Automotive News - June 2, 2008 - (Page 42)

42 • JUNE 2, 2008 VW turns to common software to develop products Ralph Kisiel rkisiel@crain.com Volkswagen AG has begun a fiveyear project to equip designers and engineers with common software that will allow them to work more collaboratively across all of the company’s eight brands. VW currently uses two computeraided design software systems for product development: Dassault Systemes’ Catia and PTC’s Pro/Engineer Wildfire. This makes it difficult for designers and engineers in multiple locations to collaborate on a digital vehicle mock-up. So to improve the efficiency of its global product development, VW is installing Teamcenter software from Siemens PLM Software Inc., said Oliver Riedel, head of information technology strategy and projects for VW’s Audi brand. Fostering teamwork Benefits to VW from using Siemens’ Teamcenter software Creates central repository for all product development data Links designers and engineers within a brand or across brands Brings together designers, engineers and others, regardless of location, to view product data Source: Siemens PLM Software, VW “If you include Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, I assume this number will be much higher.” Neutral format With Teamcenter, data from dissimilar computer-aided design systems are converted into a neutral file format for transmission between users or to be viewed by multiple VW staffers in different locations. The format used is JT, a lightweight data format developed in the mid-1990s by a company now owned by Siemens PLM Software. Siemens PLM, of Plano, Texas, is a business unit of Siemens AG’s Siemens Industry Automation Division. VW designers and engineers now must use a combination of computer-aided design data, phone calls, e-mails and faxes to collaborate during product development. “The problem they are trying to solve is how you bring those two types Central database VW wants Teamcenter to be a central repository for all of the company’s product data. The VW group encompasses the Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brands. Data in this repository should be available to any authorized user in the VW Group at any time, Riedel said. As part of this Teamcenter rollout, VW will standardize product development procedures across all brands, he said. VW currently is in the pilot phase of the software rollout. Riedel said VW is using Teamcenter to consolidate all data from body-in-white development for a forthcoming Audi vehicle and an existing VW vehicle undergoing a face-lift .c of data together when you put the vehicle together to do a mock-up, and that’s all going to be done in JT,” says Dave Taylor, director of automotive marketing at Siemens PLM Software. VW is not divulging its investment. Ultimately, 45,000 employees will use Teamcenter worldwide, Riedel told Automotive News. “That’s the number of internal people,” he said. MASTER YOUR DOMAIN EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR ADVERTISING IN ONE PLACE "This is the most cutting edge, innovative and forward thinking advertising tool I've ever seen. It's a no-brainer for anyone who is looking for an agency that provides empirical data about the past and the present, allowing them to make impactful decisions about the future." Continental’s Calif. office targets Asian carmakers April Wortham awortham@crain.com Craig Whetter, Executive VP Wilson Automotive Group View Mail View Calendar View Media Rpt View TV Spot View P.O.P. View RL Polk Rpt Listen to Radio Spot View Web Spot Mudd Advertising is proud to announce the launch of Mudd AdTracks, a new online tool that collates all of your creative, media plans, market research, communications, and campaign measurements in one convenient location. Now you can monitor your advertising 24-7 from anywhere in the world. Over time, your entire advertising history will be kept in one place for easy access. Not only that, but your campaigns can be directly compared to your ups and sales figures to gauge effectiveness. Take control over your advertising today, Give us a Call. TV • Radio • Direct Marketing Interactive • Newspaper • Hispanic Media Strategy & Execution LOS ANGELES — Continental AG has a batch of new interiors products with its purchase of Siemens VDO. Now it is emerging from under the chassis and into the Southern California sunlight. The purchase of Siemens VDO last fall, plus the 2006 acquisition of Motorola Inc.’s automotive business, gives Continental products and technology that for the first time put its brand in direct contact with the customer, especially in the high-growth areas of interiors and powertrain. The German supplier, best known for tires and brake systems, has opened a one-woman business development office in San Diego. The goal: drum up business with Asian automakers, many of which have their U.S. styling studios in the area. “When we were just chassis and safety, everything was decided in Japan. But when you get into the styling — the interior, telematics — you have to be here,” Jason