2024 is coming to a close, and it’s that time when we reflect on what we’ve achieved and, more importantly, what we’ll do differently in the year ahead. But here’s the hard truth: in the automotive industry, sticking to what’s always worked isn’t enough anymore. This isn’t just transformation—it’s full-blown reinvention.
In this solo episode, Jan Griffiths dives into what this means for supply chain leaders. The old ways of siloed processes, outdated leadership styles, and a “business as usual” mindset can’t keep up with the speed and competition reshaping the industry. And the competition isn’t waiting. Chinese OEMs are making waves globally, producing high-quality vehicles at a pace that’s hard to match. It’s a wake-up call for anyone still thinking the status quo is safe.
So, when you think about your supply chain and what it’s going to look like for 2025, know this: the Auto Supply Chain Prophets team is on a mission to arm you with the content and insights you need to succeed. If you’re wondering where to start, Jan mentions a few stand-out episodes to help frame your strategy for the year ahead.
And while 2024 brought incredible conversations, there’s even more to look forward to, as Jan hints at exciting changes for the podcast in 2025, including a new partnership and the addition of a co-host.
From Jan, Terry Onica at QAD, and the entire podcast production team, thank you for being part of this journey.
Featured on this episode:
Name: Jan Griffiths
Title: President and Founder, Gravitas Detroit
About: Jan is the architect of cultural change in the automotive industry. As the President & Founder of Gravitas Detroit, Jan brings a wealth of expertise and a passion for transforming company cultures. Additionally, she is the host of the Automotive Leaders Podcast, where she shares insightful conversations with industry visionaries. Jan is also the author of AutoCulture 2.0, a groundbreaking book that challenges the traditional leadership model prevalent in the automotive world. With her extensive experience and commitment to fostering positive change, Jan is at the forefront of revolutionizing the automotive landscape.
Connect: LinkedIn
Mentioned in this episode:
- The Reinvention Mindset for Supply Chain Leaders with Dr. Nadya Zhexembayeva
- Embracing Ethical AI for Future-Ready Automotive Supply Chains with Dr. Charlotte de Brabandt
- What's Next for EDI? Be Part of the AIAG Survey with Fred Coe
- Leading the Charge: Building Tomorrow’s Supply Chain Leaders with Jim Liegghio
- Start Your Sustainability and Profitability Journey with Our New E-book
- Lessons Learned in a CPO's Transition from Auto to Life Sciences with Carrie Uhl
- Driving Supply Chain Efficiency: TS Tech's MMOG/LE Journey
- Supply Chain Dynamics: Technology, ESG Regulations, and Strategic Collaboration with Nichole Felton
- Episodes with Beth Crowley: Why Every Supply Chain Needs an Army of Problem Solvers and Lean Manufacturing: Thriving or Dying in Today's Automotive Supply Chain
- Please visit this link to access our complete collection of podcast episodes.
[Transcript]
[00:00:00] Jan Griffiths: This is the Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast, where you'll hear from experts of all facets of supply chain in the auto industry to help you prepare for the future. I'm Jan Griffiths, your co-host and producer.
[00:00:17] Terry Onica: I'm Terry Onica, your podcast co-host. Let's dive in.
[00:00:24] Jan Griffiths: Hello and welcome to another episode of the Auto Supply Chain Prophets Podcast. 2024 is drawing to a close, this is that point in time where we look back on our accomplishments for the year, but we also look forward, don't we? This is that time of year when we start to think about New Year's resolutions. What are we going to do differently next year? What are you going to do differently with your supply chain next year? One of the questions that might come to your mind right now is, why should you do anything differently? Isn't everything going just fine? Oh, the automotive industry, as you know, is not only going through a period of transformation, it is a period of complete and entire reinvention.
We're used to transformation; we throw that term around a lot in the auto industry. I do it myself, but this is much bigger than that. This is complete reinvention. The last episode that we produced this year from the Auto Supply Chain Prophets Podcast was with Dr. Nadya. Now, Dr. Nadya is the Founder of the Reinvention Academy, and she gets it. She understands what's happening in the auto industry and why continuing to do business the way that we've always done it in terms of our processes, our siloed approach, our culture, and our leadership will not cut it anymore.
