MISCCIP: A shield to weather the storm

The automotive industry is without doubt going through one of its toughest times ever. "With dwindling sales and even worse short-term future predictions on production volumes, the industry is on its knees. To successfully weather this storm, companies need to seek novel ways  of enhancing their operational efficiencies", says Dineshan Moodley, Supply Chain Development Department Manager at the AIDC.

"MISCCIP has established a solid track record over a number of years of enabling approximately 270 industry suppliers to achieve more streamlined supply chain processes. There is a clear business case in implementing MISCCIP in the manufacturing sector and companies which are not using this solution should strongly consider this as a tool with which to survive this volatile market and mitigate the effects of the current economic climate!"

The Motor Industry Supply Chain Competitiveness Improvement Programme (MISCCIP) remains the leader as a world first, industry-wide, collaborative success story, which aimed to integrate and simplify supply chain processes and messaging whilst ensuring complete supply chain visibility and traceability.

As the name of the programme suggests, its focus is on the continuous improvement of communication and integration within the supply chain. Since its inception, additional functionality has been developed to ensure that the users of the system gain maximum benefit from the solution, whilst also having the opportunity to participate in its evolution.

The following enhancements are an indication of the added benefits on offer through the MISCCIP solution:

• E-Waybill functionality; which is currently being utilised by VWSA and GMSA, their suppliers and the Logistic Service Provider-Uti
• Inclusion of a P&A solution which is being utilised by GMSA, BMW, Toyota and Nissan
• Advanced Shipping Notification (ASN) template enhancements to ensure data accuracy
• Goods Received Notifications (GRN)
• Labelling solutions for VWSA, Nissan, GMSA and Toyota
• International communications with various OEMs and suppliers' global partners
• Expansion of MISCCIP to 2nd tier suppliers 
• Roll out of the Direct Supply Ordering solution (DSO) to GMSA, the GMSA dealer body and DSO suppliers

Most of these enhancements will be showcased at a national road show planned for later this year. These and other enhancements will also be further discussed and developed at Super User Workshops. The specific dates of times of these events will be communicated in due course.

More enhancements are planned for the this year as MISCCIP evolves and matures to provide more benefits through increased flexibility, reduced complexity and improved efficiencies.

Focused workshops that aim to scope the industry's requirements for these improvements will assist in fast tracking exciting new developments that will be taking place during this year. Some of these envisaged future enhancements includes the following elements:

• E-invoicing
• DA 190 automation
• Supplier performance measurement tools
• RFID integration
• Goods importation management
• A completely redesigned user interface for the MyXchange portal

The AIDC's mandate is to support and develop the greater automotive industry in SA. This strategic positioning of the AIDC enables the project to take a broader industry view without dismissing detail, and for this reason the AIDC was appointed as the custodian and quality controller of this industry standard. In line with this role, the AIDC regularly conducts Satisfaction Surveys with the users, co-hosts the Super User Workshops and also performs an annual audit of the billing processes followed.

The AIDC together with the provider of the solution, Collaborative Xchange (CX) also plan to start hosting MISCCIP Training Workshops, specifically aimed at training the users of the Standard. An investigation into the possible accreditation of this training is already at an advanced stage.

MISCCIP allows true B2B and C2C interface thereby enhancing transactional visibility. The web based portal, which is widely used, also caters for smaller enterprises.

When considering the successes over the past seven years and the significant progress made from the initial scope and mandate, one can expect MISCCIP to be an important element in our quest for total supply chain visibility into the future with a strong focus on remaining cost competitive.

For further information, please contact the MISCCIP Project Manager:
Jenny Marshall
Email: jmarshall@aidc.co.za
Tel : (012) 564 5210