Jay Zhou’s job is akin to a hamster running on a wheel: There’s no end in sight.
But the Ford engineer, who has traveled the world since 1999 to educate employees and suppliers on the auto maker’s global quality objectives, says his job has been rewarding nonetheless.
The best part is “the continuous improvement year-over-year,” Zhou tells WardsAuto. “We’re seeing that more and more, and it’s (reflected) in feedback from our customers.”
Since becoming Ford’s corporate executive technical leader-quality more than a decade ago, Zhou has made 75 training visits to 37 company sites in 17 countries, instructing some 7,000 Ford and supplier employees. Sometimes he travels with a small team, but in most cases he goes it alone.
His efforts appear to be paying off. Internal data indicatecustomer satisfaction has risen nearly 10%in North America, from 73% of buyers in 2007 to 80% in 2011, Ford says.
Results are similar elsewhere around the world. Since2007, warranty-repair rates have been reduced 55% in the Asia/Pacific region, 53% in South Americaand 46% in Europe, the auto maker says.
Much of the gains occurred after CEO Alan Mulally took the helm in 2006, implementing the One Ford strategy that focuses on leveraging worldwide resources and operating as one global team.
Zhou credits One Ford for helping achieve his own goals, noting that before the strategy was initiated the auto maker’s quality processes weren’t as consistent.
“Before One Ford, we were not doing as much with standardized processes,” he says. “We had standardized processes in some aspects, but not all. There was more independence. Now we’re more focused.”
Most of the “best practices” Zhou teaches were developed in U.S. facilities, but some originated in Europe and others were copied from rival auto makers.
Feedback from consumers and suggestions from plant personnel also are important, he notes. “We pay more and more attention to the voice of the customer. It’s tremendously helpful.”
The education program he conducts applies to a variety of constituencies, including engineers, suppliers and line workers.
There is a learning curve, especially in emerging markets, where techniques and plant equipment may differ. More training is needed for young engineers in India and China, where many facilities are less than 10 years old.
“There is a different maturity of engineers, and experience is different,” he says. “I work with them and teach them and coach them on problem-solving and prevention.”
In regions such as Asia/Pacific and Russia, plant automation is not as advanced or widespread, Zhou says. “Then we just apply as much as we can in terms of standardization. With manual labor, we make sure they are consistent.”
While training covers nearly every aspect of the vehicle and its development and production, Ford has identified several subsystems as crucial to customer satisfaction, including:
- Body exterior, such as sheet metal and locks.
- Body interior,such as seats and trim.
- Electrical subsystems,such as radio and navigation.
- Chassis subsystems,such as brakes and steering.
- Powertrain,such as engine and transmission.
- Vehicle engineering,such as ride and handling, noise, vibration and harshness.
- Paint.
Zhou sums up his work as improving quality by stressing consistency, as well as job coaching.
“When everyone is looking at the same charts, the same numbers, there is less room for error and more time to solve problems,” he says. “You have fewer interpretations, and you can find many issues before they ever get to the customer.”
