Technology Sharing

As Volvo Cars, Mazda Motor Corp. and Ford of Europe contribute mightily to product development within Ford Motor Co.'s global organization, there's no room for jealousy.

So say key executives overseeing an acceleration of product introductions as the auto maker strives to improve quality and satisfy its various markets cost-effectively.

Decisions about technology implementation are taken on a program-by-program basis, says Nick Scheele, Ford president and chief operating officer. Nevertheless, consider:

Don't read too much into these decisions, Scheele warns.

They are influenced “by what vehicles are actually going to come out and what the (market) positioning of those vehicles is,” he says. “We don't say, ‘This is Volvo technology,’ or ‘Jaguar technology.’”

The recent establishment of Ford's “global commonality network” portends promise. Chaired by Richard Parry-Jones, group vice president-global product development, it seeks out sharing and re-use opportunities — but only “in areas that are transparent to the customer,” Scheele says.