10 / 2019
NEWSLETTER
PAGE 4
COLOURFUL INDIAN MOSAIC 80 percent
13 plants
300 percent
LESS OIL IS NEEDED BY CURRENT LOCOMOTIVES PAGE 15
OF THE VW GROUP IN 8 COUNTRIES RECEIVE TRANSMISSIONS FROM VRCHLABÍ PAGE 12
INCREASE IN MOBILE PHONE USERS OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS
PAGE 17
NEWS FROM THE ŠKODA WORLD
102,000
AROUND THE WORLD
ŠKODA CAR DELIVERIES PER REGION FROM JANUARY TO SEPTEMBER 2019 AND COMPARISON WITH THE SAME PERIOD IN 2018
IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CARS DELIVERED IN SEPTEMBER 2019
WESTERN EUROPE
CENTRAL EUROPE
EASTERN EUROPE
RUSSIA
CHINA
397,300
159,500
37,200
61,500
↑ 7.0 %
194,500
↑ 6.8 %
↓ -0.8 % ↑ 10.6 %
↑ 7.5 % SALES INCREASE, COMPARED TO SEPTEMBER 2018
↓ -22.3 %
OFFICIAL CHINESE WECHAT ACCOUNT FOR ONE YEAR ALREADY Twelve months ago, ŠKODA China began communicating with press representatives through its own account on China's most widespread communication platform, WeChat. By the closure date of this edition, it published 112 articles viewed by a total of 76,000 people. The effectiveness of the account has been proven, for example, in promoting the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the ŠKODA OCTAVIA model, whose current version is the best-selling car of the Czech car manufacturer in China. A post featuring a video and photos explaining the evolution of the popular model quickly generated over 11,000 views. The car manufacturer’s management believes that the official WeChat account will help to build a good name in the realm of the centre in the future and will increase the awareness of the ŠKODA brand among local journalists.
SALES IN RUSSIA AND EUROPE ARE GROWING In the first three quarters of 2019, ŠKODA delivered 913,700 cars to its customers. Despite its significant growth in the Russian and Eastern and Western European markets, there was a 2.7 % decrease worldwide, compared to last year. This is due to the continuously falling market in passenger cars in China. To the other world markets apart from China, ŠKODA delivered a total of 719,300 cars in the first 9 months of the year. Its sales increased in these regions by 4.4 %, compared to last year.
MODELS AND SERVICES
FELICIA’S BIRTHDAY 25 years ago, on 17 October 1994, the serial production of the ŠKODA FELICIA started in Mladá Boleslav. The successor of the Favorit line was the first ŠKODA model developed after the Volkswagen Group joined the traditional Czech car manufacturer. This car gathered victories in sporting contests and scored significantly with customers: by 2001, more than 1.4 million ŠKODA FELICIA cars were produced at the Mladá Boleslav, Kvasiny and Vrchlabí plants, including the FELICIA COMBI, PICK UP, VANPLUS, and FUN versions.
2
ŠKODA MOBIL OCTOBER 2019
Tomáš Novotný CHIEF EDITOR OF ŠKODA MOBIL
HOW WE ARE SEEN BY TOPGEAR.COM
ŠKODA KAMIQ 1.0 TSI THE LEADER AMONG COMPANY CARS ŠKODA became the most successful brand in the 2019 Firmenwagen Award competition organised by AUTO BILD Magazine. Four model lines of the Czech car manufacturer won awards. The top SUPERB model won in the middle class, OCTAVIA convinced everybody in the compact car class, and ŠKODA’s KAROQ model ranked among the top cars in the SUV segment, while the FABIA was the most popular small car among professionals.
Spacious interior Simply Clever solutions Well-balanced steering Performance
Resulting grade
Less fun behind the wheel Too similar to the other ŠKODA SUVs Plastic elements in the interior
7 / 10
DEAR READERS, Five years ago, we embarked on extensive changes to our ŠKODA Mobil. We added new sections and thematic attachments, increased the number of pages, and changed the graphic design. We also redesigned the text style to suit your expectations. I would like to thank you for your suggestions and images and the comments which you keep sending to our editors. These are valuable motivations for us to further improve our Newsletter. Our thanks also go to our readers involved in our satisfaction surveys. Now, based on your suggestions, we present you with the modified visual version of our Newsletter. We have focused on making our articles easily readable, both in their paper and digital form. And we have reduced the format, saving a ton of paper every month. We look forward to your feedback!
NEWS FROM THE GROUP
NEW VEHICLE FROM THE WORKSHOPS OF PORSCHE AND BOEING Elegant urban vehicles that fly in the air and may land and take off vertically are only seen in Science Fiction films, for the time being. However, Porsche and Boeing are negotiating their cooperation through their subsidiaries to design a similar machine prototype for personal transportation. Their vehicle should be powered by electricity.
AUDI HAS BIG PLANS FOR ELECTROMOBILITY The brand with four connected rings is about to take full advantage of the skills and experience acquired at its Brussels factory in the development and production of its fully electric Audi e-tron 55 Quattro SUV. By 2025, it intends to market its 30 different electric car models, which at that time should actually account for 40 per cent of Audi’s total number of cars sold.
ŠKODA AUTO SUPPORTED THE MAKER FAIRE FESTIVAL, WHICH TOOK PLACE ON 21–22 SEPTEMBER IN MLADÁ BOLESLAV. INTERESTING INVENTORS, HANDYMEN, CRAFTSMEN AND OTHER CREATIVE SOULS PRESENTED THEIR PROJECTS AT THE FESTIVAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND TROPHIES
AWARD FOR RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR ŠKODA AUTO earned the Responsible Foreign Investor Award for companies operating in the Czech Republic, reinvesting their profits, and participating in the development of the local economy and society as a whole through their projects. The award ceremony took place on 14 October in the Liechtenstein Palace. The award presented by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš was received by Bohdan Wojnar, Member of the Board of Directors for Human Resources Management.
STUDENTS LIKE US For the sixth consecutive year, ŠKODA AUTO has become the most attractive employer among students in the technical field in the prestigious Universum survey. However, second place among university graduates in economic departments and fifth place among students in the IT field are very valuable as well. The results confirm that the Czech car manufacturer is beginning to be perceived as an important Information Technology company among students.
THE ŠKODA SUPERB FLAGSHIP CELEBRATED ITS 85TH ANNIVERSARY
OCTOBER EDITION DISCOVERIES
HIRED DRIVERS
STAR AT THE AGE OF EIGHT
The Indian owners of the OCTAVIA and SUPERB models mostly do not drive. They hire their drivers.
Kalle Rovanperä, the latest World Rally Champion, became a star of social networks as a child, thanks to his driving skills.
page 7
page 19
SIX LANGUAGES The SCALA and KAMIQ model drivers dictate their text messages to digital assistant, Laura, in Czech, English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.
page 14
3
INDIA 2.0
VARIED INDIAN MOSAIC THREE VW SUBSIDIARIES OPERATING IN INDIA MERGED INTO ONE, |LED BY ŠKODA
Shelji Joseph FUSION PROJECT MANAGER
A
t the end of September, the Czech automobile factory, which manages all the activities in the Indian market, obtained the necessary legislative permits to merge the companies into a newly formed company, called ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Private Limited (SAVWIPL). Its headquarters are located in West Indian Pune, Maharashtra. Gurpratap Boparai became the Managing Director of the new company. The establishment of the new firm with a strong portfolio of the Group brands will offer its products to a wide range of customers. Each brand retains its own identity and sales network, including its own customer care approach.