The Chinese OEMs are taking over the market; like it or not, it's happening. I think we feel a little protected here in the US because we don't see all those products around us; we don't see BYD products, but if you go to Mexico and if you go to Europe, you will see Chinese OEMs everywhere. And it is not the poor-quality vehicle that we once thought it to be. Oh, no. The speed that's required in our industry to develop and update product is like nothing we have ever seen before. So, when you think about your supply chain and what it's going to look like for 2025, I want you to know that the team here at Auto Supply Chain Prophets we are on a mission to give you all the content and the information that you need to help you be successful.
Now, a few episodes, I think, would help you frame up your thoughts for 2025. First of all is episode 72 with Dr. Nadya talking about reinvention and why it's so important. Then, go to episode 71, Embracing Ethical AI with Dr. Charlotte de Brabandt. I've known Charlotte for quite some time, and she really is a thought leader in the procurement and supply chain space. So, what about AI? And what is this thing called ethical AI? It's important to embrace AI as much as we possibly can but also to make sure that we've got the right guardrails in place.
And then, Number 70 is the episode that we did with Fred Coe. Now, we love having Fred on the show because he is the Chair of the AIAG EDI Advisory Group. And there's nothing that this man doesn't know about EDI, but he is shaping the future of EDI, and you have a chance to get your voice heard. If you listen to that episode, there are some links in the show notes to help you get your voice into the body of requirements that will surround EDI for the future.
And then, from a leadership perspective, another guest that we love to have on the show is Jim Liegghio from AIAG. And Jim talks a lot about building tomorrow's supply chain leaders and what AIAG is doing to break out of that mold that we once knew them to be the standards organization. Do you remember that? We used to think about AIAG as the blue book company. The company that put the blue books together. I remember when the blue books came out. Yes, I do. But AIAG is a whole new and different company right now. And it's great to talk to Jim to get a little bit of an insight as to what AIAG is all about, but their mission is very much aligned with the mission of this podcast. It is about giving you the tools that you need to be successful in the automotive supply chain.
Another episode you may want to consider listening to as you frame up your thoughts for 2025 is this, what's it like when people move out of automotive into another industry? What would you take with you, and what would you leave behind? And we get into an in-depth discussion with Carrie Uhl. You'll know Carrie in the automotive industry from her days at Magna. She then moved on to be the CPO at GE Healthcare, and she is now the Chief Procurement Officer for Danaher Corporation. She runs the corporate procurement function. So, we learned a lot from Carrie as she explores her journey from automotive into life sciences.
Sustainability is a hot topic for us. We have several episodes on sustainability, including episode 55, that you'll find interesting and will help frame up your thoughts on sustainability. And then, MMOG/LE, one of the best examples that we have of a company that has really implemented MMOG/LE successfully, and, yes, seen the impact to the bottom line. So, often, we think that these requirements are there just to make our life difficult, they're not. They have a purpose and a mission, and they can drive significant inventory results and additional results to the bottom line. And we talk to Wendy Horwitz and Jeffrey Baltazar at TS Tech to talk about their journey to success with MMOG/LE.
Pulling it all together is Nichole Felton, Vice President of Materials at the ZF Group. She's episode 49 and she talks about technology, ESG regulations, and strategic collaboration. And then, if you want to take a trip into the world of lean manufacturing, which we often do because supply chain is a critical part of that, we have two episodes with Beth Crowley, who is the lean manufacturing guru that we love to have on the show.
We covered quite a lot in 2024 on this podcast, and I am dying to tell you a secret about what's happening with the podcast in 2025 because a podcast is just like any other business initiative: it has a goal, it has a mission, it has a client base. You are the audience; you're our clients, essentially. We are delivering content to you, and we wanted to think about what we could do to make it even better. And we are aligning with another company and we'll be bringing on a new co-host, and I can't wait to tell you who it is, but I can't yet. So, stay tuned for much more from the Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast in 2025. From the entire team, Terry Onica at QAD, myself, and the podcast production team, we wish you a very happy, prosperous new year and a wonderful 2025 ahead of you. We always want to hear from you. If you have any questions or any particular content that you would like to hear, please email me directly at Jan@gravitasdetroit.com, and we will do everything in our power to make that happen. Happy New Year.
Are you ready to find the money in your supply chain? Visit www. autosupplychainprophets.com to learn how or click the link in the show notes below.
