Books: “Factory Man”-- How to Save Detroit

(SME: Dearborn, MI) -- The Three C’s of efficient manufacturing are common, common, and common,” says James E. Harbour, in his new autobiography, “Factory Man,” published this year by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). Harbour says implementing “common” will be a much greater challenge for global manufacturing processes with the accelerated restructuring of companies wanting to survive.

Recognized as a leading automotive industry analyst and founder of The Harbour Report, a study of original equipment manufacturers’ (OEMs) manufacturing performance, Harbour has co-authored this factual, non-technical book with James V. Higgins, an award-winning automotive reporter, columnist, and editor who covered the industry for most of his career at The Detroit News.

In “Factory Man,” Harbour talks about common-based manufacturing. A few of his assessments:

• “Each of the Big Three manufacturers must “commonize” their worldwide passenger car and truck platforms to greatly reduce investment for design and product development, new body shops, assembly lines, stamping tools and dies, and supplier tooling.

• Engineering new platforms requires common body architecture. This will allow select assembly plants to be totally flexible. Production will be able to be switched from one model to another as the market dictates, quickly and without additional investment.

• Common platforms and architecture will dictate the use of common commodity components. These include things like seat tracks, horns, lumbar supports, sensors, bearings, lock sets, door handles, and various hardware and fasteners.

“The combination of new common body platforms, common body architecture, and common commodity and non-commodity components has the potential to save, conservatively, $2,000 per vehicle and reduce investment costs by 40 percent,” says Harbour. “But the impact of this drive will fall most immediately and heavily on the industry’s beleaguered supplier of parts, components, and systems.”

To purchase a copy of “Factory Man,” visit www.sme.org/factoryman . List price is $30.00/SME Members: $26.00, order code BK09PUB2. Orders may also be placed by calling 800.733.4763. Outside the U.S., please call 313.425-3000, ext. 4500.

About The Author

Society of Manufacturing Engineers

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) is the premier source for manufacturing knowledge, education, and networking. Through its many programs, events, and activities, SME connects manufacturing practitioners to each other, to the latest technology, and the most up-to-date processes spanning all manufacturing industries and disciplines, plus the key areas of aerospace and defense, medical device, motor vehicles, including motorsports, and oil and gas. A 501(c)3 organization, SME has members in more than 70 countries and is supported by a network of technical communities and chapters worldwide.