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ŠKODA MOBIL OCTOBER 2019
Managing a project as complex as the merging of three Indian companies is no doubt a rewarding experience for me. I appreciate the fact that this is a task with great commitment
In India, however, they will jointly pursue a unified vision and strategy. The merger project lasted for more than one year and depended on the decisions of the local courts and the approval of the regulatory authorities. The ŠKODA brand has been chosen to lead the Group's operations in India, as it demonstrated many times in the past that it was able to respond quickly and successfully to new trends or changes in terms of customer wishes and requirements. “We have gained confidence, thanks to the great team, experience, long-term brand presence in this market and, last but not least, the growing importance throughout the VW Group,”
explains Milan Malátek, India Region Management. India is the second most populous country in the world with 1.3 billion inhabitants. The local automobile market is currently the fifth largest in the world. “For ŠKODA AUTO, regional responsibility for India means an opportunity to make the most of a market with great growth potential. This may play the key role in the future global development of the Czech brand. Moreover, India is strongly connected with other regions with enormous potential – especially Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific,” explains Christian Cahn von Seelen, Head of the Brand Global Regions. RED
of the whole team. I personally gained insight into the interconnection of individual companies and brands in India, recognised their differences and, at the same time, interconnectedness with the European headquarters. A great positive thing for me was the experience of daily communication with more than 100 colleagues from various fields, and the time and flexible support of local and overseas partners of all three participating companies and their parent offices.
LUBOMÍR ANTOŠ, PH.D. MANAGER, G1 – “SMALL” PRODUCT LINE
Can you tell us more about the cars for India prepared by your team? The successors of the currently produced ŠKODA and Volkswagen cars are being developed by specialists in the Technical Development, Planning, Quality, Purchasing, Controlling and Sales Departments, led by the G1. We take carou about development and preparation of the production of the new platform and cars of both brands, but also for the project's economy. Based on the market analysis, we have been preparing four new cars, two from each brand: an SUV and a sedan on the MQB-A0-IN platform. The platform is adapted to local conditions, requirements and possible localisation. The financial aspect of the project is affected by the approximately 40 % lower price of cars in India compared to Europe, which excludes the use of parts from European suppliers. How do you want to achieve your financial goals? We focus on the details and pay attention to the costs. From the beginning, we have engaged Indian colleagues and suppliers in the technical description of the parts phase. During the workshops, 128 Indian companies discussed how our requirements differ from other automobile companies in India. After the analysis, few hundred savings measures were incorporated into the technical requirements. Production Planning has repeatedly redesigned the project of the factorz expansion in Pune to the required capacity of roughly 180,000 cars per year. We are currently at the point of about one half of the estimated investments. How does Volkswagen participate in the preparation of its models? Our Wolfsburg colleagues approve the design and the differences between the Indian and European models, and they are responsible for the preparation of its sales.
NEGOTIATIONS ARE BEING HELD IN ENGLISH OR GERMAN AND THE PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF IT. ISN'T THAT EXCELLENT?
THANKS TO THE MERGER, WE COMBINE TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE AND OUR TEAM MANAGEMENT IN INDIA, WHICH ENABLES US TO EXPLOIT OUR POTENTIAL IN THE COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT.
EXPECTED LOCALISATION LEVEL OF FUTURE INDIA 2.0 MODELS
GURPRATAP BOPARAI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SAIVWIPL
Merged Companies Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. (VWIPL)
Models Available The list above does not include all options available
Volkswagen Group Sales India Pvt. Ltd. (NSC) CZECHS OPERATE MAINLY IN PRODUCTION, LOGISTICS AND TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT. TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, THEY HAVE FORMED A CZECH COMMUNITY IN INDIA CONSISTING OF ABOUT 70 PEOPLE
ŠKODA AUTO India Pvt. Ltd. (SAIPL)
FACTS ABOUT IN DIA 2.0 PROJECT
DEGREES CELSIUS IS THE SUMMER TEMPERATURE IN INDIA. DURING THE MONSOON SEASON, THE WATER LEVEL IN INDIAN STREETS REACHES HALF A METRE
Company Offices in India AURANGABAD Production Plant PUNE Company Management Production Plant Technological Centre
STAGE 1 Development and production of automobiles based on localised MQB-A0-IN subcompact platform. Models will be adapted to the needs of Indian customers
2020
STAGE 2 In the second stage of the project, ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. will examine possible export of the automobiles made in India
DESIGN STUDIES OF THE FIRST AUTOMOBILES DEVELOPED WITHIN THE INDIA 2.0 PROJECT WILL BE PRESENTED AT THE AUTO EXPO IN NEW DELHI IN FEBRUARY 2020
RAPID, OCTAVIA, KODIAQ, SUPERB
Polo, Vento, Ameo, Tiguan, Passat
A3, A4, A5, A6, RS7, Q3, Q5, Q7, R8
718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, 911, Panamera, Macan, Cayenne, Taycan
Huracán, Aventador, Urus
MUMBAI Marketing, Sales and After-sales Service Management NEW DELHI Regional Office BANGALORE Regional Office EMPLOYEES APPROXIMATELY CURRENTLY WORKING FOR SAVWIPL
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INDIA 2.0
AT FULL THROTTLE MOJMÍR HÁJEK
GREAT MODERNISATION IS UNDERWAY IN INDIA UNDER THE BATON OF THE CZECH AUTOMOBILE COMPANY THE FIRST ROUND OF ASSEMBLY PROCESSES IN PUNE WERE REVITALISED DURING THE INTERRUPTION OF OPERATIONS AT THE TURN OF OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER DURING DIWALI
PRODUCTION AND LOGISTICS MANAGER, SAVWIPL
What are your expectations for the coming years? The next two years will put the skills and capacities of our international team to the test. At the same time, we are to produce up to six different models on two platforms, on the same production line, in various stages of the starting and ending production.
Continuous Coordination
DR. GUIDO HAAK
The management of the region of India includes a very complex agenda, from coining strategy in collaboration with colleagues working in the Czech Republic, India and Group companies, up to its promotion and implementation. This presents continuous harmonisation of all the activities anywhere to avoid duplicity. Much of the work consists of informing interested parties about ongoing activities, decisions made by the Boards, etc. The challenge is not only to overcome linguistic and cultural differences, but often also to manage the time difference of three and a half hours (four and a half in winter).
MANAGER, GM – PRODUCT STRATEGY AND MODULE MANAGEMENT
How will the model portfolio in India expand in the future? Especially for the ŠKODA and Volkswagen brands, we need to create a wide range of products, which will help to make them visible to Indian customers. We take stock of the situation, considering the profitability potential, which tends to be higher in larger cars and in the larger production of small cars. The market is developing dynamically with SUVs and alternative drive systems. What is the situation in terms of electromobility? This topic is growing stronger in India and we certainly want to participate in it. When this happens, it mainly depends on the development of the infrastructure and on regulation. The Indian government has already come up with limited subsidies for locally produced electric cars and plug-in hybrids.
