Gries Deco Company made the decision in recent years to create a digital supply chain solution that consolidates the movements of goods across borders without losing preferences, guaranteeing full control of all important steps in the value chain. One of the primary hubs for this solution is the company’s highly digitized distribution center for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. A cross-border cloud solution reduced inventories and operating costs and greatly enhanced material flow transparency.

CEMEX Deutschland AG (based in Rüdersdorf, outside Berlin) implemented an integrated solution for the purchase-to-pay (P2P) process. A paradigm shift toward digital transformation coupled with consistent employee training has yielded the first positive effects on sales and supply chain operations. The corporate group CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V., based in Monterrey (Mexico), is a leading global manufacturer of building materials. The core business is the production, distribution, and marketing of cement, ready-mixed concrete, and mineral raw materials. With more than 42,000 employees worldwide, the company generates some $13.6 billion in annual sales.

The Continental Automotive Group’s submission for the Supply Chain Management Award was the “Fast Forward 2030” supply chain vision. The objective is to develop a readiness for “Industry 4.0” automation, which brings greater agility and transparency to the complex supply chain of more than 100 production sites, 5,700 suppliers, and 157 billion product components. The first cost savings have already been realized at the two smart pilot factories in Regensburg (Germany) and Zvolen (Slovakia). Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and goods. Founded in 1871, the technology giant offers safe, efficient, smart, affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, transit, and transport. Continental generated sales of €44.4 billion in 2018 and currently employs more than 244,000 people in 60 countries and markets.

Electrolux’s solution targets the transformation of the supply chain toward greater customer-centricity. This includes optimizations in seven areas to achieve better service, more flexibility, and transparency along the entire supply chain while monitoring inventories. The solutions range from establishing an agile supply chain organization (including a control tower) and intensifying the partnership with R&D to using digital tools in production and stepping up the integration of suppliers into the production process. Other key success factors of the new customer-centric supply chain include excellence in new product launches, inventory management, and strategic approaches customized to each sales channel. Electrolux is one of the leading appliance manufacturers worldwide (core brands: AEG, Electrolux, Zanussi) and operates 15 production facilities and 41 warehouses with 12,000 employees in production and supply chain operations throughout Europe.