- Posted on Wednesday, October 4th, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Working Together
By Hope Morris
Quality Control Engineering, Lansing Grand River Assembly
You always hear that working on an assembly line is one of the most difficult jobs anywhere, but until you actually work on one, you do not fully appreciate the skill and efficiency team members have for their jobs.
As an engineer, my education and career focused on the design and implementation of parts, never the actual installation of those parts. As Lansing Grand River (LGR) quality engineers, we are encouraged to become a part of the production process, not just bystanders. This practice has begun to take hold. Last year, I was a member of a joint UAW/GM team that decided to change the norm.
In an effort to improve productivity, one solution seemed obvious: Why not have engineers work on the line on a regular, rotating basis? With practical assembly experience, it was hoped engineers would be better prepared to design manageable vehicle parts. Engineers were invited to experience the joy, and sometimes pain, of trying to install their parts.
This new program, nicknamed “Docker Days,” places engineers from GM’s Vehicle Engineering Center into areas of the LGR plant that are specifically related to their design responsibilities. For two days they install interior trim, assemble suspensions, attach engine parts and perform numerous other jobs. And they interact with team members. Last year more than 100 engineers participated, and more are scheduled.
Their visits have improved part quality, ergonomics, and respect. During one visit, an LGR team member showed an engineer how the wiring harnesses were coming in with too much electrical tape. The tape made it hard to bend the part at a 90-degree angle to install. The team member showed how using less tape on the product still protected the part but reduced the effort and strain it took to install it on the vehicle. A demonstration like that is incredibly powerful.
“Docker Days” are truly helping to change engineering perspectives and improve design effectiveness.
2 Comments
Scott
Sounds like a great idea. I can personally attest that some of those wood trim pieces can be quite difficult, even painful, to put in, and have often wished the engineers that designed it would show me just what they were thinking! I hope this program expands to other plants, and even to your suppliers, where things like this are needed just as badly. It could save you a lot of money over the course of a year. (how much money will you save by using less tape, not to mention how many injuries will you avoid? how many other places can you do the same? i’ve seen them nitpick over a little bit here or there, just to save a fraction of a penny per vehicle, but i know how that adds up over time.
This also goes to show that your people on the line can contribute a lot to the company. Their input can save you a lot of money in reduced assembly time, quality improvements, and especially safety improvments.
I always find it amusing when an engineer watches me for a few minutes and walks away in disbelief at how quickly i am able to do the job. Especially when they tried it, and it took them 3 times as long, or more.
John
Brilliant! Expand the program!
Leave a Reply
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)