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ŠKODA MOBIL OCTOBER 2019
Different Technologies for the Specific Market In January 2019, the Technology Centre was opened in Pune. Its main task is to search for the solutions and develop the products that will be as close as possible to the Indian market and its customers. This market expects, for example, changes and modifications of the automobiles every year – the model care or facelift, in the way we know from Europe, works only partially in India. “There are other differences due to the completely different infrastructure, the quality of roads and the necessity to cope with not only hot seasons, but also dust and monsoon rains. This ultimately means developing the automobile from the very beginning, taking into account completely different criteria,” explains Milan Malátek, India Region Management.
Construction Work Regardless of the Weather The preparation for the production of new ŠKODA and Volkswagen models is in full swing at the Pune plant. The MQBA0-IN platform requires a number of changes. “At the moment, new areas in Welding and Logistics are being built. The construction work continues as planned, despite the vagaries of Indian weather. In mid-December, we will begin installing new technologies,” says Mojmír Hájek, SAVWIPL Production and Logistics Manager. The new local motor plant has been developing too. It will make it possible to provide the cars with state-of-the-art EA211 aggregates tuned to the specific Indian environment. Other important work is underway in the Paint Shop and Assembly Shop. The assembly line will be extended by 15 cycles and equipped with the latest technologies. There will also be a pre-assembly line for the new platform.
INDIAN TEAM STRENGTH
HOT MEALS, HOT WEATHER AND LOTS OF PEOPLE INDIA IS A BEAUTIFUL AND COLOURFUL COUNTRY WITH FRIENDLY PEOPLE. BUT IT IS ALSO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE ARE USED TO. SO WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM INDIA?
I
ndia is an incredible country – it is amazing, colourful and culturally diverse. With an area of over 3,287,000 km2, it is the largest country in South Asia, the third largest on the Asian continent, and the seventh largest in the world. With a population of 1.353 billion, India is already catching up with the most populous country – China (1.4 billion). India is divided into 29 states and 7 connected territories. In fact, Indians experience only three seasons – summer, monsoon and winter. The biggest local festival is Diwali – the Festival of Light – which is comparable to our Christmas. Central Europeans find the local transportation system rather chaotic. Many drivers do not respect traffic lanes or traffic lights. Whoever arrives at an intersection first, goes first. Highways may be blocked by a giant elephant or a herd of cows walking slowly in the opposite direction. Car ownersʹ habits are also specific. For example, OCTAVIA or SUPERB car owners hire their own drivers. This is almost certain for the luxury models.
Time Passes Slowly Local people are extremely friendly and open. They are very helpful too: they would never ever say anything like “I canʹt, I donʹt know, I donʹt want to...” However, make sure the meaning of the question or problem is clearly understood by both parties. As a rule, elderly people are greatly respected in India. And time passes differently. Do you think that 5 minutes really means 300 seconds? Forget it! No Meat And – meals, of course. Local people are mostly vegetarians or vegans, so you can rarely buy meals containing meat in the canteens. If you ask for a non-spicy meal, you will still feel like your mouth is on fire! Vegetables and fruit are the main components of the Indian diet and can be bought everywhere. Surprisingly, there are not many supermarkets in India. For example: in the 1.3 million population of Aurangabad, there are 5 smaller supermarkets and 1 large shopping centre. ŠTĚPÁN VORLÍČEK
← THE SLOW PACE MUST BE RESPECTED BY DRIVERS
The good name of ŠKODA and VW also assists recruitment in India. For example, approximately 200 new colleagues were given employment for the opening of the Technology Centre. “I very positively perceive the number of qualified professionals, including women, who are interested in working in our company,” says Jan Frydrych, Head of Human Resources at SAVWIPL. “Every day we evaluate about 200 new applications, but the selection and assessment of the actual knowledge and qualities of candidates is a more difficult process than in the Czech Republic, for example.”
Family First Everything revolves around the family in India. The oldest member of the family makes the decisions. The concept of family means the extended family. For example, cousins are seen as brothers and sisters. The eldest son's family usually lives with his parents, daughters follow their husbands to their families. From our point of view, weddings are huge and the family usually falls into debt for several years afterwards.
HELP FOR PEOPLE IN NEED The automobile company assists in the field of healthcare, education, personnel development and environmental protection. Social responsibility activities take place mainly in Aurangabad, Pune and Mumbai. “In Pune, we provided young people suffering from cerebral palsy with a printing press to help them acquire skills and have jobs. And we provided special computers for the vocational school for visually impaired girls in Aurangabad. Other computers provided by us are used by another 14,000 students from poor families in 35 schools in Pune,” says Pankaj Gupta, Vice-President of External Affairs and CSR, SAVWIPL, about the Indian projects within the For Future Initiative.
7
A NEW ADDRESS
Tomáš Bořek
MANAGER, PK – COMPONENTS FOR THE INDIAN REGION
150 km
MLADÁ BOLESLAV
LONG TRIP TO THE BEACH MAY TAKE 6 HOURS DUE TO THE LOCAL TRAFFIC
PUNE
I AM GETTING USED TO THE LOCAL MENTALITY
I
have been working in Pune since April and this is my second job abroad. In India, I am responsible for the Engine Manufacturing team. Before leaving for Asia, I used to be Head of Axle Production at the factory in Mladá Boleslav, CR. So I had to learn a lot of new things to get into the world of engine makers. I managed to establish relationships with colleagues quickly enough; otherwise I would not have been able to survive here in India. Before leaving, we wondered if our children should change schools and complete their secondary education in India – or if they should stay at home with my ex-wife, three dogs and their bunch of friends... In the end, we decided to keep them at home, in the Czech Republic.
I HAVE BUILT A GOOD TEAM WITH CZECH COLLEAGUES; WE USUALLY ENCOUNTER SIMILAR ISSUES AND ARE ABLE TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS TOGETHER
YEARS AGO, I WORKED IN SHANGHAI. ALTHOUGH THE CULTURES DIFFER, THERE IS ONE THING ESSENTIAL FOR EVERY FOREIGNER: YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE CUSTOMS, AND YOU SHOULD FIND A WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH COLLEAGUES
The life of our partners is way more difficult here in India, especially if they are active and do not have to take care of children. While we are happy to be busy at work, the women experience a rather dull, mentally demanding day. I admire them. I appreciate the fact that my girlfriend has joined me to live abroad.
ŠKODA MOBIL OCTOBER 2019
Indičtí kolegové jsou snaživí a učenliví. Zaskočil mě však jeden rys indické povahy. Na první pohled je vlastně pěkný – žádný Ind vás nechce zklamat. Snaží se vám vyhovět, ačkoli ví, že vám pomoci nedokáže. Někdy tato dobře míněná snaha ve výsledku přinese větší trable, než kdyby vás odmítl a doporučil, ať se obrátíte na někoho jiného.
Keeping in Shape Whenever possible, we go swimming or play badminton. We have a slack-line on the terrace (pictured). Over weekends, we go surfing at the beach. We have discovered three beaches to the south of Mumbai that are worth a half-day trip.
Správný mix
Admirable Support
8
Co jsem nečekal
Na kulturní odlišnosti narážím každý den a snažím se je pochopit. Když chcete věci měnit a posouvat dále, musíte nalézt ten správný „indicko-škodovácký“ kompromis. Čistě s jedním nebo druhým přístupem nepochodíte.
