Powering Performance

Quality issues in the field need to be identified and resolved quickly, to contain costs and also to maintain end-consumer satisfaction. Data-driven techniques are the most effective and efficient means to identify such issues rapidly because they provide an inexpensive, centralized solution, without the need to ship physical parts or have analysts travel. Quality issues may be found and tracked semi-automatically by setting up and interpreting appropriate alerts. Early notifications involve inherently complex methods to avoid false alarms while not missing important real issues. With experience and experimentation, combined with the means to set alerts on diverse data sources, useful early quality alerts are feasible.

Introduction to Automotive Warranty Training
This is an introductory course designed to give the attendee a basic understanding of warranty, warranty-related terminology, and how warranty applies to the automotive industry and the supply chain.

In the September 2016 AIAG eNewsletter, we looked at the evolution of IMDS up to now. This month, we focus on IMDS Release 11.0, scheduled for production release in November 2016, which includes Chemistry Manager.

The future of reporting is almost here! Mark the date in your calendar: GRI Standards will officially launch on October 19, 2016. This follows the approval of the draft GRI Standards by the Global Sustainability Standards Board in late August, and the recent confirmation by the Due Process Oversight Committee (DPOC) that due process for developing the GRI Standards was followed. 

Automotive professionals interested in a deep-dive into complex automotive supply chain issues are encouraged to attend a one-week, automotive-industry focused, Global Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Seminar, October 31-November 4, 2016 at The Renaissance Center in Detroit. Sponsored collaboratively by AIAG and Wayne State University, this unique professional development opportunity has less than 10 open seats remaining.

In 1999, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (then EDS) collaborated with European Union (EU) car manufacturers to create a material data exchange system that would penetrate throughout the supply chain. The first release of the International Material Data System (IMDS) was in 2000, and corresponded with ratification of the EU End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) directive legislation. By 2001, HPE was extending IMDS into the United States and beginning its long relationship with the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG).  By 2002, IMDS was extended into Korea and Japan and was quickly adopted in Japan as one of two automotive standards. IMDS is now used worldwide, in nine languages, by virtually all global automotive OEMs and suppliers, with over 400,000 users from more than 150,000 companies.

At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, a large gathering of world leaders adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty. The summit established eight targets that have become known as the Millennium Development Goals. 

For those looking to save, register for AIAG’s Customs Town Hall by September 15, 2016, to get the best price on attendance. Scheduled for November 15, 2016 at the Laurel Manor Banquet and Conference Center in Livonia, Michigan, the Customs Town Hall is an annual gathering of importers, exporters, and customs service providers to discuss new and ongoing programs that impact customs clearance and cost.

System-level problems are often indicated in repairs with replaced components, with failed parts tested showing No Trouble Found. Some aspects of this difficult and widespread problem are caused by system-level failures due to unexpected interactions among elements of the system (rather than component-level issues). We examine this NTF issue by the automated analysis or mining of repair and maintenance data generated by automotive service technicians.

Moving the needle from theory to practice was at the heart of AIAG’s 2016 Corporate Responsibility Summit, held April 27-28, 2016, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan. Speakers addressed a variety of CR topics, providing the latest information to help participants build a business case for sustainability.