Within the next of five years, Saab aims to be a complete luxury-car manufacturer, to have doubled its production and to have launched new models. These are the very ambitious goals of the company’s owner, General Motors, which is investing a total of SEK 30 billion in order to reach them. ‘Central to GM’s expansion plans is its strong focus on quality and delivering a product that our customers want and trust,’ says Ragnar Drake, quality system manager at Saab Automobile AB, in Trollhättan, Sweden.
Driving for quality: 'Quality and productivity don't need to be dictated; they're the aims of each individual – working to give us a better product,' says Saab's Ragnar Drake.
While Volvo, Mercedes, Audi and BMW have a wide range of luxury cars, Saab currently has only two model lines: Saab 9-3 and 9-5. Saab has plans to do something about that and will roll out five to eight new models over the next five years.
Drake states that central to achieving its goals is Saabs ability to maintain the high quality to which our customers have become accustomed over the years. Consequently, we make a big effort from the very start: right from the drawing board to the assembly line, we work with high-tech computer systems, advanced software and, above all, with computer aided design and manufacturing tools.
According to Drake the effort is worthwhile, with Saab reaching higher levels of quality much more quickly, in terms of both details and the finished product. But despite the use of high-tech, Saab relies on its staff to perform effectively during the various steps in the development process. Says Drake, Quality and productivity dont need to be dictated; theyre the aims of each individual - working to give us a better product.
Quality control is vital
Recent controversies at both Ford and Mitsubishi have highlighted the increasing importance of quality controls. Jac Nasser, CEO of Ford, recently appeared before the House Commerce Subcommittee in Washington to defend Fords role in one of the largest-ever product recalls in the auto industry. Almost 90 people have been killed and 250 injured driving Ford Explorers, the most popular sports utility vehicle in the U.S. As a result of the crisis, Nasser and other Ford executives are acting quickly to improve quality and supplier controls. Failure to deal effectively with product recalls can be disastrous, as Mitsubishi Motors of Japan has learned: its shares have fallen by more than 30 per cent since it announced a 20 year cover-up of customer complaints this summer.
Comments Drake, The stakes are high in the auto industry, and every carmaker has its problems - the big difference is how they deal with the problems at customer level. At Saab, we have made a concerted effort to become a customer service company with a strong focus on product quality and dependability. As part of our total quality drive we assigned DNV to carry out our ISO 9001 certification. The standard is a set of requirements for our management system, incorporating all the activities associated with quality, and addressing those activities which help ensure the customers needs are met. More specifically, certification addresses the design and manufacture of automobiles, engines and transmissions, as well as parts supply and distribution. Were also in the process of implementing an environmental management system in line with ISO 14001 at all our facilities.
Work on increasing production capacity has already started at Trollhättan. The work of extending the body and assembly plants started earlier this year. Construction of a new press line is also in progress. The upcoming Saab model range will provide scope for further broadening our customer base and achieving sales volumes substantially above todays figure of approximately 130,000 cars per year, says Drake. The drive in Saabs most important markets, such as the U.S. and the U.K., will continue - as will our focus on providing high quality cars that our customers want and can trust.