Sugar and Milk Separately, please In India, coffee and tea are served with milk and a lot of sugar. So once we asked an English-speaking waiter to bring us the ingredients separately. Do you want to know what appeared on the table? A cup of hot milk, a pile of sugar, and a cup with a spoonful of instant coffee at the bottom.
TRAVEL GUIDE
DIVERSE AND COLOURFUL LEARN ABOUT THE PLACES YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE DISCOVERING IN THEIR LEISURE TIME ON THE INDIAN SUB-CONTINENT
AURANGABAD
ATTRACTIVE FOR TOURISTS It is located in the same state as Bombay and Pune and is an important tourist centre. Its most famous monuments include a replica of the Taj Mahal Bibi Ka Maqbara, which stands outside the city walls, and the ruins of the Naukhanda palace and Jama Masjid mosque. The former centre of the textile industry has turned into a huge industrial zone, dominated by the automotive, electrical, pharmaceutical, chemical and heavy industries.
BOMBAY
A CITY FULL OF CONTRAST The capital city and the most populated city in the Indian state of Maharashtra lies on the west coast. It is home to multi-millionaire mansions on Malabar Hill, skyscrapers, Victorian-style buildings, sparkling shopping centres and slums. Mumbai is the financial and industrial centre of India and is one of the top ten richest cities in the world. It houses important financial institutions, research and development centres, multinational corporations, and is home to the famous Bollywood.
NEW DELHI
A DISTINCTIVE METROPOLIS
PUNE
BANGALORE
There are nine universities in Pune, which is the most prosperous industrial city, boasting many monuments and museums. It is also known as the heart of the Marathi culture with traditional theatre, classical music and dance. The Engine City, as it is called, is the centre of the country's automotive industry. There are local and foreign automakers here, as well as developers and component manufacturers. The economic growth of the region is also supported by the huge technology centres in which major software companies are based.
The third largest Indian city is known as being a cosmopolitan city. Go back in time by travelling south of the centre through the streets of Old Bangalore. Gavi Gangadhareshwara is one of the oldest temples in the city. Bangalore also has Lalbagh, one of the most diverse botanical gardens in Southern Asia. It covers almost 100 hectares. Bangalore is called the “Indian Silicon Valley”. It concentrates 40 % of the IT business in India and is the centre of local start-ups. In the industrial zone of one of the fastest developing cities in the world, with the support of the Czech state, an area for Czech companies will be set up to facilitate their operations in the promising Indian market.
THE CENTRE OF EDUCATION
A CITY OF GARDENS
New Delhi is known for wide boulevards, spectacular views and colonial mansions designed by the British in the 1930s. This city also has government buildings and diplomatic enclaves for ambassadors. There is a shopping complex at the centre of Connaught Place, which was built in 1931. The Jantar Mantar Observatory is located nearby and is surrounded by a park with tall buildings. It is renowned for its terrace-designed Mughal Garden with a water channel and three-level fountains. Telecommunications, energy, construction, media and retail play a key role in the economy of the metropolis.
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C ap ac
iti es
THE FORCE PROGRAM
OUR OBJECTIVE: Globalisation through efficiency and flexibility. OUR DIRECTION: Simply Clever solutions OUR MOTIVATION: Let´s change our thinking to influence our future
← The PPS-4/2 – Concepts for production plants and production strategies, in collaboration with the PPF and PLL; analysis of anticipated volumes of produc-tion to find out whether ŠKODA AUTO would be capable to meet such expecta-tions. Any potential need for increased capacities is discussed with partners from the VW Group.
PRODUCTS AND CAPACITIES
ANNUAL PRODUCTION INCREASED BY 168,000 VEHICLES? A NEW PAINT SHOP WOULD HELP US.
IN INDIA, INCREASING INTEREST IN SUV MODELS IS EXPECTED!
HOW TO CREATE AN IDEAL PRODUCTION CONCEPT AND PLAN THE CAPACITIES TO BETTER RESPOND TO MARKET CHANGES
T
he theme of the fourth action field of the FORCE Program is closely linked to the activities supporting the 2025 Strategy. The ŠKODA brand has made a sig-nificant contribution to the development of capacities and products, not only by cost-effective capacity increases within the EU, but also by the INDIA 2.0 Project, i.e. by creating a new concept of the production plant in Pune, India. As part of the VW Group, it can better deal with the volumes of vehicles required by the Sales departments, as well as with the costs of development and materials, investments and logistics concepts, all in the effort to find an ideal production plan, which, in the future, may result in the production of similar models of dif-ferent brands in one plant. A great example is the ongoing production of Seat Ateca and ŠKODA KAROQ in Kvasiny. Furthermore, the capacity planning process is also influenced by introducing elements of digitalisation and artificial intelligence. Therefore, the PPS department has initiated a project focusing on digitalisation of conceptual production planning, known as the CAPATool, shown to be successful at ŠKODA AUTO and within the VW Group from the very beginning. It has, for instance, assisted in identifying bottlenecks earlier than traditional procedures, so that the PPS now has more space for timely solutions. This new “assistant” only has a temporary name. Can you help us to name it? MICHAL KOBZÁK
ŠKODA ASKS
What name do you suggest for the CAPATool? You can send your suggestion(s) to: michal.kobzak@skoda-auto.cz
Did you know? In 2007, ŠKODA AUTO produced less than 660,000 cars annually? Whereas, last year it produced 1,300,000 cars. This is nearly a 100 % increase in production, which was achieved, among other things, due to the increase in production capacity.
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ŠKODA MOBIL OCTOBER 2019
HOW DOES THE PLANNING LOOK LIKE? Every year, the VVP – Sales Planning department collects information from the markets to define the volumes of automobiles that may be demanded by customers within 10 years. Subsequently, the PPS4/2 department further analyses the data and the prognoses.
ARE OUR CAPACITIES ADEQUATE TO THE DEMAND? The ŠKODA brand has been strengthening during recent years. Continuous ef-forts have been made to increase capacities. While welding and assembly sections were able to produce more vehicles, there was a lack of capacity in painting.
THE TRAFFIC SITUATION IN THE AREA MAY BECOME CRIT-ICAL.
SHOULD WE USE RAILWAY MORE?
CUSTOMERS LIKE THE KAMIQ. WE MUST INCREASE THE CAPACITY!
CLEAR RULES Available information and return of investments in the form of income from additional volumes for the given period are the most important aspects to be consid-ered by the decision makers.
WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? The production volume will be increased by capacity-related measures and shift work. Alternatively, it is possible to utilise unused capacities in other production plants within the Group. The team also takes into consideration transportation and environmental impacts.
In the Past
At Present
In the Future
Last year, the VW Group approved a raise of production flexibility and capacity for Kvasiny and Mladá Boleslav plants by 90 cars per day.
Our customers calls for bigger volumes of our products, so we are considering increase of our production lines' capacities.
The team is working hard on capacity development both in Europe and abroad.
PRODUCTION
AFTER 100 DAYS
DIGITALISATION IN AXLE LOGISTICS
MILOŠ HALBICH
A NEW MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR PRODUCTION IN HALL M1
How did you feel when you first entered the plant as the new boss? I had already been in a number of similar situations before, when I was hired for a managerial position, so I did not prepare in any specific way. I have to admit that managing one of the three plants in the Czech Republic evoked a special feeling of great responsibility. However, I was also eager to continue developing further with my colleagues in Kvasiny.
