If you haven’t yet listened to or read about them, take a look at our wrap-up blogs covering past episodes of the Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast.
Season 1 of the Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast is a wrap and Cathy Fisher of Quistem, Jan Griffiths of Gravitas Detroit and I couldn’t be more proud. We set out with a mission to demystify the ever-changing automotive supply chain and give businesses like yours the actionable insights you need to grow and succeed – and we now have 25 episodes and growing! The Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast was also recently recognized as one of the top podcasts for auto supplier and mobility technology executives in 2023.
We’ll be back soon with more interviews that reflect the best practices featured in our Delivering on the Promise of Delivery white paper discussing our vision, “The 24 Essential Supply Chain Processes.”
Until then, here’s a recap of the last five episodes of season 1.
Episode #21: Legal Lessons From Automotive Supply Chain Attorney Dan Sharkey
We love recording every episode, but this one was especially fun because it took place live at the 2022 Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) Annual Automotive Supplier Conference in Novi, Michigan.
We all know that supply contracts aren’t created equal and negotiating the perfect one can be a tricky business, so we leaped at the opportunity to take a deep dive into the process with Dan Sharkey, co-founder and member of Brooks Wilkins Sharkey & Turco PLLC. Dan, an attorney who has been involved in more than 60 trials and one who specializes in automotive supply chain contract disputes, has some priceless words of wisdom for us in this episode.
Dan is a firm believer that the automotive industry should “contract deliberately, not by default.” Make sure the business you get is the one you really want – even if that means letting go of customers you’re not making money on.
“If you fire one really bad customer every year, you’ll be happier…Find that one customer you’re not making money on and say hey, not that we’re going to stop shipping tomorrow, but we’re going to get out of this, and we’re going to have an orderly exit over the next six to 12 months,” shared Dan.
We also discuss strategies for managing volatility, OEM risks to watch for and what to do with customers who don’t hold up their end of the contract.
Click here to listen to the full episode.
Episode #22: Happy Holidays! Explore Episodes You’ve Missed
We took some time off for the holidays and hope you were able to, as well. I made the most of the break by relaxing with friends and family and preparing for my next half marathon, but also snuck in some time to catch up on one of my favorite topics: the automotive supply chain (of course!).
If you’re anything like me, I bet you had the same idea and that’s what this episode is all about. Jan, Cathy and I pull together some of our favorite episodes from season 1.
Ready to deliver on the promise of delivery? We can help. I recommend tuning into episodes 9 and 19 where we take a deep dive into IATF 16949, MMOG/LE and discuss our white paper (and driving force behind our podcast): Delivering on the Promise of Delivery. You can also download it here.
Click here to listen to the full episode.
Episode #23: The Future Of EV Wireless Charging
Electric vehicle charging is a barrier to broad adoption and one Jeremy McCool, founder and CEO of HEVO, is working to solve. Jeremy started HEVO, which stands for Honesty, Empathy, Vision and Optimism, in 2011. It’s the first wireless, third-party EV charging port to secure SAE International and UL Solutions’ approval.
Have you ever tried to charge an EV at a public charging station only to find the equipment doesn’t work? If not, you probably know someone who has. It’s a dilemma experienced by one in five EV owners, per a recent J.D. Power survey, and part of the reason HEVO envisions a wireless future for EV charging.
HEVO has developed a wireless charging mat that I know I’d love to have in my garage, but Jeremy explains to us that bringing EV charging to scale requires more than advanced technology. Good relationships with suppliers or contract manufacturers is key for mass production and then there’s buy-in from the automotive industry to consider.
“Automakers have to get involved. We need the leadership of automakers, the visionary people out there to go, alright, we get it. We need a charging solution that we should give to our customers because they demand better.”
Click here to listen to the full episode.
Episode #24: The Connected Car: The Intersection Of Cybersecurity And The Automotive Supply Chain
It doesn’t take a psychic to predict at least one thing on the horizon for automotive: a lot of exciting technology to modernize your supply chain. We have a lot to look forward to with this trend but it’s not without risk, and few understand both sides of the equation better than Butzel’s Jennifer Dukarski, a self-proclaimed recovering engineer and geek lawyer, and Martin Totev of mobility cybersecurity provider Autocrypt.
In this episode, we catch up with Jennifer and Martin live at the OESA Summit in Novi, Michigan, to discuss how automotive suppliers and OEMs can make the most of digital technologies on the factory floor and in their products while balancing emerging cybersecurity concerns.
Jennifer’s advice for automotive suppliers and OEMs? Include engineering requirements in your terms and conditions and pay close attention to quality and test requirements. “When you have software or technology plugging into the vehicle in a totally new and different way, understanding how all of the systems around you and those specifications work is absolutely mission critical to launch,” shares Jennifer.
As Martin and Cathy point out, digital technologies inside vehicles are changing the product life cycle. Traditional automotive program management is being turned on its head because we’re used to launching a vehicle and running it for five to seven years with minimal updates, but the conversation is different for connected vehicles. Cybersecurity concerns are always present.
Cybersecurity regulations are changing constantly and still being defined, but right now OEMs and suppliers have a huge role to play and that’s why having a cybersecurity management program is important, explains Martin.
Click here to listen to the full episode.
Episode #25: The Backstory
I love a good podcast and often wish I could call up the team to hash out new episodes over a cup of coffee, just like I would any friend. I want to get inside their heads, swap ideas and maybe even get a sneak peek at what’s next.
This sentiment served as the inspiration for the last episode in season 1 of our podcast. Jan gives the scoop on how the three of us met and, after many cups of coffee and deep conversations about automotive supply chain processes and challenges, decided to launch the Automotive Supply Chain Prophets podcast.
As Jan shares, podcasting is a lot more than grabbing a microphone and chatting up a few guests. We want every episode to be meaningful and centered on a different perspective or topic that will give your organization a competitive advantage in “delivering on the promise of delivery.”
We are extremely proud of the actionable insights shared in our first 24 episodes and couldn’t do it without the automotive supply chain gurus and thought leaders who join our show. We’re also grateful for listeners like you.
We’re always on the lookout for new ideas and want to speak to the issues that matter most to you. If there’s something that you want to know about that’s related to our mission, then get in touch. We want to hear from you! You can email me at [email protected] or Jan at [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you soon for season 2. I hope you’ll continue to use the insights we’ve shared in season 1 to continue discovering hidden profits in your supply chain. And remember the supply chain is where the money is.
Click here to listen to the full episode.
Want to learn more? Visit the Auto Supply Chain Prophets website to download and catch up on all the latest podcast episodes.
This article was co-written by Cathy Fisher, founder and president of Quistem, LLC.
