Human Touch: How Ford is Using Veteran Engineers to Improve Quality Control
Ford has taken a significant step back from relying solely on artificial intelligence and automated systems for quality control, instead rehiring 350 veteran engineers to improve the quality of its vehicles.
The decision comes after the company's chief operating officer, Kumar Galhotra, stated that the use of AI and automated systems had not produced the desired results, with the company experiencing disappointing quality levels. As a result, Ford has brought back technical specialists, referred to as "gray beard" engineers, to hunt for failure points before a part ever reaches the plant floor.
The Role of Veteran Engineers
- The rehired engineers are being used to train younger staff and reprogram AI tools, rather than replacing them entirely.
- The engineers are working to identify potential issues before they become major problems, using their expertise to improve the overall quality of Ford's vehicles.
- This approach has already started to pay off, with Ford CEO Jim Farley stating that the company has seen lowered warranty and recall costs, resulting in significant cost savings.
"Mistakenly we thought that by just introducing artificial intelligence and ingesting the design requirements that we had, that that would produce a high-quality product," said Charles Poon, Ford's vice president of vehicle hardware engineering.
Results and Future Plans
The rehiring of veteran engineers has led to improved quality control, with Ford claiming the top spot among mainstream brands in the JD Power Initial Quality Survey. The company plans to continue using the expertise of its veteran engineers to improve the quality of its vehicles, while also leveraging AI and automated systems to support its quality control efforts.