Automation in Automotive Industries

G. Volpato, A. Camuffo, A. Comacchio 1.1 The background During recent years the dynamics of automotive industry and its supply chain has catalysed the attention and the research effort of a wide international group of scholars as: the International Motor Vehicle Program (JMVP) of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Permanent Study Group for the Automobile Industry and Its Employees (GERPISA) of Paris, and the International Car Distribution l Programme (ICDP) of Solihull. This favoured the publication of relevant studies and the growth of networks of academicians and practitioners interested in studying the patterns of industry evolution and in organising meetings to present and discuss issues of common interest. In 1992 some members of these research projects decided to organize a first conference in Berlin dedicated to the main theme of automation and organization in the automobile industry. In 1993 a second conference took place in Tokyo, followed by a technical visit to a few automobile manufacturers and components suppliers plants (Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, etc.).

The book focuses on understanding the most recent change patterns in automation, manufacturing systems, organization and management of human resources of the world automobile firms. In brief, even if the automation issue is one of the main focuses of this book, regarding specific technological solutions, we refer the readers to the in depth analysis of the proceedings of previous conferences. This book deals with adjustment processes underlying significant experiences. Specifically, the main aim of the book is to understand the new step of the evolutionary process which involves the manufacturing system of the automobile supply chain (automobile manufacturers and parts manufacturing firms). The drivers of this evolution are analyzed, specifically focusing on the continous interaction among changing competitive context, new technological patterns and emerging human resource management and organizational issues.