Detroit Productivity vs. Toyota: Looks Good!

[FenixII]

Bravo GM!

Domestic automakers showed a gain while Toyota's performance declined and they continued to improve. Both GM and Ford became more productive by shedding thousands of workers through buyouts and early retirement offers. In addition, the Big Three continued to work with unions to negotiate away work rules that place them at a disadvantage to the Japanese companies, Harbour said.

The improvements came even though sales and production declined for all three Detroit automakers, he said.

"Improving productivity in the face of lower production is a huge accomplishment, but none of the domestic manufacturers can afford to let up," Harbour said. "General Motors essentially caught Toyota in vehicle assembly productivity. Considering that they will be building vehicles in 2007 with dramatically fewer hourly employees in the U.S."

The Detroit Three have been steadily catching up to Japanese automakers. The difference between the most productive and the least productive automakers was 9.1 hours in 2004 and 16.6 hours in 1998.

The report on automotive factory performance is widely used by automakers as a competitive benchmarking tool.

Domestic automakers have made steady gains in efficiency as they've cut jobs, idled plants and negotiated new operating agreements with the United Auto Workers union. Ford has struck such deals with more than three dozen of its union locals. GM is pushing for agreements at many of its plants as well, dangling new products in front of workers desperate to keep their factories open.

"The GM team has worked very hard to improve productivity over the last 10 years," GM spokesman Dan Flores said. "We anticipate continued improvement.

Link:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...DATE/705310465

[redimpss5]

This is the turn around we have been saying would come.

[ZvetteGuy]

Okay, now let's help GM turn this productivity into profitability...

I want my children to grow up riding in yesterday's Chevrolet and in tomorrow's Chevrolet too...

[t-rex]

Well efficient productivity isn't of any importance when you're producing crap!

GM's got some good, top-notch new products out there. They just need to go full steam ahead on getting rid the rest of the wheeled garbage scows they try to pass off as modern cars.

But I'm glad to see GM can get quality and productivity up there where it should be!

[Havasavana]

Where are the UAW bashers?

[fenwah]

Originally Posted by Havasavana

Where are the UAW bashers?

Here I am!!

[IROCNROL1]

Originally Posted by fenwah

Here I am!!

LOL! You're incorrigible.

[geozinger]

Originally Posted by ZvetteGuy

Okay, now let's help GM turn this productivity into profitability...

I want my children to grow up riding in yesterday's Chevrolet and in tomorrow's Chevrolet too...

^^^Bolded part^^^

Me too! Well, actually Pontiacs, but the idea is the same.

[PhishPhood]

Originally Posted by ZvetteGuy

Okay, now let's help GM turn this productivity into profitability...

I want my children to grow up riding in yesterday's Chevrolet and in tomorrow's Chevrolet too...

Good point. The new lambda's are class-leading and the soon to be shipped 2-modes are the best in their segment. Buyers have to be willing to support GM by jumping all over these vehicles and refusing to take the rebates.

The rebates are taken directly off the bottom line. Refusing them sends the money directly to the bottom line making GM more profitable.

[HoosierRon]

Originally Posted by Havasavana

Where are the UAW bashers?

As I read the story, GM fired/laid off thousands of UAW employees, and its productivity skyrocketed. So what is your point?

[BurnOut]

A related article from the Dallas Morning News:

Arlington GM plant tops efficiency rankings

12:00 AM CDT on Friday, June 1, 2007

By TERRY BOX / The Dallas Morning News
tbox@dallasnews.com

The General Motors assembly plant in Arlington was the most efficient full-size SUV plant in North America in an influential assessment of auto factories released Thursday.

The Arlington factory, GM's lead plant for producing full-size sport utility vehicles, was second in the annual Harbour Report last year and improved its efficiency 4.9 percent in this year's report to become the benchmark SUV plant.

Plant manager John Dansby called the report "great news for the plant."

More: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...t.36d6141.html

[Havasavana]

Originally Posted by HoosierRon

As I read the story, GM fired/laid off thousands of UAW employees, and its productivity skyrocketed. So what is your point?

The point, as if even you couldn't figure it out, is that the UAW workers are more efficient as the work processes, plant layout and equipment are modernized. The layoffs are due to GM management approving products that the public doesn't want and won't buy. Why have Toyota, etc. built plants from scratch instead of buying facilities closed by GM, etc.? Because these plants were poorly designed.

[geozinger]

Originally Posted by Havasavana

The point, as if even you couldn't figure it out, is that the UAW workers are more efficient as the work processes, plant layout and equipment are modernized. The layoffs are due to GM management approving products that the public doesn't want and won't buy. Why have Toyota, etc. built plants from scratch instead of buying facilities closed by GM, etc.? Because these plants were poorly designed.

^^^bolded part^^^

Have you ever seen the sweetheart deals given to the 'transplants' to locate in those communities? Plus, they generally locate in right-to-work states, with little chance of pro-union interference. At that point, starting from a greenfield with a very(!) favorable tax environment and the promise of little union interference,who wouldn't build a new plant?

[jaywestfall]

Originally Posted by ZvetteGuy

Okay, now let's help GM turn this productivity into profitability...

I want my children to grow up riding in yesterday's Chevrolet and in tomorrow's Chevrolet too...

AMEN

[eaton53]

Originally Posted by PhishPhood

Good point. The new lambda's are class-leading and the soon to be shipped 2-modes are the best in their segment. Buyers have to be willing to support GM by jumping all over these vehicles and refusing to take the rebates.

The rebates are taken directly off the bottom line. Refusing them sends the money directly to the bottom line making GM more profitable.

Refuse a rebate? If they offer it or any other discount I ain't turning it down.
I'm sure I'll be offered one. I'm happy to buy a model that's been out awhile.... don't need to be the 1st on the block.