05/2020

ŠKODA Mobil – newsletter, <br>May 2020.

• Title

• Flight through the škoda world

  flight through the škoda world

  AROUND THE WORLD

  TOTAL DELIVERIES OF ŠKODA CARS IN SELECTED REGIONS FROM JANUARY TO MARCH 2020 PLUS COMPARISON WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 2019

  PANDEMIC CAUSED A DROP IN MOST MARKETS

  This year’s first-quarter results were severely affected by the economic impact of the coronavirus, which struck most world markets. The number of cars delivered compared with the same period last year dropped by about one-quarter to 232,900 units. However, the operating result remains solid, reaching EUR 307 million, as did the total revenue of the ŠKODA AUTO Group (a decrease of 1.4% to EUR 4.85 billion). The carmaker believes that, after another expected decline, the third quarter will see a gradual recovery that could lead to a return to last year’s level by the end of the year.

  ŠKODA HAD MORE THAN 4,000 NEW CARS IN STOCK AND AVAILABLE ON THE CZECH MARKET AT THE TIME THE MEASURES WERE RELAXED

  BENEFIT-LOADED RESTART

  When the government measures were relaxed, ŠKODA AUTO ČR launched an extensive sales support scheme called Restart. Thanks to the bonus for trading in a car via a counter-account, interest-free financing with compulsory liability insurance for CZK 125 and an improved Mobilita Plus offer or a payment protection insurance, the customer can take advantage of a concession up to CZK 217,600 for the third-generation OCTAVIA model. The special offer focuses on the most popular cars among private customers; further bonuses will be available for certified used ŠKODA Plus cars.

  models
  

  THE NEW ENYAQ

  The launch of the first series-produced ŠKODA car made on the Group’s modular electric vehicles platform (MEB) is fast approaching. Customers can now view the first images of the masked ENYAQ iV and assess the available drive options. The carmaker’s offer will include the purely electric SUV with three different battery capacities and five power levels. This e-car is the ŠKODA brand’s first rear-wheel drive model in a long time. It will be produced in Mladá Boleslav and become the only EB platform model in the entire Group to be made outside Germany.

  500
  

  KILOMETRES IS THE DISTANCE AN ENYAQ IS ABLE TO COVER, ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY FIGURES, WHEN EQUIPPED WITH THE LARGEST BATTERY

  HOW WE ARE PERCEIVED

  
  

  CARADVICE.COM.AU (26 APRIL 2020)

  ŠKODA OCTAVIA 2.0 TDI 110 kW

  powerful diesel engine

  spacious and versatile 

  connectivity options

  interior design quality

  safe driving but lacking verve

  automatic transmission could run more smoothly

  Evaluation result 

  8.1/10

  News from the Group

  
  

  A MASSIVE CAMPAIGN HAS STARTED

  The Czech carmaker is launching an extensive campaign on the Chinese market, which also faced a coronavirus pandemic-related outage. The new price list will be another sales support measure. The current campaign includes a reminder of the ŠKODA brand’s rich history, as well as the special anniversary of the carmaker’s founding. For example, customers will get to know 125 reasons why they should buy a car by this Czech brand. Direct communication with customers will be intensified with online marketing methods, including live broadcasting. The brand will also focus on the young generation by emphasising emotion and creativity.

  AWARDS FOR THE ID.3

  The Volkswagen ID.3 e-car model scored at the beginning of May in the independent Automotive Brand Contest 2020, an international industrial design competition. The jury awarded the model the “best of the best” award in the exterior and interior design categories. The German brand received further recognition for the new generation of the Golf car and the ID. SPACE VIZZION concept.

  CONSTRUCTION
  

  PREPARING FOR E-MOBILITY

  On Tuesday, 5 May, the carmaker launched its new e-mobility technology centre (eTechnology Centre or eTC – ed.), built by the Component Production (PK) department. It has training rooms to increase the qualifications of existing employees and to train rookies. The key parts of the eTC include a detailed analysis workplace for battery systems and a quality testing workbench for manufactured batteries and e-cars. Among other things, we can simulate temperature conditions on the Equator and in the Arctic here.

  SERVICES
  

  SO THAT CUSTOMERS 

  ARE NOT AFRAID

  The new After Sales Marketing department’s communication campaign is responding to life in the wake of the coronavirus. It informs customers about measures to ensure maximum safety and smooth servicing. It also highlights the option of ordering work online or comfortably over the phone from your home, as well as having your car delivered. At the same time, the workshops emphasise customer safety and the thorough disinfection of surfaces inside the car.

  AT THE ŠKODA MOBIL EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT, WE CARE ABOUT

  PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH AND COMPLIED WITH THE MAXIMUM SECURITY MEASURES, INCLUDING COVERING THE AIRWAYS, DURING THE PHOTO SHOOTS AS WELL. THE IMAGES IN THIS ISSUE CONTAINING PEOPLE WITHOUT FACE MASKS WERE SHOT BEFORE THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19

  DISEASE AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RELATED MEASURES BY THE GOVERNMENT.

• Coronavirus

  coronavirus

  ANTI-COVID-19 MEASURES
  

  The carmaker will relax the rules as soon as possible

  e have managed to keep the number of coronavirus infections at ŠKODA AUTO to just a few individuals. However, it is necessary to observe all the health and hygiene rules. As soon as it is possible to relax the rules, the carmaker will move to the phase 2 in agreement with the KOVO Unions. The measures are available on the ŠKODA Space portal. Further information is provided on the Vimeo channel, in the weekly Týdeník paper and leaflets, on bulletin boards and also by executives and foremen.

  Do not remove face masks

  From 25 May, the government has allowed people to move about outdoors without protective equipment for airways, but this obligation still applies to all the carmaker’s indoor and outdoor areas (exceptions are only possible at sites with significant heat radiation). Keeping the measure in place greatly contributes to preventing any further spread of the coronavirus.

  Website with information on the phase 2 safety measures

  Free tests

  The carmaker gives all employees the option to be tested. Samples are taken in the health centres at the factories. It is a blood test that indicates the presence of antibodies, not the virus itself. You can use the new reservation system developed as part of the SVP project (ŠKODA Verbesserungsprozess) in order to be tested at the ŠKODA Health Centre (Poliklinika) in Mladá Boleslav. Here, samples are taken daily from noon to 4 p.m.