PLANT MANAGER IN KVASINY
STRONGER SHEETS REDUCING BODY WEIGHT Automakers around the world are searching for methods to reduce the weight of cars due to pres-sure for the reduction of CO2 emissions. A lighter car consumes less fuel, which has an effect on emissions. One way of lightening a car is the use of materials with increased fixed. In the Toolbox for this purpose lower thicknesses of rigid sheets for selected surface parts body are tested. Sheet thickness was decreased in the experiment to 0.60 mm instead of the usual 0.65 or 0.70 mm. This presents a saving of up to several hundred grams of plate for each bodywork part. ŠKODA AUTO tests have proven that technology can also be used in series production. This will be deployed for selected parts in connection with the launch production of another new model. PETR CHALOUPECKÝ
T
he newly implemented production control system in Hall M1, where solutions for all cars produced in Mladá Boleslav and in Kvasiny allowed the introduction into logistic processes of other elements of digitalisation. This process change assists logistics workers in the sequential order of picking parts. Individual steps in the production procedure here have to fit perfectly and include follow up to avoid any downtime and complications, which would increase costs. An example of successful implementation of digital control is the correct sequence of
purchased parts ready for axle produc-tion. Each part is marked with a bar code that is read by using a scanner. If a worker selects a part that is not picked in the sequential palette as the correct one, an error message will appear on the scanner display. The logistics worker will replace the part with the correct one. By repeated check-ing through the scanner, he is assured that his job has been done flawlessly. In this manner, approx-imately 14,000 parts are picked daily at 15 sequential workplaces. RED
APPROXIMATELY THIS QUANTITY OF REDUCED CAR WEIGHT IN MATERIAL USED FOR ONE SURFACE PART
What were you most fond of at the new worksite? Above all, the open and honest atmosphere that prevails in Kvasiny and the enthusiasm of the local employees. I was obviously also pleased by how well I was accepted by my colleagues. Is there anything that you are concerned about? I wouldn’t say so, or I wouldn’t call it concerns. I devote most of my efforts to the production of the plug-in SUPERB iV hybrid. Over the past 100 days, everyone has in some way or another dealt with this issue, so everything is falling into place. You are a manager with a lot of experience. Has anything unexpected truly surprised you? Yes, one thing does come to mind: I was not expecting the employees to have such great facilities following the recent modernisation of the plant. I think that the canteen in Kvasiny sets a great example for all other businesses, not only here. The whole plant is very well organised. Do you have any idea as to what the next 100 days will bring? As Plant Manager, I have to look much further than that. So, I believe that I know it quite accurately. My colleagues and the social partner and I will continue to work intensively on the plant’s next phase of modernisation and the improvement of the conditions of employees. By that time, the new worksite for atypical assembly tasks related to electrical drives will be complete. MARTINA GILLICHOVÁ
11
VRCHLABÍ
1
1 In 2015, the Vrchlabí plant won “Factory of the Year” – the most prestigious award in the manufacturing industry 2 ŠKODA 1203 became the most widespread Czech utility vehicle of the 20th century, and almost 70,000 units were produced in Vrchlabí between 1968 and 1981.
2
FROM KRKONOŠE TO THE WORLD THIS YEAR, THE TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED ŠKODA AUTO PLANT IN VRCHLABÍ CELEBRATES 155 YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE
T
he Vrchlabí plant was established as early as 1864 and became part of ŠKODA AUTO in 1946. The Czech automaker first produced cars there. However, seven years ago, it significantly modernised its operation within 18 months and converted it into a component-producing plant. In 2015, it won the “Factory of the Year” award for its rapid preparation of changes and dynamic development. Today, approximately 1,000 employees at the foot of the Krkonoše Mountains produce approximately 2,200 DQ 200 automatic transmissions with direct shifting per day. A total of 38 % of them are used in ŠKODA vehicles, 62 % are used in other VW Group brand models. More than one half of all the transmissions proceed to
1864
The new Petera and Sons Company establishes a saddlery in Vrchlabí and begins producing carriages of all kinds
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ŠKODA MOBIL OCTOBER 2019
Germany; other customers are plants in India, Poland, Russia, Spain, South Africa and Hungary. “Today, the Vrchlabí plant is one of the most modern operations in the VW Group and is one of the most important industrial employers in the Hradec Králové Region. Last year, we managed to produce more than 538,700 DQ 200 transmissions, and we will surpass the 3 million milestone still in this year,” says Dr Ivan Slimák, Manager of the Vrchlabí plant. Industry 4.0 in Practice A cooperating robot helps employees fit shifting pistons – this is a sensitive activity in transmission manufacturing. What is called the handling robot supplies parts to dozens of machines
1908
and transports empty containers back to the warehouse. The automaker also uses the services of its autonomous transport robot. On its way through the plant, the system recognises obstacles and includes other local information in the real-time planning of its route. If necessary, it adjusts its route to reach its destination as quickly as possible. The robot can load up to 130 kilograms of cargo at a time and, unlike conventional autonomous transport systems, it learns its route once a worker travels with the robot through the individual stations once, controlling the robot with a tablet or joystick. The robot completes about 120 trips per day and drives a total of 35 kilometres on its route. RED
The first automobile body is produced in the plant, indicating its further manufacturing activity
1946
The body shop is nationalised and incorporated into AZNP Mladá Boleslav
ROBOTISATION AND PRODUCTION AUTOMATION HAVE RAISED THE VRCHLABÍ PLANT TO THE ABSOLUTE TOP IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR
1952
The Vrchlabí plant starts producing its ŠKODA 1200 model
PARTNERSHIP
Where we Supply our DQ 200
SHARE OF TRANSMISSIONS FROM VRCHLABÍ MADE FOR
ŠKODA AUTO
38 % 62 %
GERMANY Ingolstadt Osnabrück Wolfsburg Zwickau
SPAIN Martorell
OTHER VW GROUP BRANDS
VRCHLABÍ IS A PLANT IN WHICH EVERY TECHNICALLYBASED HEART WILL REJOICE. VIEWING THE MACHINING NESTS, VACUUM HARDENER, AND TEST LINE WAS ABSOLUTELY IMPRESSIVE.
THE INTEREST IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS FROM VRCHLABÍ IS GROWING YEAR BY YEAR THE CURRENT CAPACITY IS
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA Uitenhage
2,200 98 3
UNITS
PER DAY, WHICH IS
UNITS
POLAND Poznań
PER HOUR OR
DOMINIK VALÁŠEK JOURNALIST OF THE GARÁŽ.CZ PORTAL
UNITS
CZECH REPUBLIC Mladá Boleslav Kvasiny
EVERY TWO MINUTES
ŠKODA SUPPORTS THE LARGEST AMATEUR CYCLING EVENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST
TOTAL PRODUCTION OF TRANSMISSIONS (IN MILLIONS OF UNITS) 0,5
1
2
3
Š
HUNGARY Győr
RUSSIA Kaluga Nizhny Novgorod
INDIA Pune
2012
2012
2014
2016
2018
2019
WE SUPPLY OUR MODERN DQ200 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS TO
INSIDE THE FACTORY
PLANTS
On 9 October, nearly 20 journalists from the Czech and foreign media visited the ŠKODA AUTO plant in Vrchlabí. During the morning programme, they had the opportunity of viewing the production of the DQ200 modern automatic transmissions with direct shifting and also the internal logistics in the plant. After lunch, test drives in the KODIAQ 4×4 or KODIAQ RS were arranged. After that, an informal dinner was held in the presence of the Mayor of Vrchlabí and Senator Jan Sobotka.
