Supply Chain Management for 2013

Companies are realizing that supply chain management is perhaps the best option for expanding businesses, reducing costs, and increasing profitability.

In 2013, more companies seem to be embracing the concept of logistics and supply chain management in India. This trend has been substantiated by a global report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers titled Next-Generation Supply Chains-Efficient, Fast And Tailored. The report elaborates on how successful supply chain management can help companies to increase profits along with positive customer relationships.

The trends that are being seen in Indian industries today is that companies are regaining control over principal functions such as planning and procurement, product development, and sales. To manage profitability and reduce costs, organizations are outsourcing noncore aspects such as logistics, supply chain management, and product delivery.

Organizations are working with companies that can provide supply chain solutions in India for inventory management, vendor sourcing, and best product sourcing capabilities. Among the many sought after companies, one company that organizations are turning to is Tata Autocomp Systems LTD. (TACOSCM).

TACOSCM is one of the premier supply chain management companies in India. We provide an array of components and assemblies under various product groups for global customers.

We cater to the requirements of our customers in countries around the world, including the United States, Europe, and South East Asia. Among our varied services, we offer sourcing, supplier quality, logistics, and packaging services to our customers.

TACOSCM caters to global automotive OEMs in the Tier 1 and Tier sectors. We supply a range of components and system assemblies from low cost countries. We take complete responsibility of the QCD process and provide a range quality products, including:

·        Aluminium Machined Castings

·        Investment Casting

·        Sheet Metal Stampings and Assemblies

·        Proprietary Products

·        Ferrous Machined Castings

·        Machined Forgings

·        Bar Turned and Machined Parts

We provide the following services for sourcing management:

·        Sourcing Strategy

·        Spend Analysis

·        Supplier Identification

·        Supplier Evaluation and Improvement

·        Negotiation and Contract Finalization

·        Supplier Integration

·        Order Fulfilment

·        Regular Monitoring

TACOSCM's network comprises the most experienced professionals in the supply chain industry, who are specialists in functions such as product feasibility, third party inspection, program management, and supplier evaluation. Our quality service includes supplier quality audits and systems. We perform advance quality planning, which adhere to APQP procedures. We also train suppliers to source components of the best quality for our customers.

The supply chain industry can provide holistic solutions for today's volatile product demands and rapid business changes. Organizations can work towards expanding their business more easily with the knowledge of the support of strong supply chain management service providers.

Catering To the Needs of the Automobile of the Future

Mazda's possible new automobile will be an immense opportunity for supply chain companies. 

Japanese automotive manufacturer Mazda may be given a new automobile that is futuristic in every sense. The company has sponsored the CU-ICAR programme at Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research, South Carolina, USA. The students at the university have designed an automobile that Mazda would be willing to buy after graduation. Its specifications had to be based on market research and the car should be practical for production.

The car is about as tall as a Mazda RX-8 and as wide as Chevrolet Camaro. It is a hybrid powertrain with three seats at the front and rear. It has a tailgate style rear hatch, and also has sound systems in the interior and exterior of the car.

If and when Mazda decides to accept this automobile for full-scale production, its success will depend on Mazda's ability to source the right components to create the vehicle. Fortunately, Mazda can turn to one of the best names in the supply chain management industry.

Tata Autocomp Systems LTD. (TACOSCM) is a single window supplier of automotive components and assemblies. We provide quality components under various product groups to global customers. We cater to the varied requirements of customers in USA, Europe, and South East Asia.

We pride ourselves on being one of the best global sourcing companies in India. Our core automotive team specializes in catering to the demands of global OEMs in the Tier-1 and Tier-2 categories. We are able to fulfil their requirements thanks to our rich knowledge and experience. While our primary work is into component sourcing, we also offer supplier quality services, packaging services, & logistic services.

TACOSCM delivers quality sourcing solutions from India. We source a variety of proprietary products. Our range of products includes:

·        Aluminium Machined Castings

·        Investment Casting

·        Sheet Metal Stampings and Assemblies

·        Ferrous Machined Castings

·        Machined Forgings

·        Bar Turned and Machined Parts

To help our clients through the Product Development Process, we provide programme management solutions. We take care of all processes such as quality management, quality control & inspection, PPAP/APQP preparation, complaint handling through 8d methodology, logistics management, supplier audits, and export packaging.