Toffolo, vice president of sales for Continental Automotive Systems and key account manager for Japanese and Korean automakers, told Automotive News here last month. The supplier hopes to sell Asian customers such forthcoming products as instrument clusters with screen colors that can be customized and a key fob that shows how much fuel is left in the tank, even if you’re half a mile from the car. Continental doesn’t calculate sales in a way that shows how much North American business comes from Asian automakers, but it wants more, said William Kozyra, who resigned last week as Continental’s North American CEO. Take Hyundai Motor Co. and sibling Kia Motors Corp. In Korea, Continental supplies both with such components as sensors and instrument clusters for several vehicles sold in North America. But Hyundai and Kia are newcomers to North American manufacturing. Hyundai’s Alabama plant opened in 2005. Kia’s Georgia factory will start production in late 2009. So the volume of North American business is low. Toffolo says Continental’s relationship with Hyundai and Kia in South Korea “should put us in a position to grow as they grow here.” Continental will supply the instrument cluster for Kia’s next-generation Sorento SUV to be built in Georgia. Continental also is in the running to supply hardware for an in-vehicle music and information system that Hyundai will debut in cars sold in North America in 2010.c Maintain tire pressure. Retain customer loyalty. The UltraFill® 99+ Nitrogen Tire Inflation System offers the highest purity and the ability to service multiple bays in a compact, low-cost unit. We also offer an Automatic Inflation Cart that can fill all four tires to uniform pressure at once while still on a vehicle. © 2008 Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Offering UltraFill 99+ high-purity nitrogen tire inflation is the best new customer retention tool. 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Automotive News - June 2, 2008 Gas prices fuel industry's new era Chrysler faces tricky dealer mergers Honda may crank out more Civics in N.A. Mercedes will move into Chrysler Pacifica studio Ford to offer hatchback version of Fiesta Prestige Automotive sells stores but keeps Black Enterprise top spot Dealership marketers take to text messaging Senate to hear personal pleas on roof crush rule Magazine: Chrysler, Fiat are talking Former Fla. dealer gets jail for bilking bank That guy Alfred had possibilities Ford will make next Mustang look smaller Pontiac subcompact may come to U.S. GM: Battery glitch cuts hybrid sales Porsche exec: CAFE 'will not change our nature' Japanese rivals race for lithium batteries Jatco boosts CVT capacity in Mexico for N.A. vehicles Mercury deserves a better chance Rising gas prices have changed the U.S. market Marketing and sales: Context and content Mexico's Nemak grows beyond North America Buyers didn't quit GM; GM quit on its buyers Brand perceptions change slowly Bloggers are journalists, too Nice HQ, Nissan, but where's Nobe? Chrysler's Chernoby: Growing up gearhead Picture this Mitsubishi hopes new gearbox widens Evo's appeal Openlane gets funds Obituaries Survey: Going green can get your auto ad noticed Inrix: Router can reduce traffic delays Mazda6 gets own platform for U.S. ... sort of Mazda6 set to take on mid-sized sedan heavyweights Troubled or not, the United States still beckons What's next? More transplant models headed this way Exports help as Mitsubishi sorts things out Irma Elder: 'This is one of the toughest times we have had' Fitzgerald: Dealers, consumers need alliance Can Bertone design a comeback? Family-owned business struggles for survival Some design houses fall on tough times Hughes: Not a subscriber? No problem American Axle lines up new non-U.S. business GM think tank works to boost service business Toyota offers gas card as tire incentive VW turns to common software to develop products Continental's Calif. office targets Asian carmakers ZF sees chassis, axle opportunities in N.A. Flex: A new Ford image ... or just over the top? Ford targeted Flex interior quiet, ride Ex-dealership managers say firings were over religion Dealers Genesis in Toledo: It's a long story Back woes sideline Nardelli GM: 19,000 take buyouts Panama to head Nissan Mexicana Wilhite jumps to Jumpstart Dauch sons move up, out Kozyra leaves Continental Ford to lay off salaried staff More small cars to arrive in 2009-10 Even on used market, big trucks go begging Auto advertisers adopt mpg mantra Industry to motorists: We're here to help Diesel prices hit suppliers' Mexico sites Can Camry catch F series? Leno's words of wisdom for automakers Nissan's carbon credits ease global warming guilt Automotive CEOs' pay pales next to peers' Year of the Small Car can't come too soon Foreign suppliers adding capacity in Southeast From cows to kimchi: Making Alabama sweet home for Koreans After light-truck push, cars are king again Mexican suppliers expect sales record in '08

Automotive News - June 2, 2008

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