Flexibility, collaboration and digitisation of processes: the keys to boosting quality in the automotive industry

The 29th Automotive Quality Congress of the Spanish Association for Quality (AEC) held in Valladolid was a deep reflection on the challenges and opportunities that will mark the course of the industry in the coming years.

During the meeting, quality was positioned as the spearhead for driving the three key factors of the automotive sector: People, Processes and Products.

The interrelation between these three Ps is essential to achieve the levels of efficiency and quality demanded by the market, always bearing in mind that quality is designed, manufactured and certified.

As emphasized at the meeting, quality begins with people, is strengthened in the processes and consolidated in the products.

But how do you achieve automotive quality at each of these three levels? Flexibility, collaboration and digitization of processes are the keys to driving efficiency in the automotive industry.

Context of the automotive sector

The Spanish and European automotive sector is undergoing a profound transformation, marked by the need to adapt to technological, environmental and geopolitical changes.

This leads to the need to adopt flexible models based on decentralization and with a clear commitment to investment and technology.

Environmental

At the environmental level, the sector is immersed in the transition to sustainable mobility, which calls for it to be fair and planned, combining environmental and economic sustainability.

In addition, the European Union is pushing for a rapid transition to electric mobility, with ambitious emission reduction targets. This is forcing manufacturers to invest massively in the development of electric vehicles and the adaptation of their production plants.

Other alternatives, such as hydrogen and synthetic fuels, are also being explored.

Technology

For its part, digital transformation is a key factor in the competitiveness of Spanish and European industry, since the Chinese market is much more technologically advanced.

However, European companies are aware that their competitiveness lies in after-sales service. Therefore, business strategies are now focused on gaining speed in production without losing customer service.

Likewise, digitalization and connectivity are transforming the automotive industry, with the development of autonomous vehicles, shared mobility services and new ways of interacting with the car.

Artificial intelligence, big data and the internet of things (IoT) are playing an increasingly important role in the production, design and management of vehicles. In fact, the value of an hourly car lies more in the intangible, the technological, than the tangible.

Geopolitical scope

The process of economic slowdown in which we are immersed globally has a direct impact on this sector.

In addition, we are entering a period of progressive protectionism that is damaging international trade and, therefore, the automotive sector. The tariff war initiated by the United States has put European manufacturers, especially German ones, in check.

Taking into account the whole context in which the automotive sector currently finds itself, the differentiating element of Spanish and European companies is competitiveness, which lies in experience and the ability to adapt to new technologies, in addition to being data-driven companies.

People in automotive quality

In view of the above, we can affirm that the product itself is not a differentiating element. However, service is.

And on whom does the service depend? On the people.

In this sense, the industry’s main challenge is to attract talent and optimize talent management, since the success of processes, products and service depends on the motivation and preparation of the teams.

In addition, new profiles related to new technologies must be incorporated.

Processes in automotive quality

Processes in automotive manufacturing are undergoing a true revolution, marked by artificial intelligence and decarbonization.

The speed of vehicle design and production in Asia is forcing local companies to look for new ways to increase efficiency. Thus, a holistic approach is beginning to be adopted, bringing together quality, finance and the environment, as synergies between departments are necessary to achieve quality in the automotive industry.

Processes must be flexible, agile and sustainable and, above all, more technological.

In this regard, during the conference aimed at processes, David Perez, Industry Manager of FIELDEAS, through the presentation of two success stories of the use of our solutions, emphasized the need to digitize all processes within the factories.

As he explained, the most important value when digitizing is obtaining data, which will serve to predict, prevent and boost the efficiency of all operations.

However, he stressed the importance of involving the users of these technologies throughout the process of implementing the solutions. Thus, he stated that for a digitization project to be successful, a good change management must be addressed so that the users who are going to use these tools accept them.

Products in automotive quality

Consumer behaviors are also affecting products, as people no longer want just a car, they are looking for the experience of connectivity, communication and active safety features. A car has now become a computer.

Likewise, product design is also conditioned by environmental restrictions on the use of certain materials, which slows down the process and, therefore, leads to a loss of competitiveness.

FIELDEAS in automotive quality

During the event we had the opportunity to demonstrate the experience of FIELDEAS in the digitization of processes in the automotive sector.

In one of the success stories, six different FIELDEAS Forms and FIELDEAS Field Service modules have been implemented:

• Surface Quality Module with AI. Quality alarms where users from any department detect anomalies and can report them through our digital forms. The great value of this solution is that it detects patterns and offers the user suggested solutions, thus speeding up the repair process.
• Facilities Check. With this module we have interconnected the maintenance department with the production department, in such a way that a constant flow of communication is established that favors the maintenance processes.
• Quality guidelines module for the launching of new models. An interconnection has been established between the prototype and assembly departments to optimize the launching of new vehicle models, thus speeding up the manufacturing process.
• Reworks module. Reworks application that detects defects and manages the repair, as well as the diversion of the product to the rework areas.
• CarTracker module. Management of the fleet of vehicles to be reworked. This application includes the “TaxiDriver”, which is the movement of the vehicle from the assembly line to the final repair areas.
• Private messaging system. It is an instant messaging solution in which communications are not at risk of being insecure. It is for all company employees and is a secure, supported, multi-device and scalable environment.
• Digital forms for testing and passive safety. One of our customers has managed with our solution more than 120 forms in one year. In addition, this solution is connected with all their corporate systems.

Added value of FIELDEAS in the automotive industry

• Revolution in precision and efficiency in manufacturing processes
• Exhaustive and real-time monitoring
• Improved product traceability and quality
• Improved costs and production times
• Assurance of compliance with regulations in force