NAPB 2023 Retail Inventory Management

Although our industry has seen enormous warehouse benefits from human-centric improvements, the improving cost and flexibility of automation demand a closer look. Automation can solve three problems: footprint, headcount, and throughput. However, these may not all be possible from the same installation. First, this session will cover how OEMs have implemented (or have considered implementing) automation in their warehouses, providing a baseline for what everyone is doing in this space and their key lessons learned. For the middle portion of the Focus Day, we’d explore bringing in outside experts and/or vendors in the automation space to share what they have to offer as well as trends they see in the industry. Finally, the group of OEM participants will close the session with a debrief on what was learned from the day and key next steps.
The European Parts Benchmark (EPB) has been continuously collecting supply chain data and sharing best practices since 2002. From core supply chain topics such as inventory and supplier management, to cutting edge research in the areas of Autonomous Vehicles and 3-D Printing, the EPB Conference is the go-to-place in Europe for motor vehicle manufacturers to ask questions and be part of the solution.
Beginning with a focus purely on warehouse operations, NAPB has since expanded to cover various topics across the supply chain, including transportation and logistics, sales and marketing, enterprise solutions, and more. Today, NAPB includes 30 member companies representing all the major motor vehicle sectors, including automotive, truck & engine, construction & agriculture equipment, and powersports OEMs.
Retail Inventory Management (RIM) is a critical business tool used by most OEMs in the industry – it is key to achieving high dealer off-the-shelf fill and ultimately, end-customer satisfaction. For this reason, the RIM Focus Day is the only one that we conduct on an annual basis, with participants continuing to see significant value in the increasingly detailed discussion. Due to the expansive and detailed nature of the topics covered at this focus day, it takes place over 2 days, as opposed to our normal single day offering. Exact topics vary each year depending on OEM interest levels, but typically cover items such as:
Each year, we gather supply chain leaders for two meetings – at the conference in the spring, and then about six months later at this Focus Day. Unlike our traditional Focus Days, this session is a more free-flowing discussion amongst OEM participants, with Carlisle facilitators guiding the discussion. The scope of this Focus Day is limited to a few key topics, in order to drive deeper discussion and more meaningful, actionable insights. Specific topics for this Focus Day will be driven by executive input following the NAPB conference. This Focus Day answers questions such as: