We're having pizza right now! Putting it in the oven as we speak...

 

That's funny about the barcodes as my company just started using them in October! Guess if it works, don't fix it!
I also know a little bit about RFID. VSTI anyone? Not exactly cost effective yet, especially for MILLIONS of vehicles.

 

What about this???

http://www.leftlanenews.com/ford-to-...eruptions.html

 

Boo! I want StreetView of the lots!!

 

Yup I read Shareholder reports, 10K's & Q's, and related research reports most of the day.

And again... what purpose does this serve to Ford's manufacturing process and oh yea... that profitability thing? Other than appease techies?

To divert capital away from Ford's cash flow needs and away from shareholder interests just so techies can have their second by second update would be a breach of Mulally's fiduciary responsibility.

 

Thats the ironic part, Ford is very forth coming with updates the whole build process. You can call the 800 number and they will tell you what stage of manufacturing its in. I knew once I had a VIN I could call and get updates. They said it was going to be built this day, then when it was "bucked", then what stage of production it was in. It's only once it's built that its dropped off the radar. I've also ordered enough Dell servers at my job to know that if they are past due you can call and get info from your Dell rep.

All I'm trying to say is Ford could work on its customer service when it comes letting customers know what the hold is when your car is built and not shipping. I didn't realize I would hijack this thread - sorry for that. But it has made for some interesting conversation, and I've even learned about how the new car ordering process works a little better.

 

OMG! My Bullitt was actually built by skilled humans!!!




Or wait - maybe they're just making my half Hawaiian half Rancher Combo minus onions...

 

I'd rather Ford focus their resources on building quality vehicles instead of trying to update an impatient buyer every day about when his car is going to leave the lot.

 

Agreed, but those aren't mutually exclusive. The funding for assembly isn't pooled from customer service.

It's kind of like when you play League of Legends and people complain about new skins but not new maps. The way the company is divided doesn't mean that if they canned the skin department all the skin people would go work on maps.

 

As I recall on the 2005 Mustang first run there were delay issues, I didn't have one single issue with mine, something to do with the engine as I recall, not a big deal, rather they catch it on the line.... GG

 

Yeah, those **** buyers. Who needs them? Ford can do this in a completely automated fasion by the way. It's 2010.

 

I doubt Ford is concerned about a handful of people who special order cars and then want to know where there car is every couple of minutes. Most buyers will take the ETA their dealer gives them and keep their fingers crossed.

 

And if you decide to go to another auto company because they provide more up-to-date info about when your built car is going to leave the lot, then see you later....obviously you really didn't want the car to begin with.

 

Yeah, it's just a handful.

 

Let's think about this RFID thing. Yes, you could put an RFID on the bare chassis and as it moved from one station to another the sensors there could get the chassis VIN and post a Tweet. "I'm having my engine put it in now." "I'm having lubricants loaded." Etc. So what? It only takes a day to assemble it. All the weeks leading up to the production day, there's nothing to report. Once the assembly is done it may be sitting around for a couple of weeks before shipping out. Do you want an hourly announcement saying Dear Future Owner, just hanging around?

 

If it was a huge deal with a lot of concerned buyers, the media would give it some attention. For now its just the car crazy people (like us) that are tracking this type of thing each day.

 

IT_Guru wants a text message every hour on the hour letting him know the new ETA for delivery and an explanation of why the car is not moving (either down the line, through the lot, on to a truck, or down the highway)

 

Wow. Just a few weeks ago some were claiming (falsely) that Ford mortgaged the joint just so they could make payroll.

Now they want Ford to invest cash reserves in minute by minute updates for facebook & ipod texters - at a time when GM & Chrysler (and all those jobs) are still on life support from their government shareholders.



I'm pretty sure manufacturing still has some ugly moments. What you don't know won't hurt you. And as long as the end result is a product that pleases the customer and keeps them coming back to buy more, who gives a Cleveland steamer what happens each minute on the assembly line. Plus I was told that several are built each day. So you'd have like a few hours of silly *** updates. Dumb idea.

 

This thread has 17,000 views.

 

I don't know how that number is calculated, but I have probably viewed this thread over 100 times today. Adds up fast that way over a small population.