13 8
A fundamental transformation transforms the plant's operations from car production to dual clutch transmission production
COUNTRIES
2014
Transformation into a technologically advanced plant capable of operating in accordance with Industry 4.0 rules
DUBAI CHALLENGE KODA has been the proud partner of the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge for ten years now. The build-up to the first of these three races started on 20 September. These races are part of the international UCI Grand Fondo series competition that takes place all around the world. Each stage is longer than the previous one, so that all participants gradually prepare for the final and longest stage. More than 400 competitors took part in the 45km preliminary race, which took place at the Al Qudra bike track in Dubai. Food and entertainment for all the athletes and spectators was taken care of. The programme was diverse, with many interesting activities to celebrate the competition’s tenth anniversary. The second preliminary race took place on 11 October at the same place and the track was 20km longer. The second-last, 85km race will be held on 11 November. The Spinneys Dubai 92 Junior Rides is making a comeback following its success in 2018. The 2.5km, 15km and 30km timed races are for children aged 6–15 years. These races will be held at the Motor Racing Circuit in Dubai on Thursday, 28 November. This is also the venue for the final stage of this year’s race, which will be held one day later. All competitors will compete on the 100km course on Friday, 29 November.ŠTĚPÁN VORLÍČEK
2019
In the year of celebrations, the plant will produce its already three millionth DQ 200 transmission
You can register for the remaining races at: www.cyclechallenge.ae www.hopasports.com
13
TECHNOLOGIE
Laura's Current Functionalities Infotainment in the vehicle
Media control Navigation settings Making calls Dictating SMS
Condition of the vehicle Driving statistics
Smart home devices equipped with Alexa voice assistant and Google Home
Last parking position Report by the car health card POI and dealer search and import
Web browser
YOU WILL BE FRIENDS WITH LAURA ŠKODA AUTO HAS PRESENTED A NEW VOICE CONTROL SYSTEM AT THIS YEAR'S CAR SHOW IN FRANKFURT
K
AMIQ and SCALA drivers with the top Amundsen infotainment system no longer have to press any buttons inside the cab. Just say the magic words: “Okay, Laura!” and activate the digital assistant. For example, you can use your voice to enter your destination and start the navigation, search for your favourite music, or dictate an SMS to Laura. KAMIQ and SCALA models are standardly equipped with an eSIM card and are always online. This allows drivers quickly and flexibly to give Laura all the commands. Laura speaks English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Czech, including dialects, and understands fluently pronounced sentences. The driver can interrupt the dialogue at any time and quickly enter a new command. During the dialogue, the
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ŠKODA MOBIL OCTOBER 2019
radio or music player only slightly lowers its volume to give you a pleasant feeling of natural conversation. The new functionalities of the digital assistant Laura will be further developing, improving, expanding and appearing in other ŠKODA models. In the future, for example, Laura will be able to control more of the car's functions or respond even more fluently to whole sentences; a simple conversation will be possible as well. It is also planned to use an advanced voice control application outside the vehicle, for example, in mobile or web applications or via an on-line configurator. Laura, however, will not only serve customers, but also company employees and suppliers (examples of its use can be found in the column “Laura's Current Functionalities”).RED
Laura's Parents At the very beginning, it was a varied mix of automobile factory teams that brought the digital assistant Laura to life. Besides the EEH staff responsible for the development of Laura in the car, the VC, GGS, GG and EDI Departments are also involved, to be followed by the FIV, FI/1, VMC, VMP, GKP, VM, VB and VA teams in a short time. The GG2 project owner team greatly appreciates this collaboration and considers it necessary in the dynamic environment of today.
Recommendations for a suitable vehicle based on customer needs Information on an example offer Answering frequently asked questions when buying a vehicle Helping with its configuration Booking a trial ride Request for a price quotation for the selected car Arranging a visit to the dealer Information on financial services and guarantees Information about ŠKODA AUTO
Chatbots for IT and HR Departments
Auxiliary functionalities for internal use
Other uses
Brand presentations e.g. at conferences and car shows
Note: You can look forward to advanced functionalities in all these areas in the coming days
THOUGHTFUL TRUCK BRAND LOGISTICS TESTED A SCANIA WITH LNG ALTERNATIVE FUEL IN SEPTEMBER.
Š
KODA AUTO did the testing on the routes Mladá Boleslav – Bielefeld and Uznach, also together with the forwarders, Yusen Logistics and CS Cargo. The truck has a range of 1,300 km and is powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is considerably more eco-friendly than conventional fuels. In comparison with diesel engines, its production of particulate matter is lower by 95 %, nitro-gen oxide by 90 % and CO2 by 25 %. The noise level caused by combustion is 50 % lower. The main advantage of LNG as compared to CNG is its three times smaller volume – and therefore a three times longer range with the same tank volume. An LNG tractor unit can reach up to 1,300 km. Being a match for diesel trucks, it becomes an interesting alternative for heavy, long-distance haulage. Vehicles powered by LNG are 15 % more fuel-efficient and appear to be a good substitute for diesel. The implementation of LNG propulsion in truck transport is hampered mainly by the weak infra-structure, which consists of approx. 150 LNG filling stations, located mainly in the southern, western and northern parts of Europe. In Czechia, there is only a single, private filling station located in Louny. LNG technologies are still more expensive than diesel vehicles. Their purchase price is higher by a half and the return is approx. five years. Moreover, LNG propulsion has not yet enjoyed much legislative support. RED
TRAINS HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT GREEN OPERATION PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN CARMAKERS’ LOGISTICS
R
ailway trucks loaded with new cars or material leave the ŠKODA AUTO plants every day. They transport 56 % of the daily production to destinations abroad. Eight trains depart from Mladá Boleslav and six from Kvasiny. The railway in the main factory has 20 km of rails, 7 railroad cross-ings, 63 switches and 2 modern EffiShunter locomotives. Each weighs 72 tons and can carry even the heaviest train sets of up to 1,400 tonnes. Eco-friendly Engines The just-one-year old locomotives are powered by engines with catalytic converters that meet the strictest emission standards of Stage IIIb. They consume 50 % of fuel compared to engines in pre-vious locomotives. In addition to the reduced CO2 production, their friendliness towards the envi-ronment is also evidenced by the fact that the current engines consume over 80 % less oil than the original engines. Both engines serve seven shipping locations in the main plant. Clear Timetable The railway operates just like any freight station, and the trains follow railway regulations. The traffic is precisely planned and trains
follow a timetable. Everything is managed by a dispatcher, who communicates with the employees of the national railway network. Train dispatchers and engine drivers receive vocational education, shunters are trained. A Considerate Future ŠKODA AUTO is expecting to strengthen its rail transport in the future, as it is more eco-friendly than road transport. However, its kick-in is restrained by the lack of special railway trucks, insuffi-cient traffic routes and the number of locomotives. Also, there are not enough drivers and road transport is still cheaper. Nevertheless, trains provide a more attractive transport alternative. Logis-tics dispatches 200 railway trucks loaded with cars every day, and Mladá Boleslav alone sends out over 350,000 cars on more than 34,000 railway trucks per year. RED
A Conference on the Train In September, Brand Logistics initiated a meeting of experts within the GreenTRAIN Conference, devoted to changes in the transport infrastructure in the Czech Republic. Representatives of major companies boarded the “Green Train”, travelling from Prague to Nymburk. A programme that fo-cused on supporting rail transportation was discussed during the journey, which took place in a set consisting of ČD Cargo, ČD and SŽDC carriages. "Experts and managers talked about the devel-opment of logistics and eco-friendly transport," says Jiří Cee, Head of Brand Logistics and Guarantor of VW Group’s Green Logistics.