TACOSCM's success is dependent on the quality of the products that are delivered to clients. We can deliver the products to warehouses, manufacturing facility, or even the logistics provider. We also provide warehousing facilities near your manufacturing location to ease the process of product delivery.

We use the best resources to provide excellent supply chain management services. Enhancing your sourcing processes will be easy when you work with TACOSCM.

India, China Join Hands to Develop Opportunities

Indian companies may see a successful collaboration between the two countries in the near future.
India and China are taking steps to enhance economic and strategic cooperation. From October 26 to 28, 2012, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and the Embassy of India, Beijing, organized the 'India Show'.
The event was held simultaneously with the 6th China International Auto parts Expo in Beijing. The event saw the participation of more than 80 companies. With India wanting to tap into opportunities in the Chinese market, and China's interest in Indian markets, the event provided both countries collaboration opportunities in automotive supply chain development.
The Indo-China collaboration can have an immense impact on supply chain management in India. Companies around the world are beginning to acknowledge the value that supply chains bring to their business. The Chief Supply Chain Officer Report 2012 finds that supply chain excellence boosts top-line growth. This also includes scheduled product launches, an increase in production efficiency, and supplier priority treatment when key materials are in short supply.
Among the various companies that offer supply chain management in India, one organization that would benefit immensely from these proceedings is Tata Autocomp Systems LTD. (TACOSCM). We specialize in supplying components and assemblies to global clients under various product categories. We cater to a host of clients from three main business regions, i.e., South East Asia, Europe, and USA.

TATA Autocomp Systems – SCM also offers  sourcing services, supplier quality services, logistic services and packaging services.
Our core automotive team uses its excellent experience to provide a variety of products to global OEMs and Tier 1 companies. Our services can be a great boost to the Indo-China collaboration. Our product range includes:
•    Machined Ferrous Castings
•    Machined Aluminium Castings
•    Investment Casting
•    Bar Turned and Machined parts
•    Sheet Metal Components
•    Fabricated Assemblies
•    Small System Assemblies

We are the preferred destination for auto components sourcing in South East Asia. We provide our clients with the following services:

•    Component sourcing
•    Sourcing services
•    Supplier quality services
•    Logistics services
•    Packaging services


We provide a consistent level of quality in our business, whether it is communicating with the client, component sourcing, logistics, or packaging. We provide the best solutions that allow you to manage your costs. It also helps us to meet the committed delivery period. We respond quickly to our customers' needs and feedback. Our teams make conscious efforts to improve processes, products, and services. We also take steps to improve our suppliers' work quality.

So, when you are looking for the best supply chain management services in India, you need not look further than TACOSCM. Visit our website and contact us to know more.

Cleansing Our Supply Chain

Consumers in India are now getting informed. To maintain brand loyalty, companies need to reduce their harmful emissions and carbon footprints. This is possible only through, efficient and cost effective supply chains. Thus, staying eco-friendly is not only helpful to our planet but also beneficial for business.

Indian government is also taking steps on this front, to reduce carbon emissions. In a recent United Nations conference on sustainable development Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that India has set a target to reduce carbon emissions of GDP BY 20-25% between 2005 and 2020.

Let us understand why, it is so important, for business as well to stay clean.

Freight emissions are growing tremendously. Over the coming years, freight transport will be among the fastest growing source of emissions expected to rise by 40%. Many manufacturers have become aware and are maintaining stringent control over environmental footprint of supply chain logistics operations. Their selection of production, storage, designing, packaging, and transit time have a massive impact on carbon and other air pollutants along with cost efficiency.  

Some companies have also introduced programs that help them to catch, calculate and manage emissions properly through their supply chains. Above all, public perception of an organization also improves that is cautious about the environment further increasing brand loyalty.

Environment Defense Fund an organization based in USA has formulated 5 principles that can help shippers in lesser pollution and more carbon efficient freight supply. Here are some of them:

·        Reinforce “hotspot” cleanup: All old diesel equipment have less or no control over harmful carbon emissions. They are hazardous to human health. According to World Health Organization, diesel emissions can cause cancer in humans. People who work in areas where there are higher levels of these emissions, such as, ports and railways are more prone to harmful health outcomes. The root cause of these emissions is freight. Hence, shippers are usually held responsible for cleaning these areas or hotspots of diesel pollution.

