Professional Documents
Culture Documents
*Please also refer to the Ford Fact Sheet on the BM Website for information about their
various manufacturing processes used at the Broadmeadows plant.
Facilities Design & Layout
- Ford uses a product layout for its manufacturing operations. The manufacturing facility is
arranged so that equipment and workstations are in line to provide a sequence of specialised
tasks. This means that the assembly line can easily be adapted for the various models of cars
that Ford assembles. ie. Falcon Sedan, XR 6, XR8, station wagon & utility, Ford Territory
(4WD)
- 3 300 employees on site working one 8 hour shift. In Paint Shop, two 8 hour shifts operate
- Broadmeadows Facility is divided into 6 main areas:
1. Body Build
2. Paint Shop
3. Trim Lines
4. Final Line
5. Pre Delivery Area
6. Shipping
Applying 5 principles of Facilties Design & Layout to Ford ( PVASL )
Product
- Product definition for each Ford Model. There is precise documentation for all
the desirable features for each model. ie power steering, disk brakes, airbags,
DVD, LPG or Petrol Tanks etc.
- New Ford Models released to appeal to youth market ie. Ford Barra, XT, 4WD
Volume
Activities - Exact specifications needed for each model are determined and included in the
Master Production Schedule (MPS).
- Efficient & lean manufacturing through design of an assembly line to achieve
maximum efficiency. ie. doors removed chassis when in paint shop and then
refitted after to improve paint job on car
- Sequence Modelling where assembly line is organised according to customer
needs. ie. model, colour varies from one car to the next.
Space
- Total Floor Space 133 000 square meters for Body Build, Trim lines & Final
Lines on a total site of 162 hectares
- 55 hectare site next to Ford in Broadmeadows as Business Park for Ford
Suppliers
Layout
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Materials Management
- Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) used which is a computer based system which
calculates the necessary supplies, volumes and specifications required for production.
- Just In Time (JIT) method of Inventory control used for supplies. Ford hold only 3
hours of stock on the lines at any one time. This relies on a very tight supply system where
suppliers must meet Fords JIT requirements on a daily basis.
- B2B (business to business) electronic commerce used where Ford utilises electronic data
interchange for ordering of supplies with all their major suppliers.
- 42 forklift trucks carry pallets of stock to work stations
- Close contact with major suppliers located next to Ford Site in Business Park
Management of Quality
- TQM used to emphasise continuous improvement in all production tasks.
- A customer driven operation in which new models are designed according to market forces
- Staff empowerment is strongly emphasised. Natural Work Groups (NWGs) meet for 30 to
45 minutes once a week to discuss a range of work issues ie. Safety, Quality, Delivery,
Customer needs, Morale, their Environment.
- For specific checks carried out on the vehicle see Ford Fact Sheet (Pre-Delivery
Area)
New Technology
- 120 robots used in assembly ($120 000 installation cost each). These robots are preprogrammed to perform specific tasks ie. welding roof, back panels, header panels to main
body of car. These robots perform 80% of spot welding requirements.
- It takes approximately one minute per station to complete each production task.
Ie. fitting the engine into the car. ( 2 minutes for each test in Quality Control )
- Computer Aided Design (CAD) used in the design of new models. Future models now
being planned for the next 5 years.
- Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) used at Ford where computers have assisted in the
design of the assembly process and are used to control the flow and sequencing of
production.
- Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) is utilised where Ford has programmed computers
to instruct robots and other machinery to carry out different production tasks according to
the various models which pass by that work station.
- Bar Code system used to fix faulty cars on the production line. This is identified through
CAM.
- The whole assembly facility at Broadmeadows utilises Computer Integrated
Manaufacturing (CIM) that coordinates the various other technologies mentioned into
one integrated system.
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Case Studies Pcubed has provided me with the confidence that I am only investing in
activities that are aligned with a common strategy and investment is focused exactly where it
is needed... Bradley Yorke-Biggs Aston Martin About Pcubed Services Industries Client
Successes Careers Contact Us Ford Operational Efficiency Improving Operational
Efficiency through Standardized Executive Governance The Client Ford of Europe, with its
headquarters in Cologne, Germany, is the European division of the Ford Motor Company.
