Celebrating 6 of 60: Review of the Best Supply Chain Practices from our Podcast

Auto Supply Chain Prophets

At the heart of The Prophets’ vision are “The 24 Essential Supply Chain Processes.” What are they? Find out, and see the future yourself. Click here

In this special milestone episode of the Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast, co-hosts Terry Onica and Jan Griffiths celebrate reaching their 60th episode by revisiting six key moments from previous episodes that highlight the core mission of their show: preparing leaders in the auto industry for the future.

First up is TS Tech's innovative approach to MMOG/LE standard implementation. They share how Wendy and Jeff, key figures in MMOG/LE compliance, shed light on the often-overlooked material side of the supply chain.

Next, they explore risk management with insights from Christopher Mattingly, former VP of Transportation for Stellantis, who underscores the critical need for risk management in supply chains, sharing practical advice on contingency planning.

Shifting gears to the EV space, they revisit the comeback story of Volta Truck, an EV startup, showing how important training and alignment are in overcoming challenges in the auto industry.

In another segment, Terry and Jan delve into the enduring relevance of EDI, with Fred Coe likening it to the industry's lifeblood, and touch on the potential of new technologies like APIs. They also discuss QAD's Red Zone in an episode with Kevin Shayer, who explains how implementing the connected workforce solution boosted their company's productivity and engagement.

The final highlight is the episode with Mike Payoink, whose passion for moving beyond spreadsheets to a standardized, automated process across different plants demonstrates the significant benefits of real-time visibility and collaboration in managing quality and supplier issues.

In a captivating wrap-up, they identify five key success factors drawn from their extensive podcast journey, offering listeners actionable advice for navigating the future of the auto supply chain.

Themes discussed in this episode:

• The importance of implementing the Materials Management Operations Guideline (MMOG/LE) and overcoming compliance challenges
• The necessity of effective risk management and contingency planning in supply chains
• The role of teamwork and education in achieving compliance and operational success
• Exploring the EV space with insights on an EV startup’s recovery strategies
• The importance of comprehensive training and cross-functional collaboration in the automotive industry
• Understanding the enduring significance of EDI in the automotive supply chain
• Identifying and reinforcing the key success factors that contribute to success in the automotive supply chain

Featured on this episode:

Name: Terry Onica

Title: Director, Automotive at QAD

About: For two decades, Terry has been the automotive vertical director of this provider of manufacturing Enterprise Resource Planning software and supply chain solutions. Her career began in supply chain in the late 1980s when she led a team to implement Electronic Data Interchange for all the Ford assembly and component plants.

Connect: LinkedIn

Name: Jan Griffiths

Title: President and Founder, Gravitas Detroit

About: Jan is the architect of cultural change in the automotive industry. As the President and founder of Gravitas Detroit, Jan brings a wealth of expertise and a passion for transforming company cultures. Additionally, she hosts the Automotive Leaders Podcast, where she shares insightful conversations with industry visionaries. Jan is also the author of AutoCulture 2.0, a groundbreaking book that challenges the traditional leadership model prevalent in the automotive world.

Connect: LinkedIn

Mentioned in this episode:

• Global MMOG/LE Standards for Automotive Suppliers
• Driving Supply Chain Efficiency: TS Tech's MMOG/LE Journey
• The Route to Success: Understanding Transportation Dynamics in Supply Chain Management
• The crucial role of risk management in future supply chains
• White Paper for Leveraging Risk Management in Automotive
• Volta Truck's Electrifying Comeback to EV Business
• Revving Up the Supply Chain: Exploring the Future of Automotive EDI with Fred Coe
• The Future of Supply Chain: Technology, Digitalization, and Industry Standards
• Transforming the Auto Supply Chain Workplace Through Engagement, Communication, and Gamification
• QAD Red Zone – A Connected Workforce System
• Why Automating your QMS improves your Supply Chain Performance
• IATF 16949
• 24 Essential Supply Chain Processes
• AutoCulture 2.0: Leading with Gravitas

Episode Highlights:

[02:59] TS Tech's MMOG/LE Journey: TS Tech's implementation of the MMOG/LE standard showcased the power of consensus and thorough education. Their approach ensured everyone, from plant managers to all departments, understood the mission, significantly impacting their success.

[08:01] Only the Paranoid Survives: Christopher Mattingly, a former VP at Stellantis, stresses the importance of risk management, emphasizing that disruptions are inevitable and preparation is crucial. He advocates for proactive contingency planning, asserting that "only the paranoid survive."

[11:44] Volta Truck's Comeback: Shiv Tailor from Volta Truck talks about the company's remarkable comeback from the brink of failure. Their successful rebound is attributed to practical training and level-setting across their diverse team, ensuring everyone understood key supply chain and quality processes.

[14:33] The Future of Automotive EDI: Fred Coe's discussion on EDI highlights its enduring significance, likening it to electricity—essential and often taken for granted. Despite being around for decades, EDI remains crucial, with potential new developments like APIs being explored to enhance its functionality.

[16:46] Stepping into the Red Zone: Implementing the Red Zone Connected workforce solution, as discussed by Kevin Shayer, led to increased productivity and reduced regrettable turnover. This technology enables real-time data reporting on the shop floor, enhancing employee engagement and improving critical metrics like OEE and on-time delivery.

[20:57] Automate your QMS: Mike Payoink of Penn Engineering highlighted the power of an automated quality management tool. This automation eliminates the inefficiency of spreadsheets and ensures faster resolution of quality issues, leading to significant operational benefits.

[23:38] Key Success Factors: Key success factors for the companies featured include a passion for their work, a belief in the value of technology, and the implementation of best practices. Additionally, authentic leadership and conviction, rather than compliance, drive their transformation efforts in the auto industry.

Top Quotes:

[07:34] Terry: “You never know what your competitor's doing. So, you need to always put your best foot forward on what you're doing. Because otherwise, OEMs see evidence all day, they know what best practices look like. They know what suppliers are doing good and what they're not doing. And so, I thought that was really good to remind everybody, you've got to be thinking about your competition and especially as we're moving forward in this industry, only the strong are going to survive, and the strong can show that they're strong are going to survive.”

[17:41] Terry: “On average, the customers that use our Connected Workforce Solution have a 29 percent increase in productivity, a 74 percent increase in engagement. Don't we all want engaged employees? And a 32 percent reduction in turnover. Can you believe that? Nobody wants to lose people. So, it's just amazing. Just giving the shop floor simple tools and get rid of spreadsheets.”

[18:47] Jan: “We can talk about technology until we're blue in the face. Unless we can prove or show the impact on the bottom line, there will be no interest and certainly no investment in the technology.”

[26:19] Jan: “The people that we talked to, Terry, they're comfortable in their own skin. They're not egomaniacs. They're not on the podcast to talk about how great they are or how wonderful they are. They truly come on the show to share what they believe in. That's what they're all about.”