  Reservation system for free testing

  
  

  Fight against coronavirus in numbers

  20,000

  ANTI-COVID PACKAGES WITH 50 FACE MASKS AND BOTTLES WITH DISINFECTANT (30 ML AND 250 ML) WERE HANDED OUT TO EMPLOYEES BEFORE PRODUCTION RESUMED AND DURING THE FIRST WEEK

  80,000

  30 ML–DISINFECTANT PACKAGES WERE DISTRIBUTED BY THE CAR MANUFACTURER BEFORE PRODUCTION RESUMED AND DURING THE FIRST EIGHT DAYS; THERE WERE ALSO 40,000 250 ML–BOTTLES

  3,000

  LITRES ARE THE WEEKLY AMOUNT OF ANTI-VIRUS DISINFECTANT MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE HYGIENIC CLEANING OF SURFACES

  5,000,000

  DISINFECTANT NAPKINS FOR OUR STAFF DURING PHASE 1

  70,000 

  LITRES OF HAND DISINFECTANT WERE PROVIDED BY THE CAR MANUFACTURER FOR PHASE 1 OF MEASURES

  2,000

  DISINFECTANT STANDS ON ŠKODA AUTO PREMISES

  3,000

  disinfectant sprays TO CLEAN TOOL PRODUCTS WERE DISTRIBUTED BEFORE PRODUCTION RESUMED 

  1.4

  MILLION FACE MASKS WERE HANDED OUT BY THE CARMAKER DURING THE OUTAGE AND IN THE FIRST EIGHT DAYS AFTER PRODUCTION RESUMED

• Ideas during the outage

  ideas during the outage

  Early bird catches the worm

  During the shutdown, ŠKODA AUTO generated a variety of ideas that are still helping

  n the current coronavirus-affected state of the economy, only a few things are still working exactly as they did before. At ŠKODA AUTO, we have come up with various tweaks to deal with the situation, help each other and make it easier for suppliers and dealers. Here we discuss some of them.

  Using a protected workplace

  Employees are obliged to wear face masks, and the carmaker is encouraging the use of disinfectants, which need to be provided for and distributed at all sites. Employees from the CKD Centre Protected Profile Workplace have been tasked with picking and distributing protective equipment; they also pour the disinfectant from industrial packages into the dispensers.

  The extraordinary situation has shown that we can solve anything together.It has brought together individual teams and improved cooperation with customers and suppliers.

  
  

  Unconventional supplier

  There is a very unusual story behind the provision of the disinfection stands. The Borovka Event company, which usually specialises in organising events and company presentations, has supplied them to meet ŠKODA AUTO’s needs during this time. “All the standard suppliers had nothing in stock in mid-March”, says Jiří Lang from BAD – Purchasing Services and Logistics. Thus, the idea was born: “We figured that if our agencies are capable of organising a monthly event abroad for 8,000 people and have many contacts, they might find a solution to this situation”, he explains. ŠKODA AUTO approached them and chose from among several offers.

  Simply Clever door opening

  Not only disinfection but also as small a thing as a hands-free door opener help to maintain a hygienic environment for the carmaker to operate in. The plastic part allows you to push the handle and also to pull it towards you and open the door with your forearms without touching your hands. In the EGV department, employees had to modify it for several variants of specific door handles and then print it out. Luděk Vokáč

  Chill out and focus 

  The carmaker focused on the difficult situation of dealers and their customers. “We initiated the Recover and Sustain business project, providing worldwide advice regarding what to do in the current situation and what not to forget”, says Jiří Matějíček from the VB – Business Development department. The Road to ŠKODA platform serves the dealers by helping to pass on information that the carmaker normally uses to get to know the products. The Simply Share section, where dealers from all over the world share their best practices, was supplemented by a special “Covid” section. “There was also a video on how to approach the customer at the workshops, and we are now preparing a similar project to describe the new car sales area. Dealers from all around the world can subtitle videos and share them with customers”, says Matějíček. Safety and hygiene measures are a matter of course in our showrooms.

  Professionally and remotely

  The carmaker also promotes home-office work. “We were already working on strengthening the home-office support infrastructure for employees when the situation in China started deteriorating dramatically”, says Luboš Patka from the FIO/1 – IT Terminals department. Thanks to an increase in capacity, thousands of employees can now use home office at the same time. “We can handle up to 25,000 parallel users”, he says, adding that more than 28,000 calls and teleconferences have been taking place daily on the Skype for Business platform.

  Distance education

  Thanks to the digital infrastructure, online education has also strengthened. “In addition to the standard courses that took place online, the #STRONGERTOGETHER – Successful Leadership in Uncertain Times initiative was created”, says Alois Kauer, Head of SE – ŠKODA Academy. It aims to support not only leaders in their current difficult situation with remote team management but also all the employees. Following the current situation, the ŠKODA Academy has prepared a video for employees on how to manage the crisis and related stress, as well as online training for Successful Leadership in Uncertain Times targeted at managers. “We used the user-friendly Zoom platform for such training”, he adds. The ŠKODA Academy is now intensively preparing to expand its offer of online education.

  On stock

  The ŠKODA website’s car configurator also helps our dealers and customers. It includes a Stock Cars function, which, based on a dream car configuration, shows the customer cars matching the selection or very close to it that the carmaker has in stock. “Up to 20 percent of customers on the Czech market are using this service, which is why we’ve decided to expand it to other countries as well”, says Zuzana Filipová from the VCK – Customer Management & Rollout department. She states the function is available on 11 markets, from the Czech Republic to Australia. “We are currently preparing 12 other locations where we can implement the solution”, she adds.

• Interview

  INTERVIEW

  They took care of the restart

  Preparations for the restart of production and to ensure hygiene and employee safety required enormous efforts by several teams. In the “first line” were the PSU and SG departments

  enka Bočková, Head of PSU – Ecology and Occupational Protection, and Jiří Prokop, Head of SG – Health Services and Ergonomics, describe these demanding weeks.

  What happened from the first shutdown decisions until production resumed?

  Lenka: These were a demanding seven weeks; we worked hard for many hours in a row and had to make quick operational decisions. Everything changed from one minute to the next when it turned out that some measures didn’t work. We didn’t have any time to “ponder”. We found a face mask supplier one day, but the next day, we realised that he would be unable to fulfil the delivery, so we promptly had to find another. Everything happened at a time when the Czech plants were no longer running and the government didn’t have protective equipment, even for emergency service members.

  Did this difficult time bring with it any positive surprises?

  Jiří: I was pleasantly surprised by how well the ŠKODA family worked. Before, during (and now, after) the shutdown, everyone has done what was needed. A lot of activities went on very rapidly, and everybody tried to reach a common goal – providing maximum safety for the restart of production. Enthusiasm and the will to solve everything, to do it the Czech way, became all the ŠKODA people’s motto. I saw how quickly some things were executed that would normally have taken more time. I am glad that we are still able to act flexibly and “switch” to a crisis management style.

  What was the biggest surprise?

  Jiří: How the state reacted. It turned out that in an event of a similar scale, it is not able to handle things quickly and flexibly. Companies had to take care of themselves, including providing for protective equipment.

  How were the plants operated during the outage, and who was at work?

  Jiří: Above all, the employees who provided for the decommissioned technologies’ safety, as well as the plant security service, the firefighters, paramedics and others, had to work. We arranged for their presence with the KOVO Trade Union as needed.

  Lenka: Employees who did not have to be on-site also worked intensively. We consulted lawyers on government regulations, and a lot of work was done by the Purchasing area, the Communication department and many others.

  Will you use any of this in the future?

  Jiří: Certainly. We already know that home office is working even in areas that we hadn’t considered before. We also discovered that we have to be careful, even in ordinary situations. And we will make use of all the experience – for example, during the seasonal flu epidemic, when people will no longer be ashamed to wear a face mask.

  What did the situation look like after production resumed? What kept you busy?

