Press Release-8/12/02

Digital Imaging (DI) Technology has propelled Ford Motor Company to the forefront of the industry by using innovative technology for critical customer feedback regarding quality. Use of DI technology, along with internet, satellite communications or via customer corporate network has combined the traditional warranty claim with a pictorial documentation of quality concerns, and is helping Ford Motor Company to reach a new level of customer satisfaction.

DI technology relates to innovative methods and systems developed and implemented by Ford Motor Company, in partnership with Media Magic Corporation. Ford is currently using DI Technology to electronically share digital images and resolve customer product quality concerns at select Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealerships. DI technology, along with internet and satellite communication technology, are assimilated in the following sequence:

 

• Dealer service writer takes a digital image of a customer concern.
• Digital image gallery and text file is loaded into a customized hardware/software configuration package.
• Image gallery and text file is transmitted via satellite to a reviewing station at Ford Quality/Six Sigma Center for evaluation of warranty eligibility.
• After reviewing digital images and an authorized quality report from a dealer detailing a customer's concern(s) with their vehicle, the Ford Quality Office communicates in real time whether or not a corrective action is approved. The customer concern is reviewed and resolved by Ford within minutes, as opposed to the days or weeks it traditionally takes automotive OEMs to respond.
• The images and corresponding information are then loaded into a Corporate Quality database and are immediately available for review by all interested and affected parties as part of the engineering and manufacturing process, including assembly plants, product engineering teams, first-tier suppliers, etc. throughout the world.

This entire process enables further investigation and analysis of the concern, early detection of concerns and quicker implementation of quality improvement actions. By reducing the amount of time required for processing customer concerns and resolving issues, the DI Technology significantly increases customer satisfaction. The technology also reduces the amount of time required to identify and implement quality improvement actions, which can have an impact on long-term customer satisfaction with Ford Motor Company products.

Currently, DI technology is being implemented primarily in the Ford Quality area, but the technology is also being tested by some assembly plants to identify and resolve production issues before vehicles are shipped to dealers and ultimately delivered to customers. Other initiatives are also underway. Digital Imaging takes the adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" to a new level. A host of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury dealers and their employees have been integral in making this program a success.

 

Images

A Customer Concern

Satisfied Customer

The Process

Plant W/ Ford Oval

Benefits Summary

Customer Benefits

• · Increases speed in providing manufacturer's feedback to customer quality concerns on a "real time" basis within minutes as opposed to the days or weeks it traditionally takes in the automotive industry.
• Connects customers and dealers to Quality and Product engineering teams, assembly plants and suppliers through the use of DI Technology, the internet and satellite technology.
• Reduces time required for concern resolution process when customers want direct feedback from manufacturer (now resolved in minutes versus days or weeks associated with establishing a meeting with the regional manufacturer representative, dealer service management and customer in attendance).

Corporate Quality Intelligence Benefits

• Creates visual "real time" input to a corporate quality database that allows more focused analysis on product improvement actions.
• Provides immediate knowledge of product performance in the hands of the customer and under actual customer usage conditions.
• Reduces the need for reviewing thousands of verbatims/warranty claims in the process of identifying and resolving a problem's root cause.
• Reduces the requirements for physical part inspections freight, packaging, warehousing, handling and administrative costs at both dealerships and manufacturing.
• Shortens the time required to evaluate and act, helping to avoid potential owner notification issues.
• Links quality concerns from markets outside the U.S. with products manufactured in the U.S., i.e. export sales.

Communication Benefits

• Eases the role of the dealership in explaining emerging customer product concern issues to the manufacturer.
• Connects dealership service technicians to Ford Motor Company Product and Service Engineers with speed and accuracy that was not available previously.
• Eases the role of the Dealer Service Manager in resolving difficult customer situations (i.e. when customer expectations are not elements of manufacturer's warranty coverage).
• Provides unfiltered pictorial images and detailed descriptions of customer concerns in owners' environment.
• Provides effective, visual, feedback for customers' concerns that are especially hard to document, i.e., paint, glass, and fit-and-finish concerns.

Manufacturer and Supplier Benefits

• Reduces manufacturing variability at the assembly plants.
• Allows manufacturing plants to more effectively deploy resources with direct quality responsibility.
• Provides ongoing visual feedback to full-service suppliers.
• Enhances quality project management between plants and suppliers (particularly helpful in resolving cases where there is ambiguity on the responsibe owner of the concern between assembly plants and suppliers).
• Allows for a large volume of information to be easily appended in the corporate database, allowing rapid sharing of quality and process improvements throughout the automotive manufacturing environment (i.,e. information sharing across assembly plants, first-tier suppliers, product engineers, and other affected activities as required).

Dealer Benefits

• Gives the Dealership Service Writer the ability to defer sensitive decisions on repair eligibility to the manufacturer.
• Assists dealerships in better managing warranty repairs and costs.
• Supports analysis and studies to enhance the elements of customer service/relationships for both the manufacturer and dealer.

Advantages

See benefits category above. Specific information is available for disclosure to interested parties who would either like to pursue a license or enter into a contract for services to incorporate DI Technology (hardware, software, methods, systems, specifications, etc.) in their business.

Applications

DI technology has a wide variety of uses. It can be used not only for quality but in other numerous applications where products and customers are involved. The sky is the limit.

Development Status

Presently, DI technology has a confirmed track record of success in the Quality arena. Future implementation plans include utilizing DI technology in the vehicle development process and improving the transportation/pre-delivery processes, as well as other initiatives.

Collaboration Options

DI technology is being made available for commercialization to other companies in the automotive and non-automotive fields. Interested parties who would either like to pursue a license or contract for services to incorporate DI Technology (hardware, software, methods, systems, specifications, etc.) in their business should contact cdanowsk@ford.com (co-lead), bill@mediamagik.com (co-lead), rjackso4@ford.com, hubik1@ford.com, or dpark@ford.com.

 

 

 

Digital Imaging Team Includes: