Improved Supply Chain Transparency with Digital Tools, as Discussed by Gerardo de la Torre from Nissan and the Red Sofa Interview

Nissan is taking significant strides in building end-to-end digital resilience in its supply chain, with a key tool being the Supplier Visibility Platform. This platform, integrated into Nissan's non-disclosure agreements, plays a pivotal role in various aspects of the automaker's operations.

At the Automotive Logistics and Supply Chain Digital Strategies North America 2025 in Nashville, Gerardo de la Torre, regional senior director of supply chain management at Nissan Group of the Americas, discussed the benefits of digitalization tools. He highlighted the Supplier Visibility Platform as a crucial element in Nissan's strategy, particularly in the face of mounting external pressures such as the rare earth mineral shortage.

The platform provides visibility across all tiers (tier-one, tier-two, tier-three, Tier-N) of suppliers, helping Nissan understand potential run-out dates of rare earth materials from suppliers. It also aids in mitigating risks, unlocking efficiency, and ensuring regulatory readiness.

According to De la Torre, the focus is always on technology and how it can make the supply chain more efficient, resilient, and productive. The Supplier Visibility Platform is part of Nissan's strategy for new product development.

The platform is also used to address the sourcing of rare earth materials from suppliers' tiers. However, as of now, there is no specific publicly available information detailing the key Tier-1 and Tier-2 suppliers of rare earth elements to Nissan, nor the precise nature of Nissan's collaboration with these companies to secure rare earth supplies.

The official documentation between suppliers and Nissan includes the Supplier Visibility Platform. This platform is a key tool in Nissan's strategy to build digital resilience in its supply chain, linking visibility, cybersecurity, and compliance.

The Supplier Visibility Platform is not just useful in understanding the sourcing of rare earth materials, but it also helps Nissan understand the visibility of its supply chain as a whole. In the words of De la Torre, the platform's usefulness becomes evident in the face of such pressures, emphasizing its importance in Nissan's digital resilience building efforts.

Improved Supply Chain Transparency with Digital Tools, as Discussed by Gerardo de la Torre from Nissan and the Red Sofa Interview