Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 15:55:40 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: New VW Commercials
In-Reply-To: <C0348E17.163F7%bueses@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
This is a reflection of some severe management problems at VW - the
corporate level. Any time there are problems with product, the
management has a problem. They are ultimately responsible for figuring
out how to make it all work, and if they don't, time to retire them to
the farm.
I have worked as Quality Control Manager in both the private sector and
with Government. I saw many times that the problems on the line were
tied directly to operating philosophy of the corporate, which policies
in turn were set by the corporate folks. For the guy sitting at the desk
behind the door with "President" painted on it, to simply say "Git'er
done" - well, that is not even remotely what it takes. He had better
have some ideas as to how and also provide some leadership for the
process. I tell you it is easier to pull a wet spaghetti noodle than it
is to push it.
What is passed down from operations is extremely important. I worked a
big government construction project at the Coast Guard Station in
Kodiak, AK and was the Quality Control Manager there. I had been given
the authority to shut down the whole project if I felt it necessary in
order to resolve issues. The building frame was 5 storys of
glue-laminated beams connected by steel couplings bolted on the ends of
the beams, and the couplings were installed on the job site. During an
inspection I saw a really odd thing. There was a big bolt that passed
through a steel plate, through 12 inches of wood beam, though another
steel plate and then had a washer and nut on the threaded end . Now when
a steel bolt goes through a beam one would expect the line of the bolt
length to be in the same plane. Well, this one was not. The end with the
bolt head and the end with the nut and washer were in parallel planes. I
knew immediately what had happened. I went to the project
engineer/manager, told him what I found, what I suspected, and equally
important, what I suspected was behind this strange thing. I felt that
the superintendent was putting so much pressure on everyone to the
point that they were afraid of making a mistake, that it would cost
them their job, and the project was the best thing going that year on
the island. Everyone wanted to work there. So it would be easy to
replace someone. Anyway, the engineer got the super, a carpenter , me
and himself, and we went and looked. Has a carpenter put a crowbar to
the head of the bolt. Half the bolt came out. A tug on the other half
pulled ti clear as well. There was the story. When drilling the holes,
the crew drilling had missed the hole in the opposite plate. so he went
to the other side and drilled again, only to miss again. so, a little
creative lieger-domain led to cutting the bolt in half and stuffing the
ends into the holes so it looked in place. The Project Manager called
in all the supervisors, and instructed them to the effect that no one
was to for mistakes. It was made clear mistakes were to be reported, but
no layoffs. That was a good thing for things ran a lot smoother after
that. VW has a ways to go.
For all their studies, VW missing the mark, at least with American
people. I would not buy any recent German made vehicle. To many
problems. They need to take a look at the grass roots and start from
there, and they ain't doing it. They are going for pie in the sky hoping
to make the big bucks. They could, if they would get back to the basics,
and with modern technology produce a vehicle that is solid, reliable,
low maintenance and gets good mileage. So far it's been out of their
reach. I look for the recent announcement of the production combination
of Chrysler and VW to turn into a disaster on wheels. Time will tell,
but so far I am not impressed with anything German in recent times.
My $0.02!
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver x2
bueses wrote:
> New Consumer Reports-auto issue-lists several VW's, including 2 jetta
>models & a Passat model as having the highest incidents of repairs of any
>cars tested! Except for a sole Pontiac model, all the high repair models
>were VW or German! WTF?
>
>Tom-better engineering/design?
>
>
>
>
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