Case Study: Customer Success: OEM Increased Workload Of 15% Annually Without Adding Resources
Ford Europe Defers Costs of up to 1 Million Euros per Day
"Our Oracle-based homologation timing system, built by Opitz Consulting, is recognized by the automobile industry as the most stable and highest performing of its kind in Europe."
-- Jürgen Bückreiss, Manager Vehicle Homologation and Conformity, Ford Europe
Ford Europe Manages Increased Workload of 15% Annually Without Adding Resources
More than 5,000 vehicles every day are manufactured at Ford's European plants and sold throughout Europe and in more than 100 additional countries worldwide. Every component of every model must conform to complex legislation on many issues including the safety of passengers and pedestrians and environmental protection. Legislation differs from market to market.
Known as homologation, this regulatory process governs every stage of manufacturing, from design through to final production. If a single element is overlooked or if a vehicle does not receive a certificate of conformity, the vehicle cannot be sold until it receives approval. Production is halted and time-to-market delayed, costing the company up to one million Euros every day.
Until the mid 1990s, before the creation of its Oracle-based system, homologation was carried out using a mainframe system, and reports were produced on Excel spreadsheets. "This was a very labor-intensive, manual, and time-consuming process prone to errors, and it provided no up-to-date overview on the status of the thousands of approvals under consideration," said Jürgen Bückreiss, manager of Ford Europe's vehicle homologation and conformity. "We developed a number of solutions internally but realized we needed the expertise of an IT partner to build a future-proof, scalable system using best-of-breed technology that had been proven and perfected."
High-Level Project Goals
- Development of a client-server-based homologation timing system
- High performance and resilience to underpin mission-critical system
- Process automation to eliminate errors and reduce administration costs
- Scalability to accommodate new models
- Flexibility to adapt to constantly changing legislation and approval lead times
- Consultancy, design, implementation, and support from a single company
"Oracle's tried-and-tested database and development tools enabled us to design a robust, high-performance solution with the versatility to adapt to the constantly changing regulations with which Ford has to comply," said Rolf Scheuch of Opitz Consulting, an Oracle Certified Advantage Partner.
Why Opitz Consulting?
Ford evaluated several implementation partners but chose Opitz Consulting for its technical expertise and high professional standards. "The Opitz team understood our business requirements and were 100% committed to delivering the most resilient and cost-effective technology solution," said Bückreiss.
Ford's System Achieves Industry Recognition as Best in Europe
Ford's automated homologation timing system (HTS) has greatly improved efficiencies, eliminated errors, and enhanced productivity. Homologation engineers now have complete visibility of the status of all approvals across the full range of models. Weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports are automatically generated and delivered to management. Having a real-time overview of the homologation process enables Ford to give its suppliers early notice of the approvals they must obtain for each vehicle part.
Using Oracle Database and Oracle9i Developer Suite to build the HTS, Ford was able to integrate homologation into forecasting and scheduling from even the earliest stages of product design. "For such an essential, yet highly complex process, the benefits of its early incorporation into planning are immeasurable," said Jürgen Däubel, supervisor of Ford Europe's homologation IT. "We need to obtain many thousands of different approvals each year. Overlooking just one would mean we cannot sell the finished vehicle, which could bring the production line to a standstill and could cost Ford up to one million Euros per day. The reliability and high performance of Oracle Database substantially reduces this risk."
Ford's HTS has been demonstrated to other vehicle manufacturers at meetings of the Association of German Automobile Manufacturers (VDA) and the German Association of Automobile Importers (VDIK). The system has received widespread industry recognition as the best of its kind in Europe.
Future Plans
As Ford Europe expands its business to manufacture an estimated 45 new models in five years, Opitz Consulting will use Oracle technology to enhance the HTS and ensure it remains Germany's market-leading homologation solution.