Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • European Rubber Journal
  • Plastics News
  • Tire Business
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Rubber Division IEC
    • War in Ukraine
    • Automotive
    • Tire
    • Non-Tire
    • Suppliers
    • ITEC
    • Silicone
    • Online Exclusive
    • Latex
    • Technical Notebooks
    • Executive Action
    • Government/Legal
    • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Sustainability
    • Products
    • Wacky World of Rubber
  • Airless Tires
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
  • Resources
    • Directory
    • Classifieds & Mold Mart
  • Data
  • Events
    • RN Events
    • RN Livestreams/Webinars
    • Industry Events
    • Past Events
    • Rubber News M&A Live
    • Ask the Expert
    • Healthcare Elastomers Conference
    • Rubber In Automotive Conference
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
  • Advertise
  • DIGITAL EDITION
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
February 05, 2013 01:00 AM

Auto makers, suppliers collaborating more

David Sedgwick, Automotive News
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print

    DETROIT—Auto makers are boosting production and speeding product development by working closely with their suppliers. And suppliers are turning to non-automotive clients and personnel to enhance their innovation.

    Senior executives from Chrysler Group, Ford Motor Co., Robert Bosch GmbH and Visteon Corp. described their collaborative efforts during a panel discussion at the recent Automotive News World Congress in Detroit.

    Scott Kunselman, Chrysler Group's chief purchaser, said teams of Chrysler engineers are working closely with 10 suppliers to improve their productivity as volumes climb following the recession. Chrysler is using Fiat's World Class Manufacturing system, which the Italian auto maker introduced to Chrysler in 2009.

    "It's very clear. We have demand that we can't fulfill," Kunselman said after the panel discussion. "We have become actively involved in the suppliers' processes."

    Ford is collaborating more closely with suppliers through its Aligned Business Framework program. Ford rewards companies that qualify for the program with global contracts.

    Birgit Behrendt, Ford's executive director of global programs, said suppliers in the program accounted for 65 percent of Ford's total purchasing budget last year. By working with a relatively small group of global suppliers, she said Ford can improve efficiency.

    For example, the auto maker's C platform, which underpins the Ford Focus, has spawned 10 models worldwide, she said. Global suppliers account for 75 percent of the parts used in the Focus.

    Ford also is getting results from its technology reviews, in which a team of senior Ford executives spends a day or two with one supplier to study its latest technology. The auto maker holds about 10 such meetings each year. Ford's no-hands liftgate, lane-departure assist and active-parking assist features all stemmed from those technical reviews, Behrendt said.

    To speed product development, suppliers are looking for help outside the auto industry.

    Visteon this month unveiled a small-car cockpit concept that integrated a variety of technologies. The cockpit was created with the aid of designers with consumer-electronics backgrounds, Visteon CEO Tim Leuliette said.

    "A lot of our people come from outside the industry," he said. "We have to have people who are used to a different tempo."

    Bosch is finding automotive and nonautomotive markets for its products to achieve economies of scale. That, in turn, has forced Bosch's various divisions to collaborate more closely with one another.

    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Rubber News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].

    Most Popular
    1
    3M to exit manufacturing of PFAS by end of 2025
    2
    Pros and Cons: A look at 4 emerging sustainable carbon black methods
    3
    Illinois attorney general sues 14 firms over PFAS contamination
    4
    No alternative in sight: Why Michelin is emphasizing sustainability of hevea
    5
    Teknor Apex uses 'world's first' bio-based plastic substitute in new TPE
    SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Rubber News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe Today

    Subscribe to Rubber News to get the best coverage and leading insights in the industry.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    MISSION

    To serve companies in the global rubber product industry by delivering news, industry insights, opinions and technical information.

    Contact Us

    2291 Riverfront Pkwy, Suite 1000
    Cuyahoga Falls,
    OH 44221

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1726

    Resources
    • About Us
    • Digital Edition
    • Staff
    • Advertise
    • Order Reprints
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    • Terms of Service
    • Careers
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Partner Sites
    • Tire Business
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Plastics News
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Automotive News
    • Crain Brands
    Copyright © 1996-2023. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Rubber Division IEC
      • War in Ukraine
      • Automotive
      • Tire
      • Non-Tire
      • Suppliers
      • ITEC
      • Silicone
      • Online Exclusive
      • Latex
      • Technical Notebooks
      • Executive Action
      • Government/Legal
      • Opinion
      • Blogs
        • Products
        • Wacky World of Rubber
      • Sustainability
    • Airless Tires
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
    • Resources
      • Directory
      • Classifieds & Mold Mart
    • Data
    • Events
      • RN Events
        • Healthcare Elastomers Conference
        • Rubber In Automotive Conference
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
      • RN Livestreams/Webinars
      • Industry Events
      • Past Events
      • Rubber News M&A Live
      • Ask the Expert
    • Advertise
    • DIGITAL EDITION