Ford Tests Japanese Speed to Market

Ford Motor Co. will be competitive with Japanese auto makers in quick and cost-efficient product development by the end of the year, says Phil Martens, group vice president-product creation.

Ford has been overhauling everything from its safety test facilities and proving grounds to wireless communication for engineers with the creation of its Global Production Development System (GPDS).

The payoff will be the ability to do a vehicle program faster and for less money, Martens says, which also means a set number of engineers and limited budget will yield more new products.

GPDS can shave 10 months off vehicle-development time going forward, with total cost reduced by as much as 60% for some vehicles, Martens says.

Ford has tapped Mazda Motor Corp., blending some of its expertise into the GPDS, under which all future vehicles will be created.

The idea is to have competitive time to market in every aspect of product development. “The capability of the system is 18 months from “done” in studio to Job One,” Martens says. That compares with 28 months under the old system.

Cost reduction varies by program, Martens says. The cost calculation factors in development time, test requirements and the number of engineers and equipment needed.