Research On Flexible Optimization Of Auto Parts Supply Chain

Since1990s, with the diversification of customer demand and increaseduncertainty of market, leading to higher supply chain management risk and increaseduncertainty. As a handling ability of uncertainty, flexibility is becoming a one themost important evaluation indicators in supply chain assessment. In order to gain thecompetitive advantage, supply chain needs to be changed along with market, to buildthe products which customers need in a short time. For the supply chain under theuncertainty environment, flexibility is the crucial factor to impact its operationperformance. Practice has proved that the supply chain with higher flexibility levelcould cope with external continuously market changing and the uncertainty caused bya variety factors, to achieve the rapid response to market opportunities and customerrequirement. Without a good flexibility, the supply chain is very hard to adapt thechanging in external environment and its performance also will be impacted.The supply chain in automotive industry is the most extensive one. As the sourceof supply chain in automotive industry, spare parts supply chain is more easily to beimpacted by the outside world, especially the uncertainly of the demand source.Without a good flexibility, the spare parts suppliers will be greatly impacted by thechanges in customer demand on the role of bullwhip effect, the smoothness andoperation costs of the whole supply chain will also be impacted consequently.The work in this paper mainly include below points.1. To discuss the characteristic of the supply chain in automotive industry and thedefinition of supply chain flexibility, establish system model and build measurementsystem through Delphi and Analytic Hierarchy Process.2. A particular introduction of the spare parts supply model in Japan Toyotaautomotive corporation. Take its Takaoka vehicle factory as the example to analyzethe flexibility through spare parts ordering, transportation and internal spare partssupply within the plant, inventory mode and information transfer.3. To compare the supply chain environment characteristics differences in TianjinFAW Toyota with Japan Toyota, find out the negative factor in supply chainflexibility through the results in measurement comparison. 4. To find out a solution which could improve the supply chain flexibility inTianjin FAW Toyota. Through the re-select of supply chain method and mode andcontinuously improvement on the parts which don’t take the flexibility, then adopt themore adaptive supply chain environment and the mode and methods which couldimprove the supply chain flexibility.