An analysis of motor vehicle assembly plant complexity : developing a framework to evaluate the existence of a complexity threshold

An automotive manufacturer facing decreasing average product volumes as a result of market fragmentation while simultaneously reducing its manufacturing plant footprint must adapt to the difficult challenge of increased product mix within its manufacturing system. The increase in complexity resulting from greater product mix is considered to be a significant driver in increasing plant investment cost and reducing plant operating effectiveness. Thus, the ability to fully understand and more effectively balance the complexity trade-offs associated with different product-to-manufacturing plant allocation scenarios is critically important, as the manufacturer formulates its strategy and analyzes the associated costs and benefits. The ultimate question to be addressed is whether there exists a "complexity threshold" in terms of the maximum number of differentiated body styles (unique vehicle models) to be produced inside a single assembly plant. This thesis analyzes the challenge of manufacturing system and plant complexity by first developing a competitive benchmark study of body-style complexity at the major North American OEMs' plants. Then, manufacturing and operations data is analyzed for evidence of a "complexity threshold" in one manufacturer's operations.

Department dc:contributor.department

Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Hasik, Matthew J

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Stephen C. Graves and Randolph E. Kirchain, Jr.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.
• Sloan School of Management.
• Leaders for Manufacturing Program.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/34670

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/34670