The World Class Manufacturing solution in the Fiat Chrysler Automenses system (Part 1)

In FCA the method has been used for over ten years. It has created over 66,000 projects, valuing 22,000 best practices; has trained about 1,600 specialists who have developed 336 tools for this purpose.

According to FCA, the method pursued by the company is based on seven fundamental values. It is in fact focused on the construction of a production system in which: sensitivity to safety is the basic value; the customer’s voice arrives in the workshop; leaders have a passion for standards; no form of waste or loss is accepted; the methods are applied with rigor and tenacity; all the anomalies are made visible; finally, the involvement of people is the engine of change.

The organization of WCM in FCA Emea is divided into four large areas . First of all, the  WCM Development Center . «It is where the strategic plan and the individual projects are managed, which this year amount to 12 thousand , and where methods and tools are developed, then patented, to support the WCM activity. I follow all the projects for the EMEA area ». Then there is the WCM Supplier Program , which «aims to achieve excellent supplier base through the implementation of the WCM principles and methodologies.

There is a group of specialists who deal with this, and who follow 600 establishments ». Again, WCM Research & Innovation.«The centers of Turin and Melfi are very important; in the latter FCA and the Basilicata Region have invested 22 million euros. Research is carried out to identify new technologies, solutions and application scenarios in order to innovate production processes. Here new collaborative robots are born, new AGVs (automatic robots with automatic guidance) and much more.

Finally, the WCM Training & Consulting , created to manage the training and consultancy processes in FCA and become a reference point for external companies. «We do training, coaching and field support such as those made for Royal Mail and Unilever. It is a training that enables new technologies and supports innovative projects “. An activity carried out in 26 countries and 350 production sites of 232 customers, for 7,350 training days provided and 110 thousand participants. 410 kaizen events were also carried out.

Safety is the primary objective, and as mentioned it has made it possible to reduce the number and severity of accidents at work by 77% and 69% respectively. FCA have received many WCM awards: FCA in 2018 closed with six Gold Awards, 32 Silver awards and 27 Bronze awards. The methodology involved all the world wide plants and all six Gold awards, 13 Silver awards and 6 Bronze awards, are registered in the EMEA area. The awards are issued by the WCM Association , a non-profit organization, reports FCA, composed of several manufacturing companies, founded by a group of managers and professors in May 2006 downstream of an international workshop held in Dublin (Achieving Performance Excellence).

Productivity and Quality Office