FORCE Program

FORCE Program

Flawless assembly 

Simple and transparent car production without mistakes or unnecessary checks

OUR GOAL:

TROUGH EFFICIENCY TOWARDS FLEXIBILITY FOR GLOBALISATION 

OUR WAY:

SIMPLY CLEVER SOLUTIONS 

OUR MOTIVATION: 

CHANGING MINDSET TO SECURE THE FUTURE 

he second action field of the FORCE Program – Customer-oriented Quality – mainly focuses on production processes and the goal of eliminating repeated checks during car production. 

“This year, we’ve concentrated on checking pressed parts in press shops and on the process standardisation of final assembly in the MB and Kvasiny plants. In addition, we are engaged in the early stages of car development and construction”, says Josef Ditrich from PFS-K/1 – Series planning – Press Shop. The implementation team aims to influence the design so that the car’s final form is assembled simply and transparently (the so-called Design for Manufacturing). In the Press Shop, for example, they have saved 15.5 percent of non-production checks by gradually modifying tools and fundamentally changing the checking method, which means there is currently no 100-percent finish on any pressing. The Clever Finish project is being carried out in sections of the final assembly. They simplify and straighten production flows, increase the percentage of flawlessly produced cars and create the potential to reduce the number of checks. The essence of the project is that the checking and releasing of produced units take place at specific points. For example, employees at Checkpoint KB7 specialise in the exterior and engineering fit, employees at Checkpoint KB8A in the interior and surface, and KB8 releases finished cars. Another significant change is the introduction of a fast “direct” line and a slow remanufacturing line KB8 in the final assembly section of MB II, which is used for the production of the SCALA, KAMIQ and FABIA models. “We’re currently preparing and testing the project. We want to deploy it in early 2021”, Ditrich adds. ED

Watch the first sample of the video entitled ‘Gardener’.

Tough guys against errors

The non-traditional video campaign launched in late August draws attention to conscious missteps during production. Anyone can make mistakes, and when that happens, the mistake needs to be reported. This is exactly what the video campaign, launched by the PF1 – Car Production MB I department, motivates employees of Production and Logistics, specifically Assembly Hall M13, to do. It is in this section of production that the currently sold ENYAQ iV, OCTAVIA and KAROQ models are developed. The videos respond to the principles of the FORCE Program’s second action field – Customer-oriented Quality – in order not to check the quality but produce it straight away. As it primarily concerns the actual assembly, where employees play a role in whether the final product is made correctly, accurately and with high quality, the campaign focuses on that section. Foremen will initiate all team interviews in the coming months with the four prepared videos. They want to use them to motivate employees to report any mistakes that have been made and convince them there is no reason to be ashamed or even worried. Together, they will discuss why the errors occur and find out what might help eliminate them so that potential errors are not detected only during the final checks. The videos use funny exaggerations to present situations in which workers make mistakes, and they will run on screens in production departments on shop floors, even during breaks. ED

Looking for suggestions every day

Analyses of production activities take place at ŠKODA AUTO all the time

The third action field aims to increase added value. First of all, it focuses on detailed breakdowns of times that indicate potential in productivity or on activities that do not increase the value of the product (car); the customer does not pay for them. One of the more important tools is also the analysis monitoring the complexity and installation rate of various equipment levels. The implementation team, which includes specialists from the PFS-P – Programme Management and PPF – Vehicle Production Planning departments, groups the manufactured cars into batches according to their trim level and manages the order of their production accordingly. The team plans the orders so that the carmaker can prevent time and labour being wasted. For example, customers can order the Doorprotektor extra equipment for their KODIAQs, which are produced on two assembly lines at the Kvasiny plant. Its selection concerned about 15 percent of the KODIAQ cars produced, and waste was evident in both assembly lines (staffing, material logistics etc.). The new measure meant that the PFS-P department set up the production programme so that the equipment was directed to only one of the assembly lines. 

The implementation team has also been monitoring Value Add on all lines within the PK – Component Production department. “Thanks to the possible cooperation within the Group, we have organised several workshops with our colleagues from the VW plant in Kassel to improve added value, and we are gradually succeeding in making it happen with the support of other departments of Component Production”, says Roman Vinš from PSI/3 – IE Car Production MB – Paint Shop, Montage. All measures are registered, verified and implemented by the car company only after being approved at the KVP (Kontinuierlicher Verbesserungsprozess in German or Continuous Improvement Process) workshops. The purpose of all this is to maximise productivity and increase the value-added ratio of produced cars. While this ratio increased from 43 to 46.2 percent last year, it should reach 49 percent this year. ED

Do you want to contribute with a suggestion or an idea to increase added value? Apply either through eZEBRA or by presenting your suggestion to your superiors during team interviews.