Working at supercar speed

Automotive Design & Production, Dec, 2003

In a keynote address at the Virtual Product Development Conference sponsored by MSC Software (Santa Ana, CA; www.mscsoftware.com) in Dearborn this past October, Chris Theodore, vice president, Advance Product Creation, Ford Motor Co., discussed the rapid development of the 2005 Ford GT. And he said, in effect, "You ain't seen nothin' yet." That is, the fast product development lessons learned during the GT project are going to be deployed by the automaker as it rolls out an array of new vehicles as part of its product-led revitalization. Theodore explained, "To survive we have to accelerate." And the GT program--both in terms of the fact that there was official program approval in May 2002 and the start of build of three production cars occurred March 10, 2003, and the fact that the GT is powered by a 500-hp V8 and consequently goes blisteringly fast--is a prime example of acceleration.

As Theodore stated: "You can never change fast enough."

One of the ways that they accelerated the process for the GT program was to have a greater-than-ordinary use of simulation tools for design and engineering. While the typical course of affairs is to design and engineer something digitally and then build physical prototypes for prove-out, there was, Theodore explained, a greater emphasis on simply getting the job done in math.

Another way they worked was in cross-functional teams. Design, Engineering, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Finance, and Key Suppliers all worked together. As much work was done up front as possible, and the people were co-located for fast response.

According to Theodore, there are a number of advantages that can be realized through faster product development. Among them are a premium for innovative products, the opportunity to attain a disproportionate market share, lower development costs, a reduced risk by being closer to market demands, and the ability to create more products with existing resources. GSV.