Day 158: Porsche and Mercedes factories

This morning we visited the Porsche factory. As always with these visits, no photos are allowed, but I'll share some observations.

Stats:

Models: 911, Boxer, GT3, 918 spyder

Employees: 6000 production, 1000 other/admin

Production: 200 cars per day; 264 engines per day

Shifts: 2 shifts of 7 hr each

Takt time: 4 minutes - can be compressed to 3 min in case of line stoppage.

Cycle time: 70 hours (10 shifts)

Visual management: small amounts of KPIs on area boards, little instructions on line.

CI initiatives: employee suggestions implemented result in cash bonus to suggestor.

Observations: lots of kitting; automated delivery to the line of parts; engine assembly starts once the body reaches the main assembly line; leather from Austria used in interior; 60% of leather sourced is rejected (goes to shoe, purse making); all leather is stitched individually by workers - not automated; no overtime - staff breaks every hour for 5min to change operations. 

We were allowed a ridiculous amount of access - able to touch almost anything we wanted. The trickiest part was staying out of the way of the AGVs.

To sum it up in one word? craftsmanship

Our afternoon was a contrast - Mercedes' factory in Sindelfingen. This factory was on a 600ac site where many many buildings and two tracks had been built. The complex is massive, using buses to move employees around. Customers can also pick up their cars at Sindelfingen and about 250-280 cars are picked up daily.

Stats:

Models: E class sedans and wagons, CLS, SLS, AMG engines

Employees: 34000 total

Production: 1800 cars per day (single piece/mixed model); 80-85 engines per day (single operator assembly)

Shifts: 3 shifts of 8.25hr

Takt time: 35 seconds

Cycle time: 3 days; final assembly cycle time is 1.5 days

Visual management: very little aside from the master clock/production count

CI initiatives: not very visible.

Observations: very big focus on "right part to the right place at the right time"; people - not machines - moved parts; ridiculous amounts of possible configurations (example: over 5400 seat configurations possible); own on-site electrical plant (generated via natural gas); uses a black box style transponder to identify customer options during final assembly; 1400 deliveries daily to the plant.

To pick one word for Mercedes? Perfection

These plants were in some respects mirror-images of each other. Size is a key factor of course in the choice to automate or not, as well as some of the decisions of how to manage and incent the work force. Mercedes wants a perfect (perhaps less exciting) car every time, but the passion for car making and driving really shone through at Porsche.

AMac