The transformation and upgrading of traditional parts, such as the U-turn of the giant ship, is not only a major challenge at present, but also the only choice for survival. The act of transformation is accompanied by pain.
Encounter the "most difficult" dilemma in history
In recent years, almost all traditional parts enterprises have watched the traditional automobile-related business shrink. In this great change from the power system, from the traditional "three big parts" to the "three electric systems" of new energy vehicles, the original internal combustion engine market is shrinking day by day. 1 on the gas tanker? More than 10,000 parts have been reduced to at least one third of electric vehicles, and a large number of traditional parts will be on the verge of disappearing in the era of electrification. Mainstream automobile groups are accelerating transformation and slimming. Taking GM as an example, public reports show that 20 19? In 2008, GM cut 3,500 vehicles in the product line of all models. This kind of spare parts has reduced the demand for spare parts by more than 10%.
Whether it is the new "four modernizations" or the new "five modernizations", the impact on the automobile industry is deepening. A large number of new technologies and new business models are constantly breaking the original pattern and boundary of the automobile industry, and the traditional parts enterprises in the upper reaches of the industrial chain are suffering a huge impact.
The challenge does not stop there. The global automobile market is "cold" and the international trade environment is complex and changeable. Especially since this year, the global epidemic has magnified the original problems and contradictions, and the performance of many international mainstream parts companies has fallen sharply. Many domestic vehicle and parts enterprises are facing the risk of supply interruption, the safety of industrial chain is seriously threatened, the losses are immeasurable, and the living environment of enterprises is unprecedented.
How to break through this "most difficult" dilemma in history? In 2020? At the China Automobile Supply Chain Conference, the theme forum "The Future of Traditional Parts Enterprises" attracted much attention and became the soul of every traditional enterprise.
Chen Heping, deputy general manager of Guangzhou Automobile Parts Co., Ltd. believes that "if you don't keep up with the pace of new technology application in the past few years, it may be too late to change it in a few years."
Born to die, or you can have a bright future.
"This change is to find death." ? Zhou Liqun, vice president of Continental Investment (China) Co., Ltd., has a very clear understanding of the current situation. Although he dare not say that he has found the road to success, he knows? Without looking for "death" and making subversive changes, there will be no new "life" and you can't continue to live? A few years.
Keep up with the pace of the new era and continue the brilliance and vitality of the enterprise, even in the extremely difficult year of 2020? Year? Traditional parts enterprises are also speeding up, splitting and merging, "soft" and "hard", and constantly accelerating transformation and upgrading.
"Auto parts enterprises pay more attention to vehicle development." Chen Xinglin, vice president of Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. and chairman and general manager of Dongfeng Auto Parts (Group) Co., Ltd. believes that the new development trend of vehicle "five modernizations" has become a * * * knowledge, and the development of parts should be laid out according to "trend, leading and systematization". Specifically, the trend is to grasp the trend of vehicle technology upgrading and industrial ecological evolution, and systematization is to meet the needs of vehicle platform development and form the ability to provide systematic technical solutions for the vehicle. "Vehicle companies need technology partner companies that have the ability to develop simultaneously with the whole vehicle."
In terms of product supply, traditional parts enterprises need to adjust closely with the electrification and intelligent transformation of vehicle enterprises. Shen, general manager of Ambofo connector system in China, said, "Our products are no longer limited to traditional connectors for vehicles, but begin to supply many electronic products, such as wireless charging for vehicles and sockets for new energy vehicles. It will also involve chips and software, and it is no longer a simple traditional process (product) such as injection molding and stamping.
Tracing back to R&D and production mode, "this challenge is not the end of its value realization, but the starting point for vehicle manufacturers." Zhou Liqun pointed out that large automobile companies are already providing intelligence, software and other related services. In recent years, the new forces of making cars have subverted the original models, production and sales of R&D, and also defined the trend of parts. The mode that traditional system suppliers develop system products two or three years in advance and then introduce them into automobile factories is gone forever.
Another noteworthy phenomenon is that many people in the industry have found that the business model of winning by scale effect will no longer be effective in the future. In the environment of slow growth of the whole market, especially zero growth, the role of parts suppliers in making up for the negative impact of the industry by scale effect is weakening, so we must find new growth poles and achieve survival and further development through new business models.
Leading electrification
As a key node in the whole industrial chain, parts suppliers should not only promote the continuous upgrading of product technology in traditional fields, but also take the lead in accelerating the transformation to the new "four modernizations".
