Title: Experiences of a human deployment strategy for the 1990s

Authors: R.G. Bertodo

Addresses: Strategic Planning Director, Rover Group, UK

Abstract: During the 1980s, despite significant restructuring, the European automotive industry failed to attain either product cost or engineering output parity with Japanese producers. Continuing effort described in earlier published studies had shown that the gaps could be closed by a change in organisational culture. This required the abandonment of traditional functional values and the adoption of a structure based on autonomous multi-functional teams. Practical experience with such a transition over a period of nearly three years led to significant and quantified efficiency improvements, reductions in product development cycle and quality gains. Significant traps, false myths and important truths were revealed by the case study: these are discussed in detail. The change in operating ethos was welcomed at working levels and resisted by some middle managers. Further, dramatic gains would appear feasible through the exploitation of developments in information technology. Such progress, however, requires a supplier and industry-wide acceptance of the need for change and a higher level of personal and group discipline in an environment of devolved management.

Keywords: automobile industry; Europe; Japan; human deployment strategy; autonomous multi-functional teams; efficiency gains; quality gains; organisational efficiency; operational efficiency; automotive management; vehicle design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1990.061597

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1990 Vol.11 No.6, pp.537 - 547

Published online: 26 May 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article