Bart Smelley

written by Chris Cunnane with InterSystems   Automotive manufacturers have invested billions in digital transformation over the past two decades, achieving meaningful gains in production efficiency. Yet one area has stubbornly lagged behind: warranty cost performance. Despite advances aligned with Industry 4.0, warranty costs as a percentage of revenue have remained largely unchanged. This disconnect highlights a critical truth that while production has evolved, warranty operations have not kept pace. At the heart of the issue is a fundamental inefficiency: time. Specifically, the lag between when a warranty claim is submitted and when meaningful problem-solving begins. This delay not only drives up operational costs but also impacts customer satisfaction and brand perception.   The Hidden Complexity of Warranty Claims Warranty management is more than a back-office function. It is a complex, data-driven process involving multiple stakeholders, systems, and validation steps. Each claim requires verification of warranty coverage, assessment of the issue, and coordination across service providers, suppliers, and internal teams. Much of this process remains manual. Organizations often rely on fragmented systems, inconsistent data formats, and time-intensive validation steps such as reviewing receipts, maintenance records, and warranty agreements. These inefficiencies introduce delays that can stretch into weeks before root cause…

Another great week here at Supply Chain Now! Have you listened to all the episodes? If not, you can check them all out here: On Monday, Scott and Greg chatted with Jenny Froome and Dominique Zwinkels. Supply Chain Now · “Supply Chain Front & Center: Jenny Froome & Dominique Zwinkels”   Then on Tuesday, we continued in the Logistics with Purpose series and welcomed Jeremy Newhouse with MATTER to the podcast.   Supply Chain Now · “Logistics with Purpose: Jeremy Newhouse with MATTER”   On Wednesday, Scott and Greg tackled the top news in supply chain on the Buzz, and welcomed special guest Rob Lopez with Peach Tree Commercial Capital.   Supply Chain Now · “Supply Chain Buzz with Rob Lopez & Peach Tree Commercial Captial: Manufacturing, Money & More”   Scott and Greg were joined by Lynne Johnson and Joe Barto with AME on Thursday:   Supply Chain Now · “Helping Manufacturers Share, Learn, & Grow: Joe Barto & Lynne Johnson with AME”   And we wrapped up the week as Scott and Greg were joined by Ricahrd Schrade with Automation Intelligence:   Supply Chain Now · “Tomorrow’s Automation Today: Richard Schrade, Co-Founder & President of Automation Intelligence” Which…