[TR] How did the factory add on factory options

[Michael Porter]

On 6/4/2020 11:46 AM, Sujit Roy wrote:
> I'm just wondering how the factory added options to cars.
> Did the production line have branches off the main line at certain 
> stages and then they would merge back on the main line? Or were the 
> cars lifted off the line with some crane?

In the days of Henry Ford, there weren't options, so it wasn't an 
issue.  As the business became more competitive, even the old fascist 
Ford had to admit that "any color, as long as it's black" wasn't going 
to work.  So, manufacturers came up with ways to accommodate the demand 
for options, and that was to create specialized bills of material for 
each car as it moved down the assembly line.  At first, by hand, and 
then by computer, the basic bill of materials would be adjusted--parts 
removed from the bill, other parts added--to make up the complete 
vehicle.  The vehicle didn't change its position on the line--but, the 
parts brought to each assembly station reflected what the build required 
at that instant.

Eventually, smarter manufacturers learned that the system was closer to 
foolproof by creating so-called "add-only" bills at the design stage, 
where the vehicle became a truly basic shell to which particular options 
were then added.  That reduced errors in stocking and engineering, in 
that the basic shell was designed in such a way as to accept any option 
or combination of options offered.

In terms of shuffling things around, that's mostly done by scheduling 
today, and mostly for paint considerations, since running black paint 
through the lines creates some problems for most assembly lines.  I'm 
sure John Macartney will chime in on this, since he has some amusing 
stories about when things go wrong with the bills of material and stocking.


Cheers.

-- 


Michael Porter
Roswell, NM


Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....