IF ALL THE DISPATCHED TRAINS WERE CONNECTED ONE AFTER ANOTHER, THEIR LENGTH WOULD EXCEED 900 KM, WHICH IS THE DISTANCE FROM MLADÁ BOLESLAV TO PARIS
15
06 SHARED REPORTS AND STATISTICS IF YOU WORK WITH DATA AND ANALYSE AND PROCESS INFORMATION, THEN YOU PROBABLY KNOW AND USE THE POWER BI TOOL. IT NOW COMES IN THE PREMIUM VERSION
P
ower Business Intelligence, or Power BI for short, is a user-friendly tool we described in more detail in ŠKODA Mobil 02/2019. During the two years since it was deployed in the car factory, this fully-fledged solution for reporting automation and digitisation has gradually been made available to all employees. As of September this year, it is available in the enhanced Premium version – you can now also digitally share and work with reports in the mobile app. “I am constantly surprised at how an ordinary office computer can handle such large volumes of data. Tens of millions of lines of records? No problem,” says Adam Pavel from PPD – Digitisation and Industry 4.0. Thanks to the intuitive and self-servicing tool, the number of employees who digitise complex information and statistics is
0 0 2,0
OF N S S A LL O I S L AT RO TAL BI AC S S N R T I WE EN PO ARTM P DE
40
US
16
5
ED AIN TR YEES PLO OL EM E TO H T IN G
ŠKODA MOBIL OCTOBER 2019
constantly growing – which makes the decision-making in the areas of expertise easier and brings ŠKODA AUTO one step closer to a data-driven company. The advantage of the self-service solution is zero costs for specialised departments, as Power BI is fully covered by the IT budget. “Not only has the multilevel training steeply increased our employees’ interest in the data industry, delivering a significant transformation of work, but Power BI has also literally caused a boom in applications and visualisation. If you are slightly nifty, you can create a functional productive solution in a few hours with which your colleagues and superiors can immediately work on their mobile phones,” says Tereza Vyskočilová from SB – Operational HR Care, Digitalisation and HR 4.0. ŠTĚPÁN VORLÍČEK D DE TEN T SA WA G IN EN AIN OM TR W OF BY: N ME OF
For easier decisionmaking The Power BI service is a great example of digital transformation that we hear about in relation to the transfer of business systems to the cloud. Today, the tool makes it possible for companies to use the technologies that were previously unreachable, for example, due to high computing power requirements, software licences, etc. “You can easily build a highly sophisticated solution from readily accessible elements in the cloud; and the solution uses, for instance, machine-learning and AI to process large volumes of data and decision-making support. Such technology is Power BI, which is also available to all employees free of charge, including the training,” says Vyskočilová.
% 35 % 65 L A R E EV
D AN GS C TS N I E SAV ROJ OF UL P K F Z F C ESS S O SUCC N LI O F MIL ENS O Z DO
S
How does it work in production?
How to do it More information about this useful tool can be found on the Team website, containing instructions, manuals, materials and workshop videos. Following the instructions, you can also install and launch the application, trying out what you can do with report results and how to display and interpret them. There are naturally several levels of training courses available: from initial e-learning to expert training.
The benefits for Production and Logistics are both financial and non-financial. “Thanks to a report in Power BI, incorrect sequences have recently been identified in an MB assembly shop. About 45-minute downtime was prevented at the very last minute, saving the car manufacturer approx. EUR 200,000,” says Jakub Vancl from FIB – Shopfloor IT. Kvasiny are very happy about the community that has been created around Power BI, as well as about the simple and intuitive interface, the everincreasing functionalities and the possibility to interconnect resources. “We are already using automated reporting in our Body Shop in Kvasiny without manual intervention. The web service enables everyone to monitor information related to their workplace operation,” adds Jan Novotný from PFK – Kvasiny Car Production.
Communication “We were the first to implement Power BI in the VW Group. I welcome its simple user interface, excellent functionality and easy integration with Office 365. The positive feedback among employees has led to the decision to build a Power BI competence centre for the entire VW Group,” says Jiří Boček from FI/1 – Solution Implementation. Apart from the good tool, the preparation of data that the department is currently working on is very important.
Open Possibilities “Power BI represents a revolution in the relationships between specialised departments and IT, to a certain extent. We register a great demand for knowledge from our co-workers from other departments – something that was an exclusive part of IT work not too long ago. And it's not just about business intelligence itself – it also concerns data modelling and the knowledge of the SQL language,” says Jaroslav Rys, FIA – IT – Control and Support Processes.
@SMART Applications THE DIGITAL AGENDA TRANSFERS MANY DAY-TO-DAY ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES TO THE COMPUTER WORLD. TODAY, LET’S HAVE A LOOK AT HOW TEAMWORK CAN BE DONE EFFECTIVELY AND WITHOUT PAPER
Remote Teamwork Control As the name suggests, the Teamwork app offers to enter, track and control teamwork from anywhere: from a foreman's PC, tablet, or from a large digital team board on the production floor (see ‘Do you know that…’). The app updates basic data about teams and their staffing automatically from SAP. The application alerts to task completion deadlines and any possible delays. Its introduction eliminated the monthly printing of paper forms, their filling-in, rewriting and storage. Teamwork also includes the Team Coordinator Selection function, which is used by foremen and production team leaders. Monitoring the team coordinators’ set terms, it warns the supervisors in advance about their expiration. It also generates documents on the selection, appointment and termination of team coordinators, which are then automatically sent to the respective HR department.
USER SUPPORT IN ONE PLACE IT Points, which have been used by ŠKODA AUTO employees since 2010, are being transformed through revitalisation into modern customer centres. The branch in Mladá Boleslav opened in early October. The extended areas are complemented by a small showroom with the currently offered equipment, computers, laptops, mobile phones and accessories, such as headsets for Skyping. The IT Point is intended for all users of company mobile devices and computers from the entire car factory. The local IT technicians will be happy to welcome anyone who wants personally to set up their company computer, perform minor mechanical repairs or diagnostics, get help with application installation, etc. The IT Point in Mladá Boleslav also offers a vending machine for mobile phone accessories, available 24/7. If successful, it will become part of other customer centres, such as in Kvasiny, where the ongoing revitalisation is going to be completed in November.
REDIRECTION STARTS! The redirection of the Employee Portal to ŠKODA Space has just started. As part of the stress testing, the redirection will be gradual and will be completed in the second half of November. It is during that period that ŠKODA Space will become the primary portal for all users. The Employee Portal will be working in parallel by the end of the year, and accessible via ŠKODA Space and My Applications (Utility section) or Favourite Applications unless you’ve reorganised them. Completely new features can be found on the portal in 2020. For IT support, please contact Service Desk at 17777.
