"Quick Release_ are the experts and we need you here, telling us what we need to do to get this vehicle to market. Without you we are dead in the water." - PMO Lead
Case study: Establishing right-sized PLM and NPD processes
Effective PLM and NPD processes are key determiners of time to market and engineering efficiency.
Attempting to develop and manufacture a new electric vehicle from scratch, this client turned to QR_ to develop right-sized PLM and NPD processes that would enable data-driven decision-making and accelerate the transition from prototype to series production.
Case study: Establishing right-sized PLM and NPD processes
Our client, a solar electric automotive start-up, approached QR_ to help establish right-sized PLM and NPD processes that would facilitate a smooth and efficient transition from prototype testing to series production.
As a new entrant to the market, the client faced the challenge of developing and manufacturing their first-ever vehicle – the latter always the critical hurdle for new OEMs. While their small team had already developed prototypes of the unique and innovative vehicle, it quickly became apparent that a larger team and more robust processes were needed to bring the client’s full-scale ambitions to reality.
1. Challenge
Limited internal processes and extensive but disparate experience among staff recruited from established OEMs had created a PLM infrastructure suitable for the development of initial prototypes, but neither capable or scalable enough to implement the extensive changes and supply chain integration necessary for production. In addition, the client’s recruitment department was playing catch-up with the company's specialist resource demands. Knowing that data maturity was critical to traceability and robust manufacturing processes, QR_ sought to develop a solution that would prioritise data management to support the client in taking their concept to market.
2. Approach
To ensure the change management, procurement and manufacturing processes were accurate and efficient, QR_ first created a BoM in collaboration with the client's engineering and procurement teams. We maintained the BoM for the client to ensure data quality. Once fully established, we began working on defining and developing issue, change and concession/deviation processes to support the day-to-day management of vehicle production. With the processes in place to enable data-driven decision-making, a prototype readiness assessment was then undertaken. Based on QR_’s 20 years of industry experience, our team reviewed the critical steps required to go from concept to prototype. Having identified several potential issues, we built a clear plan to help the client resolve their challenges and ensure that their prototypes would be delivered successfully. We were also able to support the client’s engineering and procurement teams further, by developing tools to ensure the accuracy of the data within the master parts list. We also configured reporting to flag part shortages ahead of prototype builds.
3. Outcome
QR_’s implementation of defined processes had a significant positive impact on the client’s manufacturing operations. The client’s digital maturity improved significantly through the creation of the consolidated BoM and the implementation of the QR_ toolset. Together, these provided greater visibility of the manufacturing process across the vehicle and system teams. This improvement in digital maturity unlocked the opportunity for greater data-driven decision-making and ultimately pushed the client closer to their desired end goal.
4. Feedback
"Quick Release_ are the experts and we need you here, telling us what we need to do to get this vehicle to market. Without you we are dead in the water." - PMO Lead