After two years of intensive co-operation between the European motor industry, we are pleased to announce the release of the new Supply Chain Monitoring (SCMo) recommendation.

Trading partners in the automotive industry will be able to enjoy significant benefits of standardised SCMo in the future, such as:

• Smooth and secure supply with minimal safety inventories;

• Increased speed and flexibility;

• Reduction of non-value-adding costs;

• Reduction of premium freight;

• Avoidance of scrap due to obsolescence;

• Best practice approach from automotive industry experts;

• Clear roadmap for software providers, marketplaces and decision makers in the automotive industry.

This recommendation has been eagerly awaited by the industry. The companies and organisations participating in the project include: Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford Europe, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Volvo Cars, Volkswagen, Bosch, Siemens VDO, Faurecia, Treves, Galia, the SMMT and the VDA.

There is also a strong interest among the software industry and marketplaces who will want to offer products which conform to the new Odette standard.

The recommendation is available free of charge to members or non-members of Odette alike.

Instructions for Dowloading and Reading.

1. Download the zipped file (12Mb) – this can take several minutes, depending upon the speed of your connection, so please be patient. Click here to go to the downloads registration page first.

2. Create a specific directory on your PC and extract the contents to it (this may happen automatically).

3. You will see a large amount of files (don't worry), which together comprise;

- the main recommendation document;

- a guide to the process documentation system;

- a fully interactive set of SCMo process documentation in html (Opens in a web-browser and provides hyperlinks to navigate through the document by clicking on the ? symbol to the left of the words "SCMO Processes" under Model Description, on the underlined words, or on the flow-diagram symbols.);

- a data description diagram;

- three Adobe pdf presentations on various chapters in the central document for training purposes.

4. You only need to open the Adobe pdf document entitled "SCM_Central_Doc.pdf" to navigate through the files. This is clearly shown in the special directory which is created.

5. By clicking on the hyperlinks, which are present in the Appendices in Chapter 8.0, you will be automatically taken to the respective documents.

6. You may be prompted to install a special reader from IDS Scheer AG, in which case click Yes.

If you have any problems downloading or using the document please contact us for more help.

Further information

• A list of Q & A’s
• the full Press Release