In a recent video that was released by The Ford Motor Company, Ford's Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Jim Yost indicated that the company has to "share information in real-time" and therefore can no longer use "the sequential processes” in which there were many “handoffs" and "transfers of information."

Yost also emphasized the fact that Ford needs to "integrate much more closely with their customers, supply base and even internally," as well as stressing the importance of making information available to multiple levels of their supply base "simultaneously," thereby eschewing the current "cascade processes that might take days, weeks and even months" to disseminate.

To enable you to respond to this question, you can access both the video as well as my corresponding post through the following Link:

http://procureinsights.wordpress.com/2008/04/11/is-fords-auto-xchange-th...

I look forward to receiving your comments.

Reference Posts:

Optimization Modeling and the Modern Supply Chain (A PI Q and A)
http://procureinsights.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/optimization-modeling-an...

Similarity Heuristics, Iterative Methodologies and the Emergence of the Modern Supply Chain http://procureinsights.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/similarity-hueristics-it...