What will be available Homepage with News Utility section (About Me, Maps, Menus, Apps, Media, Work Information) Favourite Apps
Virtual Board The Team Board app likewise replaces paper forms and is used to monitor the standard parameters of production teams. It is automatically updated from SAP and displays the composition on the board: members, foreman and team coordinator. The application enables the foreman to add or remove agency workers. Any department can additionally evaluate the fulfilment of production targets and occupational safety, as well as automatically propose the employees’ work rotation schedule. The application also contains logs from team interviews; the foremen can assign topics to all their teams and monitor the performance. The app then automatically carries any unresolved tasks over to the next month.
IT POINT MLADÁ BOLESLAV CAN BE FOUND NEXT TO BUILDING V8 NEAR GATE 3; OPEN MON – FRI FROM 8 AM TO 4 PM, WITH THE VENDING MACHINE AVAILABLE 24/7
300 %
INCREASE IN MOBILE PHONE USERS OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS
9,000
EMPLOYEES USE COMPANY SMARTPHONES
3,000
EMPLOYEES USE BUTTON PHONES
Organisation with Contacts Search (both in News and Contacts)
LESS PAPER WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF INFORMATION
MORE ECOFRIENDLY ŠKODA MOBIL In October, the ‘Think Digitally, Print Minimally’ initiative was also joined by Internal Communication. The October issue of the employee newspaper presented a number of graphic and content adjustments that take the current trends in corporate printout processing into consideration. The newspaper is published in a smaller and more practical B4 format, saving a tonne of paper for a 32-page issue. In future, the editors also want to modernise the on-line version to reduce costs further and to make the newspaper-reading on mobile devices more convenient.
Do you know that... … the digital board has a wider utilisation: apart from displaying the teamwork applications, it further allows, among other things, foremen to train employees, access to electronic work instructions and other team information? It can also be used for the eSFM application – e-visualisation of the production indicator performance at various levels of production control.
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MOTORSPORT
CHAMPIONS!* Kalle Rovanperä became the youngest world champion in the history of the WRC. He has been driving with his co-driver, Jonne Halttunen for the ŠKODA Motorsport factory team since 2018. Their new FABIA R5 evo drove them to their title.
JONNE HALTTUNEN He has been racing since 2009. He made his debut as a co-driver in the Rally Finland in 2011 in a car driven by Santeri Jokinen. For the next three years, he was the navigator of Matias Kauppinen, but he had to wait for his greatest achievements, which came with the right driver.
VICTORY AND TITLE IN WALES THE ŠKODA MOTORSPORT ROVANPERÄ AND HALTTUNEN FACTORY CREW BECAME WORLD CHAMPIONS IN THE WRC 2 PRO* CATEGORY.
B
efore the start of the British Rally, everyone was wondering if the 19-year-old Finnish driver, Kalle Rovanperä, and his navigator, Jonne Halttunen, could win the World Champion title in the WRC 2 Pro category as early as two races before the end of the series. The closely watched crew
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ŠKODA MOBIL OCTOBER 2019
of the ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo dominated from the start of the rally. A minor complication was a tyre de-fect during the penultimate Friday speed test, which temporarily put Kalle and Jonne in second po-sition. However, on the Saturday, they took their victory back and did not let go. After
the races in Chile, Portugal, Sardinia, and Finland, it was the fifth victory of this year, and the ŠKODA Motor-sport crew secured its title*. “Today is a great day for all of us. I have to thank Kalle and Jonne, as well as the entire team, including our engineers and mechanics, everyone who has contributed to this success in some way,” said Michal Hrabánek, ŠKODA Motorsport Chief. For the Czech brand, the triumph at the British Rally was two-fold, because another factory crew, Jan Kopecký and Jan Hloušek, took the Silver position behind the victorious Rovanperä/Halttunen tandem. The ŠKODA Motorsport team has also strengthened its leadership in the overall manufacturer ratings. RED * The result is subject to confirmation by the FIA
KALLE ROVANPERÄ The son of competition driver, Harri Rovanpera, he began to train as a kid. His YouTube hit was the video in which, at the age of 8 years, he drove through frozen Finnish plains in his dad's car. He completed his first race at the age of 12 years in Latvia, where racers did not have to be in posses-sion of any driver’s licences.
WRC 2 AND WRC 2 PRO VICTORIES 2017 Australian Rally 2018 Wales Rally GB Rally de Catalunya 2019 Rally Chile Rally de Portugal Rally Sardinia Rally Finland Wales Rally GB
300 SPECIALS SOLD THE JUBILEE FABIA R5 WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE REPRESENTATIVES OF PRINTSPORT RACING IN SEPTEMBER This important milestone in the history of ŠKODA Motorsport confirms the successful collaboration with our customer teams. The FABIA R5 or FABIA R5 evo has already been selected by 123 teams since April 2015. As a result, the ŠKODA brand accounts for 34 % of all the R5 cars produced. The Printsport Racing team was founded in 1997 and is run by the former Finnish rally driver, Eero Räikkönen. Numerous drivers have passed through his hands and eventually attained the highest achievements. Let us name Esapekka Lappi and Ole Christian Veiby, since both of them successfully represented the ŠKODA Motorsport factory team.
HOW STUFF WORKS
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FROM DESIGNER TO PRODUCTION LINE
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STARTUP MANAGEMENT WORKERS TAKE CARE OF THE INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT PRODUCTION PHASES
T
he delivery of the first cars to the customer is preceded by a long phase of preparations. Their production phase starts in the PA Department – Startup Management. It coordinates the whole range of activities that transform a car into a finished product from drawings, models and prototypes. This was no different before the start of the ŠKODA KAMIQ model production. LUDĚK VOKÁČ
1 The key to the success of the entire launch always rests on its correct timing. The PA Department begins with its careful planning and preparations about three years before the start of a new car production. At that time, there is often only a set of sketches available, or models created by the ŠKODA Design Department. 2 A detailed plan with clear project deadlines is created by the G1 – Small Baureihe Department staff that takes care of a given product line. Startup Management estimates the initial amount of pre-production cars to be built and also plans the Pilot Hall utilisation.
3 In the early project stages, virtual reality assists employees who take care of the startup. In the Virtual Studio, they will see both the car design and some specific technical solutions and verify their functionality. 4 Approximately two years before serial production starts, the prepared model design is “frozen”, and the PA Department verifies the final producibility in the Pilot Hall. At this stage, the car concept is also often presented to the public. In the case of the KAMIQ model, the car manufacturer provided information of its VISION X concept.
5 Startup Management begins to verify the producibility of the first parts. The 3D printing method creates prototypes of the individual car parts. The first samples of car bodies are produced, and the possibility of assembling the whole product is tested. The car is already technically and visually developed, and the car manufacturer begins to enquire about the individual parts from its suppliers. 6 Many departments are involved in supplier enquiries. Their activities are coordinated by Startup Management. At this phase, almost everything is purchased – punches for body parts, plastic mouldings, interior equipment, etc. Quality becomes the focus.
7 When the first series car parts come together, the production validation phase starts. The first cars being built in the Pilot Hall are tested for their producibility directly on the line where the given model will be built. 8 The zero series production follows, which in terms of quality and functionality corresponds to standard serial cars, only the very latest details are being fine-tuned. Cars from this series are then used for the car manufacturer’s internal needs or for rescuer training. Everything is ready for a production start, and the first serial KAMIQ leaves its production line.
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