Special Vehicle Operations: An Activity-Based Plan for Improving the Automotive Vehicle Development Process

Abstract

This brief paper considers the New Product Development (NPD) strategies and practices recently employed by the Ford Motor Company as a base for a substantial, near-term improvement in automotive vehicle development performance. The recognition of current industry "best practices" in lean design and manufacturing coupled with consumer desires for niche vehicles provides an opportunity to significantly reduce the time-to-market for new vehicle designs. This paper proposes that a Special Vehicle Operations plant be established as an ongoing facility to develop and manufacture technology demonstration vehicles for corporate research use and public sale. Such a facility, a manufacturing "proving ground" akin to vehicle test facilities, would support the more rapid introduction of advanced vehicle technologies by routinizing design experiments in a quasi-mass production setting. The expected result would be a steadier and more continuous introduction of advanced processes into mainstream products. The scheduling, technical, financial, and quality risks inherent to such introductions would be lessened as well. The research foundation of this paper is an International Motor Vehicle Program-sponsored report supervised by Professor Michael Cusumano of MIT on the NPD practices under implementation by the Ford Motor Company. Other primary source materials include articles on advanced product development initiatives taking place in the automobile industry.