·        Select the most carbon-efficient mode of transport: Different modes of transport emit different amounts of carbon. For e.g., Planes emit a lot more than container ships and trucks emit more than trains. So wherever possible, use the lesser emitting mode of transport for a more carbon efficient supply chain.

·         Partnering with other shippers: Wherever possible, you could merge your warehouse and distribution resources with other companies or ship your goods directly to the clients. These and some more ways are being used by retailers now-a-days.

As good movement is increasing tremendously over the globe, it is a major challenge to take efforts, to reduce effects of global climate change, and lessen harmful effects on public health. This is especially important, in a country like India, where carbon emissions, harmful effects on public health, changing weather conditions are in abundance.

However, it is still possible to reduce carbon emissions, grow our economy and also have an efficient freight transport.

Role of Social Media in Supply Chain

Social media has played a major role in every walk of life, be it business or social relationships. The supply chain management however, has remained aloof towards it. This article talks about the role, benefits and future of social media in supply chain and procurement services in India.

Social media is only considered as a means for socializing. Majority of the companies in India have banned Facebook, Twitter and other such social media platforms because they are said to hamper the productivity of the employees. This is, definitely is a matter of debate. However, social media does benefit your business, even if it is supply chain.

Customer is the most important link of any procurement service and supply chain. After all, he is the one who is going to get your business going. The profits of any supply chain depend on the demand, and how effectively supply managers fulfil it. Direct procurement, on the other hand is the factor that determines the working of the supply chain. Everything has the customer as the centre. Only if the customer demands for a particular product or service will the procurement process begin which in turn will motivate the supply chain.

This is where social networking comes into the picture. We as employees might not be active on social media, but as customers we definitely are. We have our set of choices and are also alert about the quality of it. Thanks to social media, we can now voice opinions clearly and precisely. Hence, social media platform is the apt place for business to be.

Not only can you understand the requirements of the customer through social media, you can also use it to respond to any sort of internal or external issue in the supply chain. With social media, it is possible to check the probable effects of a change in advance. In a nutshell, we can thus state that social media can be used for product marketing, customer service, sales, news updates and recruiting for procurement services India and supply chain.

International Procurement from India is bound to flourish with the inclusion of social networking services; however there is a long way to go. Supply chain managers need to be convinced about the benefits of social media and the extra perks it provides.

The companies which see this as too big a step can start by using social network for a small project. See the difference for yourself and then opt for social media for your bigger projects.

Companies Positive about Third Party Inspection

Indian industries are being more proactive when it comes to quality inspection services.

Third party inspection in India has become not only a popular option, but a necessary one for industries. Companies are realizing the importance of their products passing world requirements for better sales and distribution.

To meet this goal, companies are investing in the best machines and systems that will allow them to create products efficiently and of the best quality. Quality inspection service firms in India are raising the bar by not only hiring qualified and experienced professionals, but also bringing in new inspection systems. This helps them to provide a comprehensive report to their clients, and also acts as a highly efficient and cost effective solution.

While there are debates as to whether computerized inspection is better than manual inspection, there are immense advantages to using both systems.

·         Faster Inspection Time: High image quality cameras and scanners can capture the image of a product. This makes it easier for the inspector to evaluate the product properly. The image can also help to point out irregularities in it. Thus, less time is spent in identifying defects and recommending changes.

·         Better Testing: While computerized inspection eases the workload, one cannot rule out the intricacy in manual inspection. Industries such as the automotive, oil and gas, and die casting industries, to name a few, can benefit by inspectors who test every product to find the smallest defects or irregularities.

·         Approved Authenticity: In an effort to fight against cheap or imitated products, companies are working hard to make sure that their products have a stamp of authenticity and quality. With ISO certifications providing support, and computerized bar codes already in use, quality inspection also take these factors into account when approving products.

New developments are also coming in to improve the inspection process. Rather than relying on one type of identification, companies are using various methods at the same time. One example is forensic markers such as micro tags, microscopic thread or particles. These markers are now being used to encode information and prove the authenticity of the product. The main reason for this step is to prevent counterfeiters who target high-end products. Other methods include using security graphics such as micro images or text, similar to what you see on banknotes. Another method is thermo-reactive printing, which changes colour when the temperature changes.

Third party inspection in India has come a long way. As companies continue to make efforts to provide safe, reliable and durable products, one may see many improvements like the above mentioned points in the future.