  Lenka: We chiefly wanted to move on from crisis management to an ordinary mode, for example, by not having face masks handed out by the PSU department but by them becoming standard warehouse and production items. My main task was to bring back all activities as much as possible to the usual mode. However, we are far from reaching this point; further measures will remain and will gradually be lifted. We don’t know how long this is going to take. Luděk Vokáč

• Resuming of production

  resuming of production
  

  Despite the quarantine

  Thanks to our employees’ commitment, restarting production was a smooth process

  n Monday, 27 April, at six o'clock in the morning, ŠKODA AUTO restarted production at all three of its Czech plants after 39 days of outage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Production resumed without any major problems and with strict safety precautions. The aim is to protect workers and ensure the carmaker is working on a stable basis. “We would like to thank all employees for their patience, understanding and responsible approach to the whole situation”, says Marek Jancák, Head of PF – Car Production. According to him, production resumed smoothly and the carmaker’s employees are continuing to adhere to strict safety measures in order to prevent the coronavirus from spreading at their facilities.
  

  “It is important that we remain cautious and respect the basic rules of conduct that we have followed so responsibly to date. Among other things, to wear face masks, keep distance and not meet in larger groups,” appeals the board to the employees.

  Preparations

  Before restarting production, the carmaker had, in cooperation with the KOVO Trade Union and other specialist departments, formulated more than 80 specific safety and organisational measures. They range from the obligation to wear respiratory protection (face mask) at the workplace to a changed mode at gates and during breaks, as well as random temperature measurements upon arrival at work and the disinfection of exposed areas. Employees are provided the necessary protective equipment, including disinfectants, and encouraged to be vigilant. If possible, the carmaker supports home office. 

  Restarting production

  “The entire restart of production took place gradually according to how individual facilities are interconnected”, Jancák explains. On Monday morning, the welding stations opened in Mladá Boleslav and Kvasiny, where the Paint Shop also restarted operation, as well as gearbox production in Vrchlabí. On the same day in the afternoon, work at the Assembly Shop in Kvasiny and Paint Shop A in Mladá Boleslav started. The assembly lines in Mladá Boleslav, including the production plug-in hybrid models traction batteries, commenced on Tuesday morning. On Wednesday morning, the second Mladá Boleslav Paint Shop started manufacturing.

  Restrictions persist

  “For the time being, the carmaker operates two shifts instead of three”, explains the head of Car Production regarding the current situation. He clarifies that ŠKODA AUTO coordinated the restart of production with key suppliers. “Until now, we’ve managed to work in the usual just-in-time mode”, says Jancák, while confirming that suppliers also had to adapt to the current situation.

  ŠKODA AUTO is regularly informing its employees of preventive measures via leaflets, posters, digital channels and the managers and foremen.
  

  The preventive measures, which are divided into three phases, will continue depending on the way the situation develops. For the time being, however, the first and strictest phase remains in place, providing employees with the highest level of protection. “We will thoroughly inform employees of all changes in the measures; for now, please be patient and responsible and comply with the current regulations”, asks Jancák. Luděk Vokáč

  Steps necessary to restart production

  In addition to securing supply chains, the management of the Production and Logistics area has focused on options to involve commuters.

  In cooperation with the KOVO Trade Union, an extensive concept called “Safe Production” and “Safe Office” was established with more than 80 health organisational and safety measures.

  It is also recommended that people, for example, refrain from shaking hands, wash or disinfect them regularly and not touch their face.

  The carmaker has also re-organised employee transport, the modus operandi at gates and receptions, the canteens’ working mode and attendance records.

  As far as production employees are concerned, a plan to use smaller teams has been established. 

  Before the restart of production, live training was held with more than 750 foremen to familiarise them with the measures and to further instruct their work teams.

  Jan Šimek, logistics specialist

  PF2-I, hala M1, logistika

  During the outage, our manager was regularly informing us of the situation at the plant, and I received important information three days in advance. I returned to work three days before the restart of production to check the robots´ functionality and to ensure a smooth start to activities in our department. Everything worked out. 

  
  

  Lukáš Miler, foreman

  Foreman of PF1-M/121 V – Assembly line MB I

  During the shutdown, my colleagues and I mainly focused on information regarding how and when we would start to produce and then passed on the information to my subordinates. In this respect, the carmaker worked perfectly, and I got to know about everything in time. The foremen started working a few days before production resumed. They had to prepare all protective equipment, ensure a safe working environment for all our colleagues and complete all the training. We were also given attention by the head of Car Production, who provided specific information on how production would resume.

  Taťána Malyš, coordinator

  PFK-M/1 – Assembly line KV ML1 

  Before restarting production, we mainly focused on its date with new safety measures. We also regularly informed our subordinates. This was the first time we worked this way (i.e. remotely), and we have learnt a lot, e.g. Skype conferences proved to be a modern virtual communication means. I returned to work a week before the planned restart. My colleagues and I have been preparing a set of hygiene measures, a new organisation of team spaces etc. for employees to provide for greater distances between individual people. Disinfectants in busy places, including dining areas, team rooms, vending machines and the like, are a matter of course.

  Busy weeks for Internal Communication

  f the 20 communication tools that the carmaker uses to address employees, only a few remained functional during the outage. Just one in three domestic employees owns a business phone or laptop, and ŠKODA AUTO lost its direct path of communication to everyone else. Therefore, the Internal Communication team, in agreement with the S and P departments, focused on three activities.

  Immediately after the shutdown of production, it launched a video channel on the Vimeo platform, where it recorded important announcements and information, as well as answers to frequently asked questions. Each recording ended with a request for employees to share this video channel with their colleagues and other people. Thus, the news spread through word of mouth. After four weeks, this channel had 34,000 unique viewers, which roughly corresponds to the number of ŠKODA AUTO employees in the entire Czech Republic. Furthermore, the department’s employees focused on collecting private telephone numbers so that they could inform everyone via the SMS Infoservis. Almost everyone responded – even commuters from the surrounding countries! Thanks to this, the Internal Communication department could inform them before the restart of production how operations would resume in individual sections, about the securing of collection lines, hygienic measures and other news. As a third communication tool, which proved to be very successful, employees were invited to send questions to the Internal Communication team via e-mail. They received an answer to every question, and some questions were also addressed by the reactions of experts on the mentioned video channel. In addition, based on these questions, the carmaker formed a clear idea of ​​which topics to focus on in further communication and what employees think is important. While the carmaker intends to continue using Vimeo, the SMS Infoservis will only be activated for special announcements. RED

  Follow Internal Communication Vimeo channel

  We haven’t been idle

  It is practically impossible to resume production overnight. What else had to be worked on during the outage?

