The differences in the supply chains show that the
automotive industry has achieved higher adaptability,
while the semiconductor industry is rather inflexible and
therefore requires stable planning figures and long
planning horizons. However, the planning data provided
by the automotive industry do neither cover a sufficient
planning horizon nor are free of the impact of short-term
fluctuations. This is why currently high stock levels of
automotive components need to be maintained inside the
supply chain. Under normal market conditions, these
stock levels cause high inventory costs and can also lead
to obsolete products. The past three years have shown
that even high inventory levels cannot mitigate
substantial market fluctuations. Differing manufacturing
lead times of both industries have led in a fast growing
market to underproduction and thus to supply shortages
[20]. All this calls for a systematic improvement of
capacity planning between the supply chain partners