Future of Logistics Companies

Gartner, Inc. the world's leading information technology research and advisory company, published predictions that would affect logistics companies around the world over the next four years. Logisticss and supply chain management is vital for all businesses as it helps products and services reach the end customers.

This article enumerates the factors that Gartner indicates will affect the logistics companies.

Sustainable logistics

C. Dwight Klappich, Vice President of Research at Gartner, believes that governments will frame laws based on environment that will have a considerable impact on logistics companies. More than 50% of the global 1,000 logistics companies will have to record emission levels, and substantiate it with proof. They will have to also report the effect of their business activities on the environment, and will have to record environmental data and greenhouse gas emissions information. Thus, in future, the focus will be on sustainable logistics.

Compliance and risk management

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is getting complex and risky day by day. The reason for this is many companies are not concentrating on areas such as compliance, risk management and security. This is taking place depsite the fact that they are the most important and integral part of SCM. In fact, less than 16% of logistics companies will have a chief logistics and risk management officer. Government laws are increasingly making an impact on the logistics business. But, the authority of understanding as well as managing these legal issues is spread over a business, and no single authority is assigned this responsibility at an executive level.

Application convergence

Logistics service providing companies will have to opt for application convergence, as there will be a need to synchronise processes. In fact, 35% companies surveyed by Gartner showed the inability to do so. Processes are not synchronised because organisations buy standalone applications for only a part of the process. The applications are not integrated with the rest of the process. This is where supply chain execution convergence plays an important part, where the SCM organisations incorporate a platform that will help integrate and synchronise the logistics processes.

Optimising international flow:

Global trade as a percentage of global GDP is decreasing. In this scenario, the focus of international flow will shift from proliferation (spread of trade) to optimisation. Shippers will compare the different global sourcing options and manage the risk involved in them.

According to Gartner, 60% of current multinational manufacturers will organise their logistics in such a manner that they will benefit from economies of scale. They will be able to manage risk associated with fluctuations in currency exchange rates, taxes and profit marigns. Logistics and supply chains Management services will be managed globally, while sea and airfreights contracts will be managed centrally.

Logistics companies need to delve into these issues and proactively work on the recommendations for their business growth.

The Right Source

Global sourcing is all about sourcing your product inventory from countries around the world where materials can be produced at the lowest and most efficient price. In India, one industry is that is using global sourcing to its advantage is the automotive industry. To meet targets and manufacture automotive vehicles that will meet Indian and international standards, many Indian companies are sourcing their inventories from domestic and international companies.

Tata AutoComp Systems LTD. (TACOSCM) supplies components and assemblies of a number of product groups to customers around the world. We specialize in automotive and engineering products, providing global sourcing solutions to customers within these industries in USA, Europe, and South East Asia. Our aim is to become the preferred supplier for sourcing auto components and systems to countries in the above regions.

From the beginning, our emphasis has always been on exceeding customer expectations in terms of delivery, product quality, and cost effectiveness. By using materials from the best sources, our aim is to provide a variety of product offerings that will create value in our clients' businesses.

We offer the following services as part of TACOSCM's Supply Chain Management:

•    Component Sourcing

•    Sourcing Services

•    Supplier Quality Services

•    Logistics Services

•    Packaging Services

We are well-known in the industry for our component sourcing services. While our sourcing base is India; we also supply components from other low cost countries. We mainly supply to automotive OEMS, Tier 1 and Tier 2 customers.

To provide global sourcing solutions, you need suppliers who will find the right sources for providing the various components at a cost effective price and of durable quality. We have a team of experienced professionals, who specialize in supplier evaluation. We work on continuously improving the quality of our supply service by conducting supply quality audits, systems upgradation, and training among others.

We source a variety of quality products including:

•    Aluminium Machined Castings

•    Investment Casting

•    Sheet Metal Stampings and Assemblies

•    Proprietary products

•    Ferrous Machined Castings

•    Machined Forgings

•    Bar Turned and Machined Parts

TACOSCM oversees the entire supply chain process from the product development process, quality control and inspection, logistics, export and packaging. The products are delivered directly to our clients' manufacturing facility. We can also create a designated warehouse facility from which the products can be delivered as per the clients' requirements.

Supply chain management services and global sourcing are keys to the success of various industries around the world. When you are looking for the best name in global sourcing, you know just who to turn to.