Description

At the heart of The Prophets’ vision are “The 24 Essential Supply Chain Processes.” What are they? Find out, and see the future yourself. Click here

Auto Supply Chain Prophets welcomes two guests from the OESA Supplier Summit in Novi, Michigan.

Supply chain shortages continue to persist in the automotive industry, but some EV parts suppliers are finding success and growing quickly despite the challenges. Jovani Gonzalez, CFO of Acument Global Technologies, and Carolyn Sauer, the business development director at Schaltbau North America, offer their perspectives on how to manage relationships with customers and suppliers.

As the automotive industry moves from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, it’s more important than ever to have good communication with OEMs, tier suppliers — and internally. “Ask questions” and “fail fast” are the ingredients for future supply chain success.

Themes discussed in this episode: 

• How suppliers can adapt to labor shortages and supply chain slowdowns.
• The automotive industry’s shift from internal combustion to EV.
• Why managing risk is better than avoiding it.
• Transferring technology from existing industries to EV opens new doors.
• Compared to automotive, the EV supply chain seems nontraditional.
• How close contact and frequent communication lead to business success.

Featured on this Episode  

Name: Jovani Gonzalez 

Title: CFO at Acument Global Technologies

About: Jovani is a finance and operations executive with more than two decades of experience in manufacturing and automotive. Acument develops and manufactures fastening and assembly solutions for industries including auto, EV and aerospace.

Connect: LinkedIn

Name: Carolyn Sauer

Title: Director, Business Development at Schaltbau GmbH

About: An experienced marketing and sales director, Carolyn currently oversees business partnerships around EV infrastructure at Schaltbau North America. Her passion for safe and scalable electrification is built on more than 20 years of experience with global Tier 1 suppliers.

Connect: LinkedIn 

Episode Highlights

Timestamped inflection points from the show

[0:44] Built on tradition: Jovani discusses Fontana’s acquisition of Acument. Fontana is a global supplier of fasteners, and its long history of success can extend Acument’s reach.

[1:23] Shorthanded goals: How have labor shortages and supply chain slowdowns impacted Acument’s production? Jovani explains how his company approaches these challenges.

[2:15] Communication is key: Jovani sees an opportunity in building relationships. Suppliers must stay in close contact with OEMs as the industry moves from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles.

[3:14] Crunching the numbers: From a CFO’s perspective, Jovani explains the difference between avoiding risk and managing risk. Prioritizing efficiency combats the effects of inflation.

[4:29] Fail fast: Jovani’s...