In recent years, global automobile emission standards have become increasingly stringent, and new energy vehicles have been vigorously promoted in China. It has greatly accelerated the transformation of the global automobile industry to electrification. The trend of automobile electrification is becoming clearer and clearer. It further stimulated the nerves of traditional parts enterprises to accelerate the transformation. Many large-scale parts companies tilt R&D resources to electrification and other fields, split traditional businesses, and start to lay off employees or conduct transformation training for traditional business personnel. For example, Continental has made it clear that it will no longer invest in internal combustion engine-related parts, and put more resources on the electric drive system.
It has become a common choice for many parts giants to split up businesses that require a lot of investment, such as electrification or intelligence, and go public independently. On the one hand, it can provide more funds, resources and channels for emerging businesses; On the other hand, it is difficult for the ship to turn around.
At least in the short term, all kinds of electrification-related technologies, including the core "Three Electricity" (power battery, motor and electronic control), are still in the growth stage, and various new energy technology routes such as lithium-ion battery, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen fuel cell and extended program are in full bloom. The vast development space has made many vehicle and parts enterprises see new hope. The result is hard work, but it involves specific direction, which increases the confusion and difficulty of traditional enterprise transformation.
As one of the Ssangyong in the domestic engine field, Lin Zhiqiang, executive vice president of Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Co., Ltd. thinks: "The future power market is definitely a diversified market, and different markets need different power combinations. Traditional internal combustion engines still have a lot of room to improve efficiency and will exist for a long time. No matter what new technology is applied in the future, it must not be simple assembly, but highly integrated. If our industrial chain recognizes the needs of the future market and constantly innovates its own products with the help of the original industrial technology, I will definitely win a bright future. "
Have information
Relying on the electric vehicle, the best carrier at present, the development and application of intelligent networking technology in the automobile industry is smoother and deeper. Many traditional parts giants have made heavy bets on this, acquiring technology companies or setting up new business departments. For example, Bosch has set up an independent intelligent driving and control division, and the annual investment in software technology research and development can reach 30? One billion euros. After the split of Delphi, Ambow focused on new technologies such as autonomous driving, and Valeo also took electrification, autonomous driving and intelligent networked cars as the core of strategic development.
"Software-defined automobile" is becoming the core theme of the transformation of automobile enterprises and parts enterprises in the future. Many people in the industry believe that the future car will take artificial intelligence as the core software technology. With the rapid development of autonomous driving and car networking, the application of software in cars will be more and more extensive.
"The trend of software-defined cars has brought us threats and opportunities." As a leading enterprise in the automotive electronics industry, Yong Yang, the key account management center of Huizhou Desai Siwei Automotive Electronics and general manager of market and public relations, said that the core element of smart cars-software has become very important. Previously, in the automobile industry, software only involved development costs. But now the software has gradually shown its value, and automobile manufacturers are willing to pay the price for the software, including services, and the software model is basically mature. Although for traditional manufacturing enterprises, products are threatened and their competitiveness is scattered, "as long as corresponding changes are made, they can gain greater benefits from the expanded market."
Yong Yang believes that for the hardware part, we should follow the characteristics of industrialization, that is, vertical integration, scale benefit and lean production, and provide standardized products. As for the software or application part, it needs to follow the characteristics of intelligence, and generate greater value in future software and services through data online, intelligent algorithms and network collaboration. Really get the value that this part of the incremental market brings to the enterprise.
For traditional enterprises, this trend needs a comprehensive transformation from design and development to organization and operation to cope with the upgrading and innovation with higher integration complexity. Yong Yang said? "The way we carry out projects with automobile factories also needs to be reconsidered. In the past, this idea was a turnkey. Now we are working in a closely embedded way, and another very important aspect is our product operation and organizational ability. "
"OEMs have begun to rethink whether software is self-built or purchased, and may reposition the relationship between OEMs and component companies." Zheng Yun, senior global partner of roland berger and vice president of Greater China, pointed out that OEMs are not strong in software development, so it is very important to adjust long-term cooperation and corresponding investment plans to better cope with this trend. Suppliers can consider cooperating with the newly established software-related departments in OEM in organization and business process. Parts enterprises need to lay out the proportional control of machinery and software as soon as possible. Have their own differentiated core competitiveness in the future competition.
