Product planning in GM
Product planning in GM
(OP)
A few days ago I read an old article about "product planning" in GM the writer said that they have this "Forward planning" team that is basically responsible for two things: (1) Forward planning (2) program planning I was wondering if, still such a group exists or it has evolved to something else.
Besides I'd like to know if anybody has any information about the organization chart of product planning group in GM. And at last, I'd like to know how long does the whole process of designing a new car (from market studies till the end) lasts.
Thank you
Anna
Besides I'd like to know if anybody has any information about the organization chart of product planning group in GM. And at last, I'd like to know how long does the whole process of designing a new car (from market studies till the end) lasts.
Thank you
Anna





RE: Product planning in GM
It depends on the complexity of the program. If it involves an existing engine and platform, with perhaps an all new body, and some significant suspension changes, 4 or 5 years. The first year is spent doing all sorts of non-engineering things, with a very small engineering team who basically sit around and answer silly questions (that is good fun).
If it was all new from scratch, 7 years or more. Engines are probably the hardest to do.
You could pull a year out of those numbers if you had a dedicated press shop and assembly line.
Annual freshenings, wheels, new cloth for the seats and new colours, take about two years, but that is just to fit in with everything else, without stressing people, and to give a smooth introduction, other than testing the paint for UV and so on you could do it in 6 months.
One way to look at it is that the tooling for some parts can take 18 months to make.
You'll see claims that the Japanese do a complete 'new' model in 18 months. That rather depends on your definition of 'new', and when you count the start from.
Very good sources for this sort of stuff are "The Machine that changed the World", and the infinitely funnier "Car" by Mary Walton.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Product planning in GM
Asking for a product planning org chart at GM is asking for pretty closely-guarded information, for reasons that should be obvious.
RE: Product planning in GM
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Product planning in GM
RE: Product planning in GM
Does "forward" planning phrase mean "reverse" and neutral planning was in the article? [ Just curious.]
The chart does exist. They meet regularly and happen to be meeting here next Tuesday.
Where ever here is...
RE: Product planning in GM
rmw
RE: Product planning in GM
RE: Product planning in GM
Prove it.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Product planning in GM
August 4th, 2007
President and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, representing BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen:
"That’s why lead time is so important. Keep in mind that the cars and light trucks our engineers are working on today won’t be on sales floors until 2014 or later.
That’s how long it takes to coordinate the 3,000 different parts that go into a single vehicle. Or to enhance and refine the approximately 50 prototypes that lead to the production of just a single model. "
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Product planning in GM