recognise what human skills set will be required to take advantage of digital supply chains
• Aligning and realigning cross-functional teams, including logistics, IT, software, operations and purchasing
• Blending technical and soft skills, from data analytics to communication to ensure agility and resiliency is built in
• Assessing the relevant methods of improving skills and training – from formal, hands-on to continuous learning

The abundance of data across automotive logistics and supply chain is an opportunity for stakeholders to gain insights across many metrics: costs, inventory, risk management, tariffs, demand and capacity. But such metrics can also overwhelm operators if companies cannot turn data into meaningful insights.

Meanwhile, how can this information become immersive, digital twins in which changes and scenarios can be simulated? How can SCM also elevate its own relevance by connecting and visualizing data end-to-end across functions and regions?

This session will explore strategies for building powerful end-to-end data fabrics that drive visualisation and decision making beyond logistics and supply chain planning, converting it into strategic insight, and even digital twins of supply chain and logistics networks. It will explore how companies can create clear objectives and playbooks for this information, and develop tools to optimise their supply network, identify risk and reduce inventory.

Join this session to gain more insight into:

• How you can use the multitude of data available in SCM to visualise, track and monitor automotive supply chains for better decision making, turning dashboards into command centres
• Key objectives in turning data into actionable intelligence not only in SCM but also for other functions, including risk management and mitigation, S&OP, financial forecasting, managing supply shortages, inventories etc.
• Steps for enhancing visualisation further into digital supply chain twins and advanced simulations

AI hype can be overwhelming, with promises of hyper-automation and mastery of the most complex, unpredictable data and events across the supply chain, from demand planning to anticipating weather disruption. And yet, there are many in the industry who might waiver between fear AI will take their role to questioning the extent to which such technology will help them. For many automotive manufacturers, a practical approach is needed to help identify the most applicable use cases, prioritise those that will help achieve key goals and make the most of existing technology and data talent.

That is why some experts stress a shift towards IA – ‘intelligent automation’ – over AI. Focus on the processes and tasks could be most easily and practically automated and start with them. That could be in areas of route planning, network optimisation, order and freight management, right through to more complex planning and forecasting. And don’t forget that many working across logistics, data and supply chain planning could be just the right amount of training, focus and encouragement from helping to transform your operations.

In this session, experts will share insights on the steps that can and should be start immediately from identifying burdensome tasks, exploring areas for analysis and starting on the journey.

Join this session for insights on ‘what you can do Monday’, including:

• From hype to practical: what are the most applicable, implementable applications for AI, or ‘intelligent automation’
• Prioritisation strategy: understand what areas deserve your top focus, from cost impact to data quality to reducing non-value-added tasks
• Harness the skills and tools you have tips for leveraging and upskilling existing skills for intelligent automation, including data analytics, network optimisation and planning
• Look to partners: understand how you can learn from strategic logistics and technology partners to implement and accelerate tools.