Powering Performance

This year's Corporate Responsibility Summit on April 18-19 explores the role that the automotive industry plays in the areas of social and environmental responsibility throughout the supply chain — specifically focused on optimization and risk mitigation.

Conflict Minerals Reporting remains a topic of discussion for those addressing corporate compliance, both nationally and internationally. Potential changes to U.S. legislation, new European directives, and increasing customer requirements demand that you stay informed.

This popular AIAG event will sell out quickly, so save the date to your calendar and sign up quickly when registration opens. Watch for early-bird registration beginning in mid-April.

This year’s IMDS & Product Chemical Compliance Conference addresses those questions and many more, with a focus on the evolution of the International Material Data System (IMDS), and the specific reasons we use this global reporting tool. A member of the IMDS Steering Committee will be onsite to share further information on new enhancements for IMDS.

Thomas Crawford, regional data chief for Honda North America, is encouraging automotive industry suppliers and service providers to look at a list of intellectual property security requirements that OEMs have been working on and provide feedback on what should be focused and strengthened.

With the release of the industry’s quality standard IATF 16949 in 2016 and the revision of the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) manual in process, the industry is defining the new building blocks for the future of automotive quality. As a reflection of these developments, AIAG announced that the theme for its 2017 Quality Summit is "Building the Future of Automotive Quality.”

The inaugural SCAC/AIAG Supply Chain and Quality Conference will draw constituents from both the South Carolina Automotive Council and the Automotive Industry Action Group to share best practices, discuss the latest trends and technology innovations, learn critical policy changes, and evaluate key strategies for decision making in the disrupted industry.

Register by September 8, 2017, to take advantage of early registration pricing for the popular Customs Town Hall. Regular registration ends October 26, 2017. 

Birgit Matthiesen, director, Canada-U.S. cross border business affairs for Arent Fox LLP, says automotive parts suppliers may not be prepared for the wave of change that is coming at them quickly on the trade policy front. Her comments, made during an exclusive on-camera interview at the annual AIAG Supply Chain Summit held June 20, 2017, in Livonia, Michigan, were not critical — she simply points out that the changes are coming fast, and the industry hasn’t got much time to prepare.

Register now for the first annual Southern Automotive Corporate Responsibility event on August 15, 2017, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Franklin, Tennessee. Today’s automotive companies are working hard to manage compliance with increasing requirements vital to business operations and customers.