Page 32 - MetalForming September 2011

The U.S.
The U.S.
Automotive
Automotive
Supply Chain
Supply Chain
...is at a crossroads. A newly released comprehensive study from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, describes the implications of
an industry in transformation.
For nearly a century, the automo- for the next crisis? fly under the radar, often supply other
It is exactly these sorts of questions that are addressed in a recent report by a team of researchers from Case West- ern Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. Led by economist Professor Susan Helper, who has been studying the automotive supply chain for decades, the team conducted a national survey of automotive suppliers, personally interviewed dozens of them and toured their plants.
While studies of the industry are not uncommon, this one is particular- ly inclusive and comprehensive. It gen- erally focuses on the multitude of smaller firms in the lower tiers that account for 30 percent of employment in the automotive supply chain. These firms are under-studied because they
tive parts market has played a
critical role in the growth of many metalforming firms. Talk to executives at such firms, however, and they may be able to tell you the exact date that the recession of 2008-2009 hit home, and the order log evaporated. As auto sales fell by 40 percent and two of the Detroit 3 entered bankruptcy, their suppliers scrambled for ways to survive. Many firms did not. Yet others did. How, and why?
The automotive industry has been transformed by the combined effects of the financial crisis and decades of globalization. What does the new automotive landscape look like? What does this “new normal” mean for auto suppliers? What can they do to prepare
markets in addition to the automotive industry, and hence are often not iden- tified as automotive suppliers.
Stamper Emphasis
A focal point of the research is met- alforming and tool and die making. Due to this focus, Helper brought a die maker and Black Belt onto the research team—Brian Peshek. According to Peshek, “Susan can teach me about the subtleties of cluster analysis and total cost of ownership, while I can explain to her the challenge of springback when forming advanced high strength steel. We try to bridge the gap between the 30,000-ft/ view of the industry and the 3-ft. view.”
Helper and the rest of the research team worked closely with the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) to develop trade-specific survey questions and ensure that stampers were well rep- resented in the study. “The contribu- tion of PMA and its members to the study was tremendous,” says Helper.
The project described here is a part of Driving Change, a research consortium of the Indiana, Michigan and Ohio Labor Market Information offices; www.driving- workforcechange.org. Download a full copy of the 66-pg. report, released in July 2011, at http://drivingworkforcechange.org/reports/supplychain.pdf.
Note: The survey remains open, and participants will receive a free, personalized benchmarking report. To take the survey, go to www.autosupply.case.edu.
30 MetalForming/September 2011
www.metalformingmagazine.com