Cross-brand production: redesigning the process & system landscape
Industry: Commercial vehicles | Period: 2 years | Team size: 8 consultants
Only corporations that manage to unite the collaboration between different cultures and brands of their companies will win the global competition. The key to success lies in forging genuine synergetic links between different identities and business approaches. Only then can they work together on an innovative and technologically advanced strategy that shapes global competition.
Long-term success in global competition requires the targeted exploitation of cultural and brand-specific strengths. An international commercial vehicle manufacturer has therefore brought together two previously autonomous brands using a modular system. The focus is on a uniform vehicle platform with a consistently defined E/E system architecture, which is documented in the modular system (TMS). The aim is to produce the existing and new models alternately on the same production line and at the same time comply with EU regulations on cabin design (“Direct Vision Standard”). To achieve this, the process and IT landscape must be set up to be future-proof and as flexible as possible. This paves the way for scalable innovations. More than 250 employees were involved in the project, and over 100 systems are being considered in order to realize cross-brand synergies.
The Challenge
- Brand-specific, complex and long-established ACTUAL processes:
Brand-specific processes in production and logistics must be analysed and harmonized, while at the same time enabling all plants in terms of systems and processes to produce new and existing models alternately on the same line. This requires adjustments and new developments to the current processes and the outdated IT landscape in order to make both product logics and documentation processable on the assembly line. - Dynamic project environment and target:
The parallel implementation of numerous interlinked initiatives in development and production for both brands leads to complex project dynamics – a “moving target”. Careful coordination of the effects of all sub-projects on each other and on the overarching target is essential. - Coordination of an international and intercultural team:
In the global collaboration of established brands, the focus is on building trust, cultural differences and effective communication. Complex stakeholder relationships also need to be managed. Fundamentally different cultural and brand-specific problem-solving philosophies pose additional challenges.
Malte Vorbeck, Manager
The Success Journey
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The Impact at Launch
Reduction in production costs
By consistently empowering the flexible production network – including new global and local planning structures with optimized lead times – process and system costs per vehicle can be saved in the four-digit range. All activities are clearly focused on the first transition step agreed in the rollout & release plan. At the same time, all architecture result types were created and subjected to comprehensive quality assurance.Revolution in IT system communication
The establishment of a cross-brand system landscape under the umbrella of the parent company has enabled the long-term consolidation of core competencies. Strict implementation of the architectural vision – in particular the gradual removal of legacy issues in the old system landscape and the conversion of processes to clearly defined information generated directly in production – secures the future viability of the Group and ensures that common business goals and strategies are also achieved smoothly from a technical perspective.Optimization and empowerment of business processes
As part of the harmonization process, a joint product portfolio was introduced, which significantly increases efficiency and secures competitiveness in the long term. At the same time, the production network is now set up in terms of systems and processes in such a way that all transition steps of the rollout and release plan are seamlessly supported. The created and qualitatively validated architecture result types form the backbone for a sustainable, scalable process landscape.
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