...In February of 2015, General Motors initiated a recall on 800,000 Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 and 600,000 Chevrolet HHR, Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Ion and Saturn Sky vehicles. The controversy surrounding the recall at this time was why had GM chosen to recall the defective vehicles so long after the ignition switch problem had been discovered. They had been under investigation for just that. Recently inducted as GM’s CEO, Mary Barra was struggling to keep the GM name in tact through this recall nightmare. She is credited for maintaining her cool as she continued to defend how GM was handling the recall and pledging to conduct an internal review of the company stating that GM would, “hold [themselves] accountable and improve our processes so our customers do not experience this again (CNN)." To support this promise, she appointed legal firms to conduct an