How to support the decision-making process within the inbound logistics at Audi Brussels through analysis scenarios?

Inbound logistics has become a major challenge for the automotive industry in the last decades. Globalisation and environmental concerns are driving the reinvention of strategies. The changes undergone by the supply chain have been further exacerbated by the covid crisis we are currently experiencing. In this respect, this thesis has been built after a 3-month internship in the inbound logistics team of Audi Brussels. This work is defined as guidance for further investigations that could be profitable and a key advantage for the firm. Based on the literature and the knowledge gathered during this internship, three scenarios that compare the current situation with alternative solutions, have been built. They were built and analysed from a cost point of view to properly fit the theoretical and field findings. This analysis can be used as a basis to support the decision-making process that follows the inbound logistics team from a short- and long-term perspective. In order to construct these scenarios correctly, two steps were required. The first is Audi’s vision and history to accurately understand the context. Without this comprehension, the scenario solutions could be useless or not aligned with the strategy. The second is the literature review to have an overview of the supply chain’s stakes. Furthermore, it helped me find alternative solutions proposed in two of the three scenarios. Due to globalisation, firms are sourced from more distant suppliers than before. However, the results show a stronger effect of the region than the distance, even if they are certainly linked. A solution is viable in a specific area and not in others even if the distances are more or less equivalent. Even if the new alternatives are not implemented in the automotive sector yet, they seem to have interesting characteristics for the sector. Furthermore, under the scope defined by this paper, they are viable and bring other advantages tackled in the conclusion. What needs to be said is that inbound logistics need to be based on a case-by-case analysis as many differences appear between suppliers. It was indeed impossible to make generalisations for all cases with this data.