Supply Chain Forecasting

Discuss how forecasting effects the supply chain of an automobile manufacturer. Consider especially the forecasting and supply chains involved in manufacturing a new model (entirely new, not an edition/annual change). How do the individual supply chains for the subparts effect the larger supply chain of the whole automobile. How does forecasting effect the just-in-time or lean production system used in most automobile manufacturing plants?

Example of a typical automobile supply chain:

• Suppliers for raw materials
• Suppliers for parts and subsystems
• Automobile manufacturer (Ford, in the example). Within a company, there are also different departments, which constitute the internal supply chain:
• Purchasing and material handling
• Manufacturing
• Marketing, etc.
• Transportation providers
• Automobile dealers