1. Audi: Assembly Lines, Processes, and Simulation
Objective: Building Cars to Specs / Every car “made on demand”
Specs could be dimensions (by model, by body style, by drivetrain, by engine type, by color, etc.) / how many?
Keep assembly line moving
Avoid Bottlenecks
Avoid Delays

2. Delays Caused By: Lack of Needed Materials
Inability to Contact Customers (suggest substitution or upgrade)
Need to Coordinate Self-managing work crews, suppliers, transporters, labor unions, and chains of command

3. Simulate Actual Production
Need to Know Processes and Order
Need to Know Input to Processes (both materials and labor)
Then Need to Know Desired Outputs
Run Simulation as a Virtual Representation of Reality
Conduct Line Performance Analysis

4. Reaction to Simulation
Pull Cars From Line (50 gallons of crème paint meant…), Slow Down/Delay Production, Speed Up
Change Labor Distribution
Contact Customers if Needed or Allow Them to Pull Info/Track (just like packages)
Corrective Actions thru Communication

5. Audi’s Solution Required:
Operations data mart/over 50 dimensions and hundreds of measurements
Database “engine”
Front-end analysis software
ETL (Data Transformation Services)
Both operational/day-to-day AND long- term analysis needs

6. Future Plans (p. 72)
Planned Results vs Actual Results to use Feedback to Change System (Both processes and inputs)
Measure variances and uncover trends
Added power in the marketplace with greater efficiency through better intelligence

7. Learning?
Application of all concepts from data marts to front-end tools to increased trust through improved communication
Benefits for customers, suppliers, workers, unions, government, through better efficiency and effectiveness
Application to all “assembly lines”