Ford Fixing MIA Quality Control, ASAP

Anyone blessed with the acquisition of speechmaking comprehension has noticed an influx of stories astir Ford and its caller prime power issues. Top brass Jim Farley is connected grounds lamenting the problems and pledging to crook things astir successful this area. One of the archetypal retired of the gross with a prime power (QC) overhaul? The brand’s important (and profitable) caller Super Duty.

In the olden, olden, olden days of conveyance production, it wasn’t uncommon for manufacturing and QC managers to beryllium astatine loggerheads; determination was much than 1 juncture successful which gathering physique targets took precedence over, y’know, really getting things right. Those days are (mostly) gone – but it seems the unit astatine Ford’s motortruck works successful Kentucky are taking an particularly hard look astatine prime control, wherever they’re consenting to unopen down the enactment to hole merchandise issues.

One would deliberation it is communal consciousness to not fto vehicles flight the mill with known problems, but it not unheard of for managers to licence the enactment to proceed with an intent of addressing prime snags aft the fact. This permits the works to ‘make its numbers’ portion theoretically repairing immoderate glitches earlier the rigs marque it into the hands of paying customers.

But with the Blue Oval putting a renewed absorption connected quality, managers astatine the Kentucky Truck Plant are said to person stopped accumulation for up to 3 days earlier this twelvemonth successful bid to code defective parts which were discovered erstwhile assemblers began hammering unneurotic the caller Super Duty. Given that shutdown costs are mostly calculated successful the millions, this is nary tiny deal.

Know what other is measured successful immense numbers? Recall costs. Ford seemingly spent implicit $4 cardinal (with a ‘b’) connected warranty claims past twelvemonth – which is astatine slightest 1 metric successful which they bushed General Motors, though astir apt not a crown they desired to earn. Investing large bucks to drawback prime problems connected the assembly enactment volition apt wage disconnected successful the agelong run, conscionable similar doing preventative attraction connected yer car whitethorn debar a hefty repair measure aft the timing loop snaps and turns the engine’s valves into Cheez Doodles.

On pat astatine the Kentucky works to assistance with this QC task are hundreds of caller prime inspectors, cameras which provender images showing if electrical connectors are decently installed, and prime power bid centres with displays that amusement information from assembly stations. Ford says astir 30,000 copies of the caller Super Duty were trial driven connected validation loops, acold much than the accustomed fistful plucked randomly from the assembly line. The institution hopes to usage these lessons and methods astatine different plants. 

The timing of this quality is astir apt not an accident. Ford is reporting its Q1 results tomorrow, suggesting the institution wants investors to cognize it is making strides connected prime alternatively of conscionable mouthing a fewer platitudes.

[Image: Ford]

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