Powering Performance

A product manufactured today that is eligible under the original NAFTA program may no longer be eligible under the newly negotiated trade agreement – commonly referred to as NAFTA 2.0. Karin Muller, director, customer compliance and trade governance for Magna International, and Steve Gardon, vice president, global indirect taxes and customs, Lear Corporation, who head up AIAG’s NAFTA 2.0 Workgroup, will present an important session on what they describe as the “ABCs of USMCA” and the differences between it and NAFTA at the upcoming AIAG Supply Chain Summit, June 18, 2019.

The automotive supply chain space is on the verge of significant change involving global megatrends such as digitalization, generational turnover, trade policy shifts, cybersecurity threats, and even changing mindsets on vehicle ownership, to name a few. Within each of these spaces, diverse influences change the resulting optics – making it critical to shine an objective light on these issues to keep industry informed.

AIAG is launching its MMOG/LE Version 5, and long-time, award-winning AIAG volunteer Terry Onica has been on the frontlines in implementing updates and training on the new platform, which will replace the prior Excel assessment. The MMOG/LE Version 5 global volunteer workgroup was comprised of experts from AIAG, Odette, QAD, Volvo, ZF, Ford, FCA, Continental, GALIA, SMMT, General Motors, and VDA. Their revision of MMOG/LE took about 18 months to complete and was reviewed by 35 stakeholders.

AIAG is adding new features to its Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Supply Chain Security system, which assists automotive importers and their business partners get certified as a low-security threat for shipping goods and materials into the United States. The enhancements include a new heat map that shows the location of each partner on a geographical map, similar to the display on Google Maps. Additionally, CTPAT partner survey information will be tagged to help the automotive importers visually identify and track their supply chain risks.

For the third year in a row, AIAG has once again partnered with the South Carolina Automotive Council (SCAC) to bring critical Supply Chain and Quality information to the industry – right in the booming (and beautiful) southeast U.S. manufacturing market! With the area’s multiple OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers expanding capacity, investing in new capital and working to attract and retain top talent, this particular region faces unique supply chain challenges that are being tackling with the help of multiple resources, including SCAC and AIAG.

When it comes to small businesses and cybersecurity, the latest statistics are alarming: 43% of cybersecurity attacks target small businesses specifically, but only 14% of smaller organizations consider themselves “highly effective” at defending against such attacks.

New location, updates and insights – same great event! Registration is now open for AIAG’s annual Customs Town Hall, held this year at The Mint at Michigan First Conference Center in Lathrup Village.

With the accelerating pace of change in the automotive industry – and more specifically the supply chain space – it is more critical than ever to stay informed and benchmark yourself against peers and colleagues to maintain competitiveness. Featuring world-class presenters and subject matter experts, AIAG’s annual Supply Chain Summit helps attendees do just that!

As the opening keynote speaker at the upcoming AIAG Supply Chain Summit on June 18, 2019, Michael Galluzzi, NASA’s principal Investigator and subject matter expert on supply chain management and logistics engineering in the Exploration Research and Technology Program at the Kennedy Space Center, will share recent NASA supply chain lessons learned and how these can be applied to automotive supply chain initiatives. A talk that covers the practical as well as the visionary, Galluzzi will provide intriguing insights on technologies that will impact the U.S. manufacturing base in the near future, as well as ideas from NASA’s approach to supply chain management that could advance not only the auto industry, but also the U.S. industrial supply base.

Ready for a training class this spring, but not sure where to start? Look no further! Three of our fantastic Supply Chain courses kick off next week, followed by our MMOG/LE training the following week (5/15). Check out the details below, or head to the AIAG Supply Chain Training Store now to reserve your seat(s)!