Process for preparing work instructions : A multiple case study at Volvo Group Trucks Operations

Sammanfattning: A study made by Johansson, Fast-Berglund and Moestam (in press) shows that diversity regarding how information is used exists in global production networks. To be closer to markets, organizations have chosen to globalize their business which is one reason for why diversity arises. This because product types and brands historically have been different. One company that is currently working with improving consistency among processes is Volvo Group Trucks Operations (GTO). The company wants to evaluate how the process for preparing assembly work instructions looks like at different sites within their production network. This enables Volvo GTO to start their work towards a standardized process and uniformity. A starting point for this is to make a current state analysis of the process for preparing assembly work instructions when producing Volvo trucks, engines and transmissions in Sweden. The purpose is to identify key activities within the process and important factors to consider when standardizing the process. This is done on three sites, one for each area. Volvo GTO is the part of the Volvo Group that covers all production of engines and transmissions as well as the production of Volvo, Renault, Mack, and UD trucks. In 2012 the group choose to reorganize from brand based where each brand was an own organization to joint units, for example center of development, operations etc. This has led to a greater need of one common process for preparing assembly work instructions in order to create uniformity among the brands Volvo, Renault, Mack, and UD trucks. The result of the current state analysis shows that the process for preparing assembly work instructions is differently performed depending on the site studied. Despite this, some activities in each process are similar. These were found to be: design, review, time setting, time analysis, balancing, station marking, create assembly work instructions, and share information. Since some activities actually are similar, it would be possible to standardize the process for preparing assembly work instructions in the future. Important to consider when standardizing a process is to create awareness and involvement among employees. It is also important to have the management committed as well as uniformity among IT systems used when performing a process. One last thing to consider is that the process needs to be adaptable because sites are located all over the world and have different culture and regulations.