In a previous blog post, we mentioned a vehicle can have up to 30,000 individual parts and that automakers rely on suppliers to produce these parts. Can you imagine if an automaker received 15,000 widgets but couldn’t do anything with them until they received 15,000 thingamajigs? Not a good situation.

That’s why many OEMs implement an automotive parts sequencing process where a supplier delivers parts to an assembly plant in an exact order provided by the automaker. This process is often referred to as in-line vehicle sequencing (ILVS).

Those of you familiar with just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, a methodology aimed at minimizing inventory and increasing efficiency, can think of ILVS as a step beyond JIT. By eliminating inventory at the OEM plant, ILVS is critical to saving inventory costs and increasing overall adaptability within the industry. 

Because ILVS involves everyone – OEMs and all levels of suppliers – it can have significant consequences if a company doesn’t follow the process. If parts get out of sequence or there is a delay in shipment, it can shut down an assembly plant, resulting in lost production and the OEM imposing heavy fines on the supplier. And while there are some ILVS consistencies across the industry, each OEM plant can incorporate unique factors based on its needs.

So, how does in-line vehicle sequencing impact vehicle labeling? Remember, vehicle labels are a government-mandated part on every vehicle sold in the U.S., which means they have to follow the automaker’s plant’s ILVS process.

Sound like too much to manage? Relax, and call Ancor. Our proprietary, centralized data-management system, AutoDoc, can process a file in a VIN- or ILVS-specific manner. This means that regardless of what process a plant uses – pre-determined ILVS sequencing or in VIN order – we can assist in getting the necessary vehicle labels to the plant so they can be at the staging station for that day’s build order.

Contact us to learn more about AutoDoc and how we can be your single source for your vehicle label needs.