FORCE Program

FORCE Program

Healthy capacities

Measures in focus of the fourth FORCE Program action field

Our goal: 

Through Efficiency and flexibility towards globalisation

Our path: 

Simply Clever absolutistův

Our motivation: 

Changing mindset to secure the future

he Capacities action field implementation team from the Production and Logistics department is gradually implementing projects chosen in previous years. Whereas last year the team focused purely on modifying the e-vehicles production equipment at the M12 Welding Plant, the M18 Paint Shop and the M13 assembly line, this year’s goal is to increase the M12 Welding Plant’s daily capacity, which will boost production of the OCTAVIA. Its role is also to regularly prepare documents for the Board’s decisions on planned capacity measures to respond flexibly and timely to changes in the markets, EU legislative requirements, etc.

Last year, the carmaker’s management approved an overall increase in daily production capacity in order to make the OCTAVIA and ENYAQ. At the same time, the F4 implementation team is planning to improve the so-called inter-model flexibility produced on one line, which would give more flexibility to decisions in the Production and Logistics area on whether to produce more OCTAVIAs and fewer ENYAQs, or vice versa. “Thanks to this, we can flexibly maximise the production of models that our customers want the most at a given moment and, conversely, downscale the production of cars that are not in such high demand at the time”, says Michal Kobzák from PPS – Brand Planning Management. This allows the carmaker to better respond to fluctuations in demand, stricter legislation regarding CO2 emissions, changes in customer preferences (e.g. the phasing out of diesel engines, an increase in preferences in the SUV segment, liftback vs. station wagon decisions) etc. RED

How to plan ‘healthy’ capacities

The introduction of optimised exchange regimes

By increasing manufacturing line flexibility, the carmaker integrates its models into other production sites at ŠKODA AUTO plants

Promoting globalization and diversity

The recruitment of foreign experts is still important for the carmaker

he approach to fulfilling this year’s activities from the seventh FORCE Program action field was influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic suspended the exchange of talents and managers from abroad, prevented the recruitment of trainees and halted the Power to India project. The carmaker expects the situation to stabilise in the second half of the year and the activities of the Regionalisation action field to gain new momentum.

Despite the difficulties in the first quarter, the carmaker intends to focus on recruiting foreign experts, as well as trainees and interns, from among the current crop of students at universities where ŠKODA AUTO experts are giving lectures. The aim is to assemble international teams that will transform the Czech carmaker into a global company. The carmaker had this in mind regarding the programmes for the stays of Indian workers, who are gaining experience with manufacturing processes at Mladá Boleslav departments in Production and Logistics to then implement them in their operations. The carmaker had expected the INDIA 2.0 project to run smoothly, but its plans were thwarted by the lockdowns on both continents.

Globally, however, the action field builds on the VW Group’s efforts and promotes gender diversity (equal opportunity for women and men – ed.) by monitoring the success of trainees in passing the exams required to become a manager. In this respect, the Role Model Program plays a major role, thanks to which leaders and coordinators not only consolidate the corporate culture values but also have an idea of international cooperation qualities. While participating in the Innovation Breakfast, Shadowing or Blind Lunch, they can share their experiences on their business trips to Czech and foreign plants. RED

Did you know that ...

... ŠKODA AUTO took over responsibility for the Indian region last year? Together with other markets (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, South Africa, Mexico and Brazil) with which various departments from the Production and Logistics area are closely collaborating, it is transforming into a global company. The seventh FORCE Program action field, Regionalisation, focuses on these steps in production.