5 ways our vehicle processing can benefit your supply chain

With more than 70 VPCs globally, our facilities enable your vehicles to receive additional quality checks and vehicle accessorisation specific to the sales market they are destined for, and as close to their final destination as possible. The result? A vehicle that arrives at the dealership on time and in perfect condition for the end customer.

For carmakers of all sizes, our VPCs provide economies of scale, flexibility and quality personnel and services. They also offer onward logistics expertise: our facilities serving OEM factories in the USA and Mexico for example ship vehicles to more than 65 rail ramps, which transfer vehicles from rail cars to the road network across North America, as well as to and from marine terminals.

Our VPCs perform a variety of processing services including receipt and inspection of vehicles as they arrive and checks to ensure OEM quality standards are maintained. Modification, customisation and homologation are also offered – and outsourcing these services means OEMs can instead focus on their core business.

Customisation, which can include everything from lighting packages to body effects kits and spoilers, can be a particularly complex and time-consuming process. “For the forthcoming model of one OEM’s pick-up truck, there will be 87 different accessories,” explains Rob Zimmerman, vice president of US plant processing, WW Solutions. But by customising at VPCs in the local market, OEMs can also reduce both led times and costs.

Whether in-plant or at a port, our extensive network of VPCs in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, China and Southeast Asia can provide an efficient connection between all parts of the outbound supply chain, helping to streamline your distribution.

Our in-plant VPCs effectively act as an extension of the carmaker. “These are part of the OEM’s business and will typically be located on the actual factory site,” explains Ted Boudalis, senior general manager, strategy and operations, WW Solutions. “The VPC will act as the ‘last mile’ of the manufacturing process, preparing the vehicle for onward transit by truck or rail.”

Port VPCs play a different role. In the US, our port VPCs may cater for as many as 12 different manufacturers at one facility and are equipped to carry out a wide range of processing work, from labelling to customisation and accessorising.

Automotive manufacturers are under pressure to reduce costs and emissions, leading to a growth in electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing to serve market needs and meet regulations. As the automotive landscape changes, so too is the offering at our VPCs. Over the years, we’ve extended our pre-delivery inspection and yard management services to support EVs. These services include battery charging, cooling liquid filling and monitoring charging levels.

“We’re very much geared to where the industry is moving in terms of electrification of vehicles,” says Boudalis. “We’re also looking at how to carry out customisation for large fleets of vehicles and ride-sharing businesses as car ownership models change.”

OEMs can use our VPCs as tactical holding areas to manage inventories.

Some of our processing centres in the US will hold a volume of vehicles and await a new model launch date, or an order from a dealer for a specific make, model and colour. Once the order comes in, the vehicle will be prepared and shipped, offering an efficient and cost-effective solution for OEMs and their dealers.