Overview story

 

Out of the Office: Spending Time on the Line
By Tom Wickham
GM Communications

Like anyone in GM’s Manufacturing headquarters, if there is a chance to flee the cubicle and spend time in a factory, count me in.

In fact, many journalists who cover the automotive industry are eager to do the same, leading to what we call “wide aisle” tours where the journalists can visit a plant and see vehicles being assembled.

Well, on June 15, we took things to a new level and invited a dozen journalists to visit Lansing Delta Township, GM’s newest plant in the United States, and immerse themselves in GM’s Global Manufacturing System. Gary Cowger, our Group Vice President of Global Manufacturing and Labor Relations, took time out of his busy schedule to personally provide the reporters an overview of our manufacturing system and how GM is truly evolving into a global automaker.

After Cowger’s presentation, the fun really began. Unlike press events where the media come in, listen to speakers, do some interviews, take a tour and leave, we actually put them to work.

To really appreciate GM’s Global Manufacturing System, one needs to participate in a Simulated Work Environment (SWE). The SWE, as it is affectionately called, is a closed-loop assembly line, where trainees – new and/or transferred employees – learn to apply the principles of the Global Manufacturing System.

After Cowger’s presentation and a detailed overview of the Global Manufacturing System by the company’s SWE team, the reporters and handful of GM employees – myself included – hit the line.

The energy level was high as the reporters and GM staffers went through a crash course on the standardized work for our job assignments. Paying attention to how the job was set up was critical or the wooden cars we were assembling might crash into each other or, even worse, another team member. We also learned how to pull an Andon cord to summon assistance.

In fact, the Andon cord was the most common tool used in the first simulation, as reporter after reporter, and GM staffer after GM staffer, pulled the cord to get out of a jam. The four team leaders worked up a sweat dashing from one part of the assembly line to another. And, at one point after dropping a nut into the conveyor and pulling the Andon cord, I remarked to Cowger, who serving as SWE plant manager, that I probably was better off staying in my office job.

Needless to say, we all made it through the SWE without any disasters, and settled down for a working lunch, reviewing our performance and making changes for the next simulation. However, any sense of accomplishment seemed to wane, as team after team reported safety, quality and productivity problems that would be unacceptable in a typical GM factory.

But, undeterred by that bad news, the teams set to work with their team leaders and quickly re-ordered the jobs to make it easier to assemble the vehicles. The teams also balanced work loads with each other, virtually eliminating the problem of vehicles crashing on the line, as had happened with great frequency during the first simulation.

Our confidence restored, we set about to make the second simulation better than the first. And it was. The Andon cord was pulled less frequently and fewer nuts dropped into the conveyor. Not one vehicle crashed, let alone bumped, in my area, a problem I encountered in the first simulation as the work backed up on the line.

When the whistle blew and the teams congregated for a final review, the mood was high. And rightfully so. Every team improved its performance across the board. Safety, quality and productivity improvements resulted in vehicles that we were sure would please the buying public. 

This was great news, but our SWE leaders cautioned that although we had made great improvements we were still not at the GM standard. That, however, served only to fuel more ideas by the participants to make their jobs safer and more efficient. In fact, were it not for the fact we ran over our allotted time for the event, the reporters and GM staffers would have continued running simulation after simulation, improving our performance each time.

And, while it was fun and even exhilarating, I and my fellow SWE participants walked away with a critical message from the experience. It’s all about continuous improvement. Be it safety, quality or productivity, it’s all about being the best and then some.