Here's how you can enhance automotive manufacturing through continuous learning.

One thing I have found useful is to embrace the new technology!!! Because if we do not stay current and in tune with the new technologies! We could easily find ourselves left behind and outdated!!!

Drop the uaw. They have killed the majority of the vehicle manufacturers in my home town, and most likely everywhere else. Unions had their place when people were working on steel beams 10 stories up, now they are just the catch net for the lowest common denominator... I know it sounds harsh, but that is the reality I've seen in my lifetime.

One thing that should be happening in manufacturing is more technical training and laptops and tablets across the plant floor. That improves speed, eliminates paper, makes it easier to upload updated process documents and boosts moral. Employees that feel good about themselves free up creativity and innovation.

The contributions made by others are not only good but necessary. Bottom line to maximizing the benefits of embracing technology along with continuous learning, all stakeholders need to be involved in a measured and effective manner for each phase of the project and or program. It has to be clear how each set of stakeholders can add value to drive success or limit/diminish projects benefits through passive resistive acceptance to project initiatives and innovations.

In essence, standardization acts as a foundational pillar for developing robust automation practices and supporting iterative development cycles. It promotes consistency, interoperability, scalability, and efficiency, enabling teams to build, test, iterate, and deploy automation solutions more effectively while maintaining high quality and alignment with business goals.

In general, Lean tools can enhance productivity in any sort of manufacturing including Automotive Manufacturing, that’s why it is important to have a significant procedure so that these can be learnt and deployed by the persons that matter i.e the persons on the actual manufacturing floor. It is good to see that many companies are directing their resources towards this thinking and we are able to see a lot of Gamba walks and other cross-functional trainings w.r.t Lean methodology.

Have a wide Lean trainings offer, with continuous new features, is the best way to develop the Lean culture and competence, resulting in more efficient organisations.

Continuous learning in quality control is also in flux as technology changes. As a past auditor for ISO, I found that in auditing you get a chance to hear from the worker to management, what they have for issues good and bad. I also learned about the processes as explain from multi views at multi levels. For anyone in quality control this illustrates what a large part of problem solving your job comprises and the scope of accomplishment you face

Training is inclusion. How many times have I heard reports from collaborators who could have contributed but were not heard. Classroom training is necessary and on-the-job training is equally necessary. Training is engagement. It's a way of keeping people together. It's about creating bonds. Think about it. Success !!!

Safety is always paramount. But of course it’s a tough sell, it’s easy to talk the talk but a whole different thing to walk the walk. When leading or facilitating a 4E event I always emphasize that we are using the same techniques used for efficiency improvements but for improvements in safety. Take for example a spaghetti diagram, instead of reducing footsteps for process flow, it’s used to optimize ergonomics through less footsteps. It’s a much easier sell when improved safety brings boosts in production. Want increased efficiency, higher quality and boosted productivity- invest in your safety programs. Keeping people in top form keeps your business in top form.

I believe the automotive industry is becoming more of a comodity every single day. Everyone can produce cars and trucks with a significant level of efficiency, quality and lower cost. But there is more factors in this process; Toyota for example has one of the most efficient manufacturing processes around but is struggling a bit on producing cars that are “fun” So I consider two factors critical in the future of automotive industry; a) Understanding better what customers need and want b) Achieving standardization levels for car components that are not from the same brand. Currently we can use same tires, batteries and lubricants. Think about standardization for more components that are standard and can continue to reduce car’s cost.