In a context of commercial uncertainty and changes in supply chains, Magdalena Pongratz, inbound planning specialist at Volkswagen de México , highlighted that interchangeable processes in the logistics environment should not be understood solely as operations, but as “the spark for growth and competitive advancement . “
During his presentation entitled “Adding Value Through Collaboration and Cross-Border Logistics ,” at the Automotive Logistics & Supply Chain conference, Pongratz emphasized the role of North America as an integrated region, where the United States, Canada, and Mexico form a logistics bloc with deeply intertwined supply chains .
This cross-border dynamic, he noted, demands a strategic vision that allows us to face the challenges of costs and efficiency , which guarantees the resilience of operations in a highly competitive market.
One of the key points of his presentation was the complexity of transit processes, which generate a significant disparity in costs . Although the volume of supplies from the United States represents only 5% of Volkswagen de México’s total, this same flow accounts for 29% of logistics costs. This difference explains the company’s priority in optimizing flows and reducing expenses associated with the movement of goods.
To try to solve these problems, Pongratz pointed out, the company launched strategies such as the NAR Inbound Tender project , launched in 2024 together with Audi Mexico and Volkswagen Group of America , which seeks to update the inbound network to “attack exactly these inbound costs and to update our entire inbound network in the multidimensional region.”
The specialist also explained that Volkswagen’s logistics departments are constantly working on optimizing transport frequencies , with the main objective of consolidating volumes.
“With this, we can reduce the frequency and increase our productivity. And we see the great benefit of improving our capitalization, lowering our transportation costs, having a better pattern, and ultimately, a simplified scale,” he noted.
Finally, Pongratz announced a pilot intermodal transport plan, in which a supplier in the northern United States will supply the Puebla plant, with the goal of validating the viability of intermodal transport as a cost-optimizing alternative . The initiative seeks to add more suppliers in the future and incorporate more intermodal transport projects.
“And why are we doing this? Ultimately, we need and want our supply chain to be as resilient and effective as possible to support automotive production in Mexico,” he concluded.
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