A strategic approach towards integrating automotive painting for building-to-order

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Abstract:

Automotive painting performs a critical role in the production and delivery of new vehicles. This research investigates how paint shop performance has become a significant factor in building to order (BTO), and adopts a strategic approach that examines external drivers and internal plant factors. Shareholder value no longer dominates plant performance in an industry driven by customer demand and environmental legislation. Yet a study of ten European vehicle manufacturers reveals considerable differences in their approach to painting. This paper argues that failure to consider painting in the context of the whole delivery process results in wasteful plant practices, leading to considerable delay to upstream and downstream processes such as component delivery and outbound logistics. Five plant capabilities are proposed as key factors for integrating automotive painting. Copyright © 2005 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.