Technology Imperatives to Address Product Quality

This clearly seems to be a season of re-calls for the global auto industry.  What with Toyota being saddled with gas pedal and regenerative brake woes, and its competitor from back home battling air bag issues, the situation does look grim. The seriousness of these recalls cannot be underplayed even for a moment, as they wreck havoc with the company’s image and balance sheets, not to mention the strong regulatory gaze that is brought to focus on the organization.

Given the nature of these events companies will start evaluating their manufacturing and service processes to ensure minimization of incidents like the ones mentioned above.  Already it is being heard that companies would begin redoubling their efforts in the realms of testing, quality management and service management. But given the economic climate we live in, will these measures prove to be the proverbial straw that breaks the back of the automobile industry?

We believe that organizations will need to adopt better technology solutions to improve product quality and service, and make significant commitments in the following areas:

Test Data Management – Testing processes would become more rigorous and as a result, more expensive, long drawn and would generate a lot more data than current standards. Auto industry players would need to gravitate towards mature test data solutions that are well connected with the CAE as well as PLM solutions deployed in the organization. These solutions will allow for detailed analysis and substantial reduction in time spent on regulatory compliance.

Quality Compliance – Clearly the focus now, organizations will need to develop an ‘end to end’ system approach. Till now manufacturers have deployed point applications responsible for particular processes or functions (such as SQC and SPC charts). There is a need for evolution of systems that will facilitate the compliance workflow and integration of point applications. As an example we will see the adoption of applications that ensure proper documentation for ISO compliance. Another example could be applications that facilitate and track six sigma initiatives used for reducing process variability.

On Board Diagnostics Systems – Modern automobiles contain extensive electronic components that control and track various parameters during the running of a vehicle. In the new reality, auto firms will need to improve the data collection and data interpretation routines. Hence, at an automobile level, an increasing number of parameters will be tracked, and as an organization, auto firms will evolve processes for centralized collection and analysis of this data.

Automobile eCall – The European Union is spearheading an initiative that ensures automobiles involved in a major accident automatically transmit their exact location to the emergency services. It is believed that this timely information will go a long way in reducing the fatal effects of accidents. The primary impediments to the roll out of this initiative are the number of stakeholders involved, which include the car manufacturers, mobile service providers as well as the emergency services. But it is hoped the European Union’s concerted drive will see this initiative through. A successful roll out will provide incentive for other markets (and therefore car manufacturers) to follow suit.

Warranty Management and Service Management Systems – Warranty claims, service requests and complaints are the key voices of the customer. These allow internal departments of a company to derive critical information to improve product quality, identify customer dissatisfaction, and evaluate supply chain partners and dealers. Effective analytics on such inputs almost always provide a strong early warning that can be acted upon.

To cut a long story short, these technologies certainly can help drive increasing compliance, product quality and ultimately, improved customer satisfaction.

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