BMW engage Honeywell to improve supply chain

BMW engage Honeywell to improve supply chain

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BMW has decided to use Honeywell’s quantum computing solution to purchase parts and components at the best possible time in the company’s drive to strengthen the efficiency of its supply chain using new calculation methods.

For automotive manufacturers, managing the logistics network and the supply chain is essential. Indeed, even a small disturbance in the supply chain can result in huge expenses and losses for companies. BMW is therefore banking on the use of quantum computers to identify the best times to acquire the components essential for the manufacture of its vehicles.

BMW have therefore approached Entropica Labs and Honeywell to develop a solution to its supply chain issues. Various machines will be tested by BMW, including the System Model H1 which was developed by Honeywell. The simulations required by BMW are, in fact, very cumbersome to calculate from traditional computer architectures. The German manufacturer currently relies on quantum computers to determine precisely which components should be purchased by a supplier at a given point in time in order to purchase the components at the lowest possible cost and to thus avoid causing disruption in the supply chain.

Quantum computers are predicted to have capabilities beyond those of traditional computers in determining the best course of action among a multitude of possibilities. This first case of using quantum computers in the supply chain is somewhat of a baptism of fire since it features technology and situations where the identification of direct inputs for manufacturers can often be complex.