  Company logistics

  For example, all logistics departments have been working on restarting production and ensuring that the process runs smoothly. Together with the Sales department, these employees decided which orders from the production programme would be secured first, which goods would be shipped etc. Additionally, we constantly monitor the suppliers and customers situation and focus on up-to-date information from critical regions. In cooperation with the PK – Components Production department, these employees have been checking the volumes of some critical parts every day, especially those from risky destinations. Activities related to the management and care of foreign projects continued, with personal meetings replaced by Skype conferences. Pre-series logistics continued uninterruptedly and has been preparing all new pre-series parts to even accelerate following the outage of constructing verification series for new projects.During the outage, the Operational Logistics staff ensured the delivery of shields from 3D printers to medical facilities in the Czech Republic and were among the first to introduce temperature measurements to truck drivers at the 13th gate. “In exceptional situations, we can rely on ourselves in logistics; we are a team, and we all pull together. The willingness to do the maximum for the carmaker is appreciated”, adds the brand’s logistics management.

  Components production

  During the quarantine, they focused on issues caused by the pandemic and government measures during the lockdown. These employees dealt with the situation for commuters and foreign workers, and as part of the production restart, hygienically handling the touch screens and panels and maintaining a safe distance between employees, as well as changes regarding breaks, became the focus. RED

• ŠKODA auto helps

  ŠKODA AUTO HELPS

  A helping hand in difficult times 

  Wide range of activities support people affected by the coronavirus pandemic and are still running at full speed

  310,485

  KILOMETRES IS THE MILEAGE DRIVEN SO FAR BY THE 200 ŠKODA CARS LENT TO ORGANISATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS TO HELP PEOPLE IN NEED

  23,600

  KILOMETRES IS THE TOTAL DISTANCE PARAMEDICS HAVE TRAVELLED ON BERIDER ELECTRIC SCOOTERS, WHICH THEY CAN USE FOR FREE

  16 

  ŠKODA AUTO–AUTHORISED PARTNERS HAVE LENT THEIR VEHICLES FOR FREE

  Mobility 

  According to NGOs and cities, the 200 cars that the carmaker lent to them in March to get food and medical equipment, among others, to at-risk citizens, have been extremely beneficial. “ŠKODA AUTO offered us two cars, which we’ve used to make deliveries on a daily basis. We deliver groceries and medicine to pensioners. One of our volunteers also brought a client to her doctor”, Iveta Tomšová from the Nomia psychological counselling centre described the situation. Read more stories in the articles on this double page.  
  

  Financial injection

  The carmaker supported the surrounding regions with CZK 9 million. The money went to Mnichovo Hradiště, Bakov nad Jizerou, Bělá pod Bezdězem, Benátky nad Jizerou, Vrchlabí, Rychnov nad Kněžnou and, of course, Mladá Boleslav. About CZK 400,000 was invested here to equip public buildings with disinfection stands. Almost CZK 200,000 was given to pensioners and handicapped people, for whom the municipality provided maximum information and prevention. In other cities, purchases for the needy or protective aids were financed with the donation. This money was also used to set up a new information hotline in Mnichovo Hradiště.

  4,000,000

  Czech crowns out of a total of CZK 9 million regional aid goes directly from the carmaker to support the Mladá Boleslav region

  The fleet was provided by the carmaker, several ŠKODA dealers and the Uniqway service via the HoppyGo carsharing platform developed by the ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab innovation centre.

  Dagmar Hoferková

  Volunteer activities coordinator in the ADRA organisation

  We really appreciate the support provided by the HoppyGo technology platform. The cars lent to us were used by our volunteer centres’ coordinators to deliver purchases, food, protective equipment and medicine to pensioners, as well as other isolated people throughout the country. This has made our work more efficient. In addition, we are now more mobile in organising other activities, such as cooperating with hospitals or social service facilities.

  Jan Bureš

  Mayor of Ostrov

  There are people among us helping others without claiming any reward. Vladimír Kříž is one of them. He’s been collecting face masks since the beginning of the crisis from almost 25 seamstresses from Ostrov and the surrounding area. He takes them to be washed and disinfected in Ostrov hospital before distributing them to those who need them most. At first, he’d been doing this not only for free but also while using his own car and refuelling it at his own expense. Thanks to ŠKODA AUTO, he subsequently had the opportunity to use a SUPERB COMBI lent to him by the carmaker. In total, he has delivered over 10,000 face masks.

  Ondřej Lochman

  Mayor of Mnichovo Hradiště  

  Immediately after the state of emergency came into effect, we started distributing face masks, respirators, protective shields and disinfectants to those needing them most: doctors, social workers, police officers, firefighters etc. We also provided face masks and disinfectants to seniors, socially excluded citizens and others. ŠKODA AUTO helped us a lot. It provided a total of CZK 1 million to 22 municipalities in the region, and we were given five ŠKODA cars for six weeks. This significantly simplified logistics and allowed us to make quick decisions. Every evening, we light up the town hall with the national colours as a symbolical way of thanking every helper. 

  Renata Němcová

  Head of Support for Independent Housing at the National Institute for Autism

  We’d been using a car we borrowed for field service every day to transport clients who also needed to spend time walking during this difficult situation because of their handicap (autism spectrum disorder). They didn’t manage to stay home and started to feel very bad, which manifested in them attacking their family members or destroying the equipment in their flat. Thanks to the car, a personal assistant and the client could go to a secluded place for a walk in the woods. Thus, we’ve greatly helped the caregivers and their clients.

  
  

  Police officers save nature

  The carmaker supported the Bělá pod Bezdězem municipal police establishment. It equipped the newly established unit with a CITIGOe iV electric car and two factory eBikes. In the current state of the crisis, ŠKODA AUTO helps even more to further increase the population’s safety in the region. Bohdan Wojnar, Board Member for Human Resources Management, and Michal Kadera, Head of SR – External Relations, handed over the pure mobility means to the municipality’s mayor, Jaroslav Verner. The new car will replace the KAMIQ, which the city had borrowed as part of the #SKODAAUTOhelps programme.

  500,000

  Czech crowns was donated by the carmaker to develop 3D-printed respirators in the laboratories of the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC)

  2,500

  3D-PRINTED FACE MASKS WERE SUPPLIED BY THE CARMAKER TO FRONT-LINE PARAMEDICS, FOR WHICH THE MINISTER OF HEALTH THANKED THE COMPANY PERSONALLY

  150

  VEHICLES CAN BE DISINFECTED WITH FIVE OZONE GENERATORS AT A PRAGUE-BASED PREVENTION STATION

  Outdoor activities for children and seniors

  The ŠKODA AUTO Endowment Fund supported two activities of the Kolem na kole (Ride around on the bike) association, focusing on the oldest and the youngest generations. The “Help Children to Get on their Feet” project encourages eighth-grade pupils at Mladá Boleslav schools not to be driven by their parents but instead to walk (at least part of the way) to school. Preparation at schools has already begun and will continue with their re-opening when measures against the coronavirus spread are alleviated. The organisers are now looking for volunteers for further activities that may start as soon as the current risks vanish. The international “Cycling for All Ages” project is intended to give pensioners, mainly from nursing homes, the option to take a ride around the city or in nature on e-tricycles. Volunteers are expected not only to take these passengers to places where they spent their youth, for example, but also to talk to them during a calm ride. 

  Wanna join this new project and rickshaw-tour with the elderly? 

  You can sign up via e-mail kolemnakole@gmail.com.

