Hitachi Astemo Americas manufactures automotive materials, products, and systems for some of the most prestigious vehicle manufacturers in the world.
Hitachi’s Querétaro business unit, assembles critical parts for brake systems and car suspensions, including brake calipers, hoses, fittings, wiring harnesses, discs, and pads. The facility is approximately 1 million sq. ft., employs 200 to 1000 workers, and operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Challenges
Hitachi Astemo had recently acquired a new client: a global, best-in-class original equipment manufacturer (OEM) interested in the brake and suspension parts assembled in the Querétaro facility. After performing an audit of Hitachi’s facility, the client determined that its current systems would not be able to meet its requirements. The key challenges that Hitachi had to urgently address in its Querétaro facility were:
In addition to these issues, Hitachi had to contend with the same resource shortages that have been plaguing most manufacturers and distributors around the world. The manufacturer had to find solutions to avoid costly production delays caused by shortages and improve its material requirements planning capabilities.
Hitachi Astemo launched a competitive RFP process to source a Warehouse Management System (WMS) that would help them overcome their current challenges.At the end of the RFP process, Hitachi identified the SOLOCHAIN /MES as the solution of choice for its Querétaro facility.