Under the current trend, automobile manufacturers and parts suppliers will not be the only participants, and a large number of multinational enterprises have entered. Traditional parts enterprises in transition are facing more intense competition.
Upgrade the intelligent system?
For a series of changes brought by new technologies to the automobile industry, a basic question needs deep thinking, that is, "What are cars used for?" ? Chen Heping thinks that if cars are for people, we should further think about what will definitely exist and what may disappear, such as 50? There may not be a better way to change tires and seats after the year. Therefore, he suggested that parts companies evaluate their products and sub-industries. For those who continue to exist, enterprises should think about how to "be refined" and "this is also an opportunity".
Intelligent manufacturing is an important direction for upgrading traditional parts enterprises.
"From the inside of the supply chain, quality and cost are always unavoidable topics. How to improve internal efficiency? " Shen's answer is "the hardware of the factory should be upgraded". He pointed out that the focus of the hardware upgrade of the factory is to improve the efficiency of the whole production line, including how to equip the automatic production line, how to improve the logistics efficiency and how to improve the operation and management level. "We need to build a digital platform to integrate the whole production process, operation management and logistics."
According to Shen, 3? Years ago, Amber proposed the goal of building a smart factory, which is also in response to China Industry 4.0? This phone. At present, Lean Production 2.0 is progressing in an orderly manner. It is understood that amber has strengthened the transformation from manual production line to semi-automatic and fully automatic, adjusted the planning between products and production lines, and changed the original production line planning according to products into production line layout according to process flow, and completed the same process flow on one production line. Moreover, the efficiency of die output has been greatly improved, such as from one product at a time to eight products at a time. Greatly reducing the cost.
He also said that Amber is constantly expanding the application of digital management, such as networking system management of all injection molding machines and punches, monitoring, quality control and traceability of all process equipment, and digitizing key indicators. In addition, in order to better enhance digital management, Amber is building a 12000? Square meter intelligent automatic unmanned warehouse, estimated at 202 1? Completed in June 2008.
As the world's largest supplier of aluminum wheels and chassis, Huang, information director of CITIC Co., Ltd., said: "We need to maintain high-quality development in the process of internationalization and really go out. This requires us to make full use of internet technology and intelligent manufacturing technology to realize the integration of the two. We must make good use of related technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things to change our traditional business and production mode. "
CITIC Yu Bingxuan is also deepening the intelligent manufacturing and digital transformation within the enterprise.
"Intelligent manufacturing can't stay in the workshop and can't stay in the production process." ? Say, Huang? Citic Yu Bingxuan, based on the characteristics of its own industry, put forward the goal of building a highly flexible lightweight product platform for automobiles, focusing on three aspects: efficiency, cost and quality optimization, taking people, machines, materials, law, environment and number as the core, and combining robotics, numerical control and 3D? Printing, cloud computing, Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence related technologies to create a digital and intelligent manufacturing system. It is understood that? "Intelligent Digital Manufacturing System of CITIC Card in DMS"? Including intelligent marketing, intelligent R&D, intelligent operation, intelligent manufacturing, intelligent service and intelligent decision-making. Through the comprehensive construction of standardization, automation, informationization, digitalization and intelligence, we will build an intelligent factory with the characteristics of CITIC Yu Bingxuan.
"80% of all our manufacturing bases? The above production equipment has been networked, and these production data are gathered on the digital cloud brain in real time, and the production quality and efficiency are continuously improved through data. " Huang said that CITIC is conducting extensive exploration in industrial big data and has in-depth cooperation with upstream and downstream customers and suppliers to better cope with market changes.
On the basis of finding the right direction and timely adjustment, we will quickly and accurately integrate new technologies into existing industries, so that technology can serve industries, stimulate new kinetic energy and create new values. Traditional parts enterprises should do more if they want to gain a place in the wave of global new technologies. There are more variables in the uncertain future.
Ji, chief engineer and deputy secretary-general of China Automobile Industry Association, suggested that "the traditional parts industry has entered a critical period of great changes, and it needs supply chain coordination, in-depth cooperation and multi-technology integration to make the industry glow with new youth."
This in-depth report series:
In-depth reporting to cope with the new situation: building a safe and controllable industrial chain
In-depth reporting to create new advantages: the way to improve the automobile supply chain during the 14 th Five-Year Plan
(Note: This article was first published in the monthly issue of 1 1 in 2020, so please continue to pay attention. )
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.