  For health professionals in india

  SAVWIPL recently took a number of steps to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic in India. In addition to producing and distributing 15,000 face masks, which we described in the April issue of ŠKODA Mobil, the carmaker provided 10 million Indian rupees to the Sassoon General Hospital in Pune to set up a Covid-19 ward and medicines worth 2 million rupees. The carmaker distributed 35 of thousands of units of hand disinfectant to medical facilities and supported food and ration distribution to people in need. The company has also helped to disinfect police vehicles and played a role in the development of simple automatic breathing equipment and in turning snorkel masks into oxygen masks. SAVWIPL’s employees pitched in by collecting over 11 million rupees to fund 15 full features ventilators and monitors and 4,500 PPE kits to be distributed to hospitals in Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad.  

• INDIA 2.0

  IndiA 2.0

  Help for school and Nature

  The car maker is developing socially beneficial projects in India

  he growing importance of the ŠKODA brand in India also affects its social responsibility. “Last year, we worked really hard in this area,” says Jiří Šesták, Head of Plant Engineering & Central Technical Services ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL) in Pune. The car maker primarily focused on education and environmental issues. “We conduct the CSR activities in three different locations – Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad,” says Šesták’s colleague Helena Kotková of GRI – Management of Region India. Check out the projects that were carried out last year thanks to the help of the company.

  Better education for disabled kids

  In cooperation with a NGO Snehalaya, SAVWIPL realized the reconstruction of a school building for children with special needs. „In addition to fitting the building with air conditioning, we also equipped the facility with IT infrastructure and new furniture,” says Šesták. We also set up a printing press in Snehalaya’s Rehabilitation centre for young adults with cerebral palsy to offer them a means to a sustainable livelihood.

  A school that saves nature

  SAVWIPL also took care of the construction of a district school in Pune. It participated in it from the first designs to the final handover of the finished facility, which also meet strict environmental requirements. “We obtained the highly appreciated GOLD certificate, which corresponds to the LEED standard (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). It’s a proof of low-energy building, with functional ventilation system without using additional energy sources,” says Šesták. 

  Trees and dams keep the water

  Other important projects in the CSR area include tree planting – in 2019, the company planted 5,300 trees in Pune, which makes the total of over 28,000 since ŠKODA started its Indian mission. And let’s not forget the building of several small dams that prevent quick draining of water from the landscape. The rainwater therefore enters the groundwater, which is very important in water conservation efforts. 

  What's next? Technical studies

  This year, SAVWIPL primarily want to focus on sustainable development – we're going to emphasize on tree plantion even more than before, but we also want to introduce good practice in agricultural practices. „As for education, of course we’ll keep supporting primary schools but also higher technical institutions. With this in mind, we're preparing the CSR budget for 2020, to be passed in April. Mainly we’ll keep supporting long-term projects,” says Kotková. Rani Tolimat

  Education is especially important

  Interview with Jiří Šesták of the Planting and Maintenance Planning department of the SAVWIPL plant in Pune on social responsibility projects

  Why are the CSR projects in India important, and what do they focus on?

  India is a country of big social and economic differences, and the CSR projects are really helpful for the locals. For us, it’s not a duty but a tradition. For a long time, SAVWIPL has supported many activities that basically fall into four categories: access to healthcare, education and skill development, environment and road traffic safety. 

  Which one is of special importance to you? 

  Being a part of the development team, I’m personally involved in the second and third category – educational and environmental activities. Most successful projects certainly include the building of Zilla Parishad Primary School in the village of Nighoje, which also obtained the environmental certificate IGBL. We also were in charge of the reconstruction and refurbishment of Snehalaya School for handicapped children. And then there’s tree planting, another important activity. 

  Could you compare the public response for CSR projects in India and other countries? 

  I’ve got personal experience with Afghanistan. CSR projects are received positively in both countries, provided you find the appropriate target community and the project is sustainable. Our Indian activities meet both of these criteria. 

  Based on your experiences, is the CSR work of SKODA different in India to the rest of the world?

  Certainly, each country is specific. In India, the most important areas are those I’ve talked about, especially education. RANI TOLIMAT

• 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. 

• Stimmungsbarometer

  Stimmungsbarometer

  Next stage of survey

  The restrictions resulting from the coronavirus crisis have affected not only the production programmes of Group brands.

  ith regard to the interrupted production, the VW Group has extended the deadlines for discussions on the results of the Stimmungsbarometer survey and the introduction of measures by 31 May this year. You should have them done by now. 

  Implementation stage and measure review

  Likewise, the beginning of the final stage of Implementation and Measure Review has been postponed until 1 June. All the mandatory steps for this year have been met, and the teams are now working to deploy the measures. You have time to complete all the created measures in your teams by the end of this year. In some cases, however, you may find that your team cannot help itself on its own because the topic concerns another department or you need senior support. In such a case, you can flag the measure as Extended or Assistance Requested. This will alert your HR and supervisors to the matter. 

  Regular discussions on measures with supervisors

  On 1 June, along with the last stage, regular discussions on the measures will start with direct supervisors, who will discuss their status and implementation in the department once every eight weeks – all with the purpose of providing support to the teams that need it for their measures and to achieve the maximum possible rate of closed measures. You can update the status of individual measures by adjusting them and adding data for each milestone. Pavel Miffek

  Did you know that ...

  ... over 95 percent of all mandatory discussions of results across ŠKODA AUTO had already taken place by mid-May? At the same time, more than 90 percent of teams had already entered their mandatorily created measures as per the results of the survey.
  

  For more information, use the survey documents on ŠKODA Space

• Tool Shop

  Tool Shop

  Hemming machines for Body Shops 

  on a grand scale New portal milling centre produces larger parts

  Parameters of the new machine

  The machine’s clamping surface measures 5 × 3.5 metres

  The traverse rate reaches 40 metres per minute

  It can accelerate by 3.4 metres per second

  It reaches a maximum of 20,000 revs per minute

  Its capacity is 7,800 hours a year

  n the Tool Shop, the innovation that has already replaced the inadequate FSQ 100 and 125 milling machines is mainly used to produce hemming machine components. These components are used to assemble panel parts: doors, bonnets and boot lids. Hemming produces a firm mechanical connection between the inner structural weldment and the external surface pressing.

  “The previous machines were no longer able to meet the current technological machining standards and could hardly make parts with the quality required”, is how Jan Kamenský, who is in charge of the machinery development in the Tool Shop, describes the situation before the change. The new CNC centre is several times bigger than its predecessors and makes it possible to machine even large parts of hemming machines or parts for the preparation of side panels. “Previously, we managed to make only the parts of side doors. Other larger parts, such as the bonnet or the boot lid, had to be done amid difficulties in external cooperation,” adds Jiří Kejmar from the technical preparation of jig production.