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation and the world's third largest
automaker based on worldwide vehicle sales. The Core Quality office manages several
projects and programs of work such as 6-Sigma Deployment (Process Improvement and
Problem Resolution), Global Quality Improvement Process (GQIP), High Time in Service
(HTIS), and the Executive Governance program. The Quality Office is also responsible for
all Quality Training, Quality Strategy and Communication. The Challenge The preparation
for key quality meetings at European and Global level was becoming inefficient and
increasing the risk of inconsistencies in reporting and information flow. Other key challenges
included: Reporting Integrity- The achievement and subsequent reporting of key quality
metrics is essential for the continuous improvement of Ford Quality but confidence in the
integrity, timeliness and accuracy of the reported data were impacting effective decision
making at the Senior Executive level within the company. Efficiency- Many of the existing
processes required duplicated reporting of the same data into several different forums and a
large amount of manual work to produce or collate the data. Accountability- At Senior
Management meetings the decisions made and assignments set were often not accurately
captured and were therefore not adequately communicated, completed and tracked.
Communications- The operations for reporting Quality progress, strategy and objectives was
fragmented with no holistic overview for communicating to the Executive management and
internal quality organization. Scope- The existing reporting of Quality data omitted sections
of the organization that were impacting the key quality metrics used at an Executive
Management level. The Pcubed Solution Identify- The first step was to assess quickly the
current status or health of the existing Executive Governance Program using a Program
Diagnostic tool. This helped to identify the root causes of program concerns by working
collaboratively with the client and their organization to obtain a comprehensive vision of the
challenges facing the program and the capability of the existing organization to meet these
challenges. Define- The results of this diagnostic assessment enabled Pcubed to assess which
of the collection of best practices combined in our Program Delivery Kit would best support
the delivery of the Executive Governance Program objectives. The tools, documents and
process templates for Program Management that could best be applied to treat the client's
key challenges were considered in synergy with those existing processes in the client
organization to define the Delivery solution. Disciplined Delivery- With the Program scope
set and the approach defined, the Process Solutions were implemented to establish a
foundation for long-term sustainable delivery, providing the client's organization with the
ability to more effectively deliver programs and projects and their accompanying business
change required to achieve organizational strategies PMO Setup- A Program Management
Office (PMO) capability was implemented in the client's organization; centralizing the
Pcubed solution with a dedicated resource in the FOE Core Quality office to provide
visibility and insight into critical business programs, enabling effective decisions and
control. This single point of contact for reporting enabled the development of a holistic
outlook across the organization and the development of a hub for a robust network to
minimize reporting duplication, inefficiency or loss of integrity. PMO Delivery- Program
Planning and Control - 3 month Plans and Forecasts were set to increase efficiency of
reporting and minimize the impact of surprises. Program Risk Management and Issue
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Six Sigma Helps Drive Ford Motor Companys Supply Chain Management
By University Alliance
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As one of the worlds leading automobile manufacturers, Ford Motor Company reported
nearly 5.7 million vehicle sales globally in 2011, including a 16.5% market share in the
United States. Helping to drive the company forward is a massive network of suppliers
stretching across the globe.
According to Fords 2011-12 Sustainability Report, its automotive supply chain includes
130,000 types of parts, 4,400 manufacturing sites and 1 million people in more than 60
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countries. The breadth, depth and interconnectedness of the automotive supply chain make
it challenging to effectively manage business and sustainability issues, the company states.
As part of its efforts to create a lean supply chain, Ford utilized Six Sigma processes by
teaming with Penske Logistics to streamline and improve supply chain operations. There
were three main goals to the initiative, according to Penskes website:
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In bestowing the award, the European Logistics Association noted that the Ford-Penske
initiative led to a reduction in the number of miles logged by trucks annually, which cut the
emission of harmful greenhouse gases.
Ford continues to place a premium on strengthening and streamlining its supply chain. As
the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker notes in its Sustainability Report, Ford and its
suppliers must work jointly to deliver great products, have a strong business and make a
better future.
http://www.usanfranonline.com/resources/supply-chain-management/six-sigma-helps-driveford-motor-companys-supply-chain-management/
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