At the heart of The Prophets’ vision are “The 24 Essential Supply Chain Processes.” What are they? Find out, and see the future yourself. Click here In this episode of the Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast, hosts Terry Onica and Jan Griffiths welcome Nichole Felton, Vice President of Supply Chain for ZF North America and board member for AIAG. Nichole gives a glimpse into her role, tackling challenges like global compliance regulations and ensuring a unified approach for a North American regional role within a German-based company. They discuss upcoming supply chain challenges, covering trade regulations, sustainability, anti-dumping measures, semiconductor restrictions, and the roles of industry organizations like AIAG and MEMA.Nichole highlights the importance of technology, AI, and industry partnerships in improving data quality and sustainability efforts. The episode concludes with a discussion on women in supply chain leadership and advice for supply chain leaders. Nichole offers empowering advice to female professionals in the automotive industry, encouraging them to be vocal about their career goals and seek advocates. Additionally, she emphasizes the need for personal development among supply chain leaders to tackle future supply chain challenges effectively. This episode provides a direct and practical overview of current automotive supply chain challenges and future considerations, featuring Nichole's extensive industry experience.Themes discussed in this episode:The importance of women empowerment initiatives in manufacturing and supply chainGlobal compliance and trade regulations within the automotive sectorAddressing forced labor concernsOvercoming organizational silos and promoting effective communicationStrategies for tracing and managing complex supply chain dataSustainability challenges, including anti-dumping measures and semiconductor restrictions in the supply chain.Embracing technology, AI, and collaborative efforts for improved data quality and sustainability in the supply chainWomen in leadership, advocating for oneself, and the importance of personal development goalsFeatured on this episode: Name: Nichole Felton Title: Vice President of Supply Chain, ZF North AmericaAbout: Nichole is a proven global supply chain executive in the automotive industry. With a remarkable international track record, she excels in motivating high-performing teams to achieve strategic objectives. Nichole has held key leadership roles, including Thermal Segment Director and Corporate Commodity Executive, showcasing her expertise in achieving business results and pursuing new growth opportunities.Connect: LinkedInMentioned in this episode:AIAG & MEMA(UFLPA) Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention ActThe CHIPS ActEpisode Highlights:[03:35] Future challenges: A conversation about the upcoming challenges the automotive supply chain will encounter