  The new machine enables us to increase productivity by up to 45 percent compared with the previous technology. In terms of money, the benefit is around EUR 250,000 a year. The machine is also a boon to our employees, who can now make a workpiece in one go without having to turn it or move it on the tool bench, which was a very demanding task in the past on both a technical and a physical scale. The machine also has one of the most modern CNC types to improve the comfort of operation and control. The equipment is complemented by several industrial cameras that make it possible to monitor the process directly on the control panel. “This is a crucial investment of the Tool Shop to enable us to maintain and develop our technological know-how in milling. It can help us to supply hemming machines not only to the ŠKODA AUTO body shops but also other sites of the VW Group”, concludes Kamenský. Štěpán Vorlíček

  20

  The number of shifts the machine can handle

  4

  It is operated by four employees (one per shift)

  2,350,000

  The total investment in euros

  250

  It is placed on a foundation (reinforced-concrete cube) of 14 × 10 × 1.8 m. (approx. 250 m3)

• Green Future

  GO TO ZERO VRCHLABÍ

  Podkrkonošský závod docílí CO2 neutrality

  ‘Green’ electricity

  Any electricity purchases in the Czech Republic come from renewable sources.

  Solar energy

  In India, the carmaker is building solar power plants.

  Bioheating

  The ŠKO-ENERGO heating plant has increased the biomass share to 30 percent.

  Consumption reduction

  The energy-saving programme already includes almost 1,000 measures.

  Solar energy

  Solar power plants on the roofs of the plants based in Mladá Boleslav or in India generate up to 37 MWh.

  Transition to biomass 

  Today, 30 percent of the volume burnt by the Mladá Boleslav heating plant comes from biomass (95,000 tonnes of pellets); in the future, this share will increase to 100 percent.

  Ecological energy sources

  We use the gradual biomethane introduction to focus on purchasing energy from renewable sources for our plants.

  n the second half of the decade, the plant in Vrchlabí will become the first to meet the carmaker’s long-term goal of achieving full carbon neutrality. The vast majority of the (originally approximately 45,000 tonnes of) carbon dioxide emissions emitted by the plant every year have already been reduced, mainly by purchasing electricity from renewable sources. Consequently, the current plan is to focus on the remaining roughly 3,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions that have not yet been “neutralised”.
  

  CO₂ neutrality at the Vrchlabí plant will form the first peak in the carmaker's efforts within the Go to ZERO project.

  Three steps to primacy

  In order to achieve the goal, the carmaker is building on three pillars in Vrchlabí. “The first is to reduce energy consumption in operations. The less primary energy you consume, the less CO2 you have to deal with overall”, explains David Harazim from PSU – Ecology and Occupational Safety. Therefore, the plant became part of an intensive energy-saving programme at the beginning of the year. The second step is to use renewable sources, thanks to which the plant already covers the vast majority of its electricity needs. “All we have to do is to satisfy the remaining energy needs, which we do by burning natural gas”, adds Milan Poddaný from the ŠKO-ENERGO Energy Services department. The third step is to purchase carbon credits or offsets. In 2020, ŠKODA AUTO will support projects that almost entirely neutralise carbon dioxide emissions. “These include supporting renewable energy production in India, protecting rain forests and other similar activities”, says Harazim. From 2021 onwards, the plan is to use only biomethane in Vrchlabí instead of burning natural gas, and in the following years, ŠKODA AUTO will focus on CO2 neutrality at other Czech plants, too. Luděk Vokáč

  The Vrchlabí path

  The Go to Zero group mission focuses on CO2 neutrality and ŠKODA AUTO is gradually introducing it on a worldwide scale.

  Consumption reduction

  Reconstructing the heating equipment from 2012–2013 saved up to 6,700 MWh per year.

  Use of "green” electricity

  Thus, 41,500 MWh of electricity cover the vast majority out of the 47,000 total annual amount.

  Biomethane combustion

  Exchanging natural gas for biomethane, the Vrchlabí plant will become CO2 neutral since 2021.

  The third pillar

  Vrchlabí plant approaches CO2 neutrality after planting 39,000 trees

  According to the carbon credit policies, the plant in Vrchlabí is supporting several projects that not only contribute to lowering carbon emissions but will also help the region. In collaboration with the Krkonoše Mountains National Park, a few sites have been chosen where silver birch trees are to be planted to revitalise the area. On 21 May, 29 workers from the factory, along with director Ivan Slimák, met between Martinova bouda and Medvědí bouda (close to Špindlerův Mlýn) to plant some 2,000 new seedlings. The goal is to continue planting a total of 40,000 in the future. RED
  

  Now only ecological suppliers

  Last August, ŠKODA AUTO integrated sustainability assessment into its purchasing process

  he new practice builds on a Group-wide strategy that applies to all brands and whose aim is to provide the carmaker with information about the extent to which its suppliers are meeting the S-Rating (sustainability rating). A positive result in this evaluation has become one of the carmaker’s conditions for awarding contracts and approving suppliers. Mutual cooperation without benefits is impossible. At first, the process referred only to production material suppliers, but at the end of last year, providers of services and non-production material were added to this group. This year and next, their volume will further expand; only micro-suppliers (with fewer than 10 employees) will not have to go through the S-Rating, provided they get specific approval.

  Based on a self-assessment questionnaire, the supplier rating evaluates how the potential suppliers respond to environmental challenges or which measures they adopt to take an environmentally responsible approach. As far as suppliers are concerned, they have to assess whether they take energy and raw material savings into account, minimise greenhouse gas emissions, use renewable resources and minimise damage to the environment and health when developing, manufacturing and using products. After a successful evaluation, the selected supplier will receive the corresponding S-Rating, or the Purchasing staff will recommend an additional audit. Irena Zeggel, ŠÁRKA FILIPOVÁ 

• Together4integrity

  Together4integrity

  I like supporting good projects

  Interview with Integrity Ambassador Jan Kotík, from the SB/5 – Transformation and HR 4.0 department

  What made you become an integrity ambassador?

  I’ve been into scouting since the age of nine, and these values have been with me since my childhood. Thus, my motivation was purely personal. Additionally, I always like supporting good projects throughout the company. 

  What does integrity mean to you?

  I perceive it as a harmony between what I think, feel, say and do. You can’t learn it or even just tick it off as fulfilled. 

  Frequently, integrity is associated with situations that do not have one right solution. Have you ever encountered a situation where you weren’t able to follow fixed rules but knew that you had to manage somehow?

  Certainly, everyone has experienced something like this. If there were fixed rules for everything, humanity would vanish. In the past, I worked at Buckingham Palace for one summer, where there were high standards for visitor care, and many rules for our conduct were described. Nevertheless, there were cases where I had to act to the best of my knowledge. I remember, for example, when one visitor annoyed a colleague during a security check. I didn’t hesitate and temporarily merged his position with mine, despite our rules. I knew that supporting teammates was something to do.

  What would you like to achieve as an ambassador?

  I would like to have all people accept issues such as integrity, support for diversity and sustainable development, which are integral to our company culture, as an essential component of our company’s success.

  What benefits do you see when employees follow the principles of integrity in practice?

  I believe that, in the long run, they will lead to better products and services, higher satisfaction and employee efficiency and, ultimately, improve our company results. RED

  Statistics
  

  Within the VW Group, 4,041 notices of breaches of work discipline were issued in 62 companies in 2019. Each of these companies had more than 1,000 employees. These companies, including ŠKODA AUTO, employ a total of around 487,000 people, of which 1,044 were dismissed for illegal behaviour.

  476

  Failure to observe working hours (e.g. unauthorised absence)

  121

  Property offences/fraud, including incitement

  19

  Discrimination, bullying, persecution

  14

  Sexual harassment

  115

  Not fulfilling work duties

  58

  Disrupting the work environment (e.g. assault or rude expression)

  122

  Violating the ban on alcohol and drug use

  13

  Accepting a disproportionate advantage, corruption, conflict of interest

  4

  Fraud against third parties, including inciting such acts

  13

  Violation of privacy and confidentiality principles

  8

  Violation of regulations related to work safety

  3

  Damage to the company's reputation

  78

  Other labour law violations (e.g. Code of Ethics, traffic regulations or illegal gainful employment)

  Fair way

  We take incitement to violations seriously

  KODA AUTO has been publishing statistics on breaches of work discipline and subsequent sanctions in the VW Group since February 2019. The aim is to show that the company is building on the principles of fair conduct in accordance with the law and always prioritising the customer’s interests.

  Case study 

  For example, at the beginning of 2019, one Group company fired a manager who had asked a colleague several times to adjust income forms in a way that would have recorded them as expenses. The colleague in question insisted that the proper accounting rules be observed and refused to modify the documents, which the manager then simply proceeded to change. This case was brought forward via a complaint received by the Central Investigation Body within the whistleblowing system (Central Complaint Management System). Subsequently, the allegations were investigated by the Group’s audit department. It focused on the falsification of documents and the incitement of committing criminal offenses, both of which are considered serious infringements according to the Whistleblowing Directive (Group 3) definitions.

  Group rules 

  The current standards for dealing with infringements were introduced by the VW Group last July. They are valid for all brands and companies, which have to take the individual circumstances of each case into account when making decisions. For example, it involves finding out whether it was intentional, gross or slight negligence and also what the employee’s behaviour was after they had committed the act. This is to ensure the adequacy of disciplinary action. Furthermore, there are three different types of sanctions (staff interviews, breaches of work discipline and termination of employment), and illustrative examples are given. The standards are available in the Group Policy 35 HR Compliance document or at ŠKODA Space > Information > About Company > POD Documentation and Standards > Group Policies (KLR) > The list of valid KRLs issued in ŠKODA AUTO. RED

  Gunnar Kilian

  VW Group Board Member for Human Resources Management 

  Managers have to set a good example and prevent illegal behaviour. The VW Group does not tolerate any activity involving fraud, embezzlement, extortion, theft, abuse or any other intentional damage to the property of customers or third parties. An employee reporting a manager’s violation deserves respect. 

• Think digitally

  Print smartly and save

  Which changes are we preparing to save on printing and reduce paper?

  e will install new printers in the second half of the year, and printing rules have been revised. “We drew inspiration from the Volkswagen Group brand, where similar programmes had been running for a long time”, says Luboš Patka from FIO – IT Services, whose department is in charge of the change. The main changes are the distances between the printers and the types of devices used, as well as the transition from direct queues to the use of Print2Me. 

  4.7 

  grams of CO2 is the carbon footprint, according to studies, of one standard-weight A4 paper for the entire process from production to the printer feeder
  

  126,000

  pages, on average, were printed every day throughout the company last year, or 46 million during the year
  

  The changes primarily relate to the office environment. Printers will now be placed farther apart (50 metres instead of 20), and employees who like to stretch at work and do something for their health will be grateful for the few extra steps they take to collect their printed documents. The changes will also affect the placement of the A3 printers (see box), and instead of direct printing, the Print2Me print queue on multifunctional printers will be set as the default. After all, you can start using this print queue now. The advantage is that you can choose any company printer after sending the document to be printed. “If you detect an error in the document or change your mind about printing, you can easily remove the document from the queue, and unnecessary paper will no longer accumulate on the printing tray. Another advantage of Print2Me secure printing is that if you print confidential or secret documents, the system easily ensures that they do not fall into the wrong hands – everything is printed only when a user authenticates the action at the multifunctional printer”, explains Kateřina Švástová from FCZ/1 – Planning and Management of Fixed Costs.

  How does the queue printing work, exactly? You send the print job (document) to the Print2Me virtual printer in your PC. You log into any multifunctional printer using your MFA card or your username and the LDAP password. After successful verification, you choose which documents you want to print or delete. Štěpán Vorlíček

  Up the stairs to the large printers

  The changes will also affect the location of devices used for A3 printing. They are more than twice as expensive to run and maintain as the classical “A4” versions and are used much less frequently. Only 500,000 of the total of 46 million pages printed annually are sized A3 (just over 1%). Therefore, it is enough when three floors of offices share such a printer.

  Consider every single page you print

  Is it really necessary to print the document? Do you need the data on paper? Everyone needs to consider this before clicking OK in the print window. We can all help to reduce printer maintenance costs and expenses for ink and paper. In modern times, there is a digital alternative for most matters, and printing is simply an established habit. Consequently, let’s learn to use online tools, read documents electronically, approve internal documents via the DigiSignature @SMART app, etc.

  Logistics experts consider the environment

  Brand Logistics employees have already rushed to save paper – they are striving to digitise processes and reduce printing in offices as much as possible. Today, there are 10 comprehensive digitisation projects under way to save paper. One example could be the cancellation of printing labels for the transport of internal pallets, which is replaced by the iTLS (Internal Transport Control System). In this way, Logistics has saved 874,000 sheets of paper per year. Among other things, there are also the so-called Months without Printing, and during their pilot versions, paper consumption in the Brand Logistics department fell more than 33,000 sheets.

  @SMART Application

  During the pandemic, your most frequent query was about payroll, so let’s recap the basics

  Payout information

  You enter the app via the ŠKODA Space portal by using a tablet, mobile phone or PC, including a private one. However, you require double authentication to access payroll. A mobile phone, whose number you have to register before using it for the first time, is the best authentication device. If you have a business computer, you can enter the number via the My HR Data (Moje HR data) app or report the private telephone number and e-mail to HR. 

  If you decide to get rid of paper, this app will become indispensable for you. And to save on unnecessary paper, simply select the Off check box in the Print Payout Form box. Additionally, the app allows you to preview the electronic archive. Here, you will find a payment form, which you may also print out. RED

  ŠKODA Space

  ow do I log in from a private computer, phone or tablet? Where can I find the number of uncompleted tasks? And which features are waiting to be run? These were your ŠKODA Space–related questions during quarantine.

  Many of you struggled to connect from private devices. One of the most common reasons was not knowing the LDAP password. If you don’t have it or you don’t even know how to get it, follow Jiří Brynda’s instructions from the Internal Communication department: “Useful apps such as payroll or the menu are also available from private computers and mobile phones. However, at ŠKODA Space, everyone first has to enter a username and password. If you don’t know it, use the ‘Forgot your password?’ feature to have a link sent to your work or private e-mail, which will help you to restore it. But this is where the snag comes in: Frequently, we find out that employees don’t have a registered private e-mail address or their mobile phone in SAP, which is key for access from home. Thus, they have to go to their HR specialist or to the accounting office to ask for these two data points to be entered in the system”, he recommends. Štěpán Vorlíček

  Hot news

  LDAP password

  You no longer need to renew it every 30 days. The deadline has been prolonged to one year. 

  Favourite apps

  The number has risen from 9 to 15. 

  Task list

  The red number now indicates the number of incomplete tasks.

  News on the main page

  Here, too, there are now more than before – 10 instead of six.

  What’s coming up

  We are working on a better search process with advanced content filtering options.

  Developers are improving searches in forms and documents to eliminate clicking through on the old portal. 

  Organisational structure documentation for individual areas and departments is also being prepared. 

  Purchasing robots 

  The Purchasing area has also contributed to simplifying routine tasks for people

  obotic data processing or RPA (robotic process automation) is already being used by some departments, and the Purchasing department is launching it during these weeks. “This is an intermediate step in switching to artificial intelligence, and we’re going to use the technology for several administrative activities, especially support. They are routine, tedious and uninteresting for employees, which may lead to mistakes and people overlooking problems. A machine doesn’t do this”, says Pavlína Rábová, SVP expert from the indirect B area regarding the main advantage of this novelty. The first process, which is already under way, compares the prices of platform parts between the carmaker and the VW Group to enable them to be updated. RPA technology can also enter Web applications, corporate systems, handle Word and Excel, compile and prepare, for example, recurrent e-mail messages and send them. It is also possible to establish various lists and compare or perform analyses with each other according to pre-defined assignments. We are working on a robot to draw up contracts and prepare proposals so that buyers do not have to carry this out manually. It will modify the contracts and monitor their accuracy. “We expect robotic data processing to lead to beneficial savings in terms of time and effort that employees can devote to other, new tasks. We offer help to our buyers so that they can get rid of repetitive administrative duties and have more space for the more fundamental ones, such as purchasing strategies and price negotiations with suppliers”, Rábová adds.

  The BA – General Purchasing department has introduced a chatbot for its current and new suppliers. Using a classical window and a “conversation”, the chatbot guides them to the right place on the Web or connects them with the employee they need to deal with. The Purchasing department is also planning to make use of Data Mining technology. It processes large amounts of data by clearly visualising the real process, which makes it possible to detect undesirable deviations and implement appropriate measures. Data mining will enable the carmaker to speed up the process, improve data quality and save on orders. The introduction is scheduled to take place before the end of 2020. Štěpán Vorlíček

• Human resources

  Human resources

  Your compass on the way through the plant

  Communication between employees and HR department will be simplified

  ver the summer holidays, ŠKODA AUTO will introduce the new SAP SuccessFactors staff system, which has internally been named KOMPAS. It is based on the carmaker’s strategy for Human Resource Management, which focuses on digitising processes and supplementing missing IT solutions. It has been established in response to the projected end of support for the existing SAP HR system, and the carmaker expects a number of internal processes to improve, such as paperwork reduction, which will replace electronic applications and workflows. At present, we are eagerly working on the transition from the “old” system to the new one, and at the same time the preparation of training materials for all employees is reaching its peak. The KOMPAS system will be launched during the second half of July, but the website is already operational. RED
  

  The captain will give you advice

  Our Captain (pictured above) will introduce you to the new system. He will inform you of planned changes and benefits, including information on scheduled trainings and the launch of the KOMPAS system.  

  Co KOMPAS přinese

  For all employees, it will be a navigation system in the world of human resources.

  It will simplify and support self-service activities for management and employees.

  The system will guide rookies taking their first steps at ŠKODA AUTO.

  It will allow direct superiors and employees to introduce selected changes and access more data.

  Managers will be able to view the required information and report themselves.

  The system will establish equal conditions for all, thereby increasing fairness and equality. 

  It will be available via a PC and as a mobile app.

  Checking and correcting your personal data anytime and anywhere will be a piece of cake.

  You can change your name, surname, permanent and temporary address or education data without having to go to the HR department.

  You will have an overview of the data that ŠKODA AUTO is storing about you.

  You will get a better overview of the internal job market.

  Information about the new HR system

• Jak to chodí – fotogalerie

  V Centru kvality v Kvasinách pracuje 27 specialistů rozdělených do jednotlivých odborných skupin a testované vozy mezi nimi musejí projít „kontrolním kolečkem“. Pod rukama odborníků projde až 20 automobilů denně.
  

  První přichází na řadu elektrika a elektronika vozu, které patří v poslední době k nejrychleji se rozvíjejícím oblastem. Ke zkouškám technici využívají počítačovou diagnostiku i termokamery. Provádějí kontrolu řídicích jednotek, klimatizace, autorádia a dalších systémů. Nově také přibyly rozsáhlé testy vozů s hybridním pohonem (PHEV).

  Proces pokračuje zkouškou nastavení podvozku a všech asistenčních systémů. V moderní dynamické válcové zkušebně se testují správné funkce brzdové soustavy, agregátu, převodovky i pohonu 4 × 4. U elektrovozů zde zkoušejí také jednotlivé jízdní módy a systém rekuperace. Na geometrii se zaměřuje 3D zkušebna. K testování technologie Matrix Beam pak slouží zkušebna světel, tzv. „černý tunel“.

  Zákazníci požadují uvnitř vozu pohodlí bez rušivých zvuků. Pro ověření akustického komfortu se využívá zkouška ultrazvukem nebo pomocí technického kouře, díky které se ukáže, zda fungují správně všechna těsnění. Akustická kamera pak zobrazí v přehledné grafické podobě přesný zdroj hluků.

  Následuje poslední funkční zkouška – test voděodolnosti. Vozy jím procházejí nejen ve vodorovné pozici, ale i v různých úhlech naklonění, v nichž může řidič parkovat. Technici mají k dispozici dvě moderní zatékací komory. „Dokážeme simulovat evropský déšť i monzunový liják,“ vyzdvihuje vlastnosti komory Michal Fišer z oddělení GQK-1/2. Kromě deště zde umí navodit i podmínky v myčce aut či ostřikování „wapkou“.

  Na závěr se skupina, která provádí analýzy funkčních a optických vad zjištěných na vozech, postará o zkoušky ostatních mechanických vlastností. K rozměrovým analýzám využívá optický scanner Leica.

  

  Centrum kvality v Kvasinách

  Kontrolní kolečko, jakým si projde nově vyrobený vůz SUPERB iV, si můžete prohlédnout také na videu v novém dílu seriálu Můj stroj.

• Resuming of production

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Ideas during the outage

  The disinfection of the carmaker is prepared by the employees of the CKD Centre.

  Practical stands are unusual in that you measure the disinfectant by pressing the foot pedal.

  In the EGV unit, they pressed the elbow door opening system and focused on the handlebars in the most frequented places.

  In the EGV unit, they pressed the elbow door opening system and focused on the handlebars in the most frequented places.

• Stromky – fotogalerie

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• VZOR

  Sysel při západu slunce na Radouči

  Bedřichov po cestě na přehradu 

  Zima v Arberu

  Přehrada Souš

  Kozí hřbety nad Špindlerovým Mlýnem

  Mléčná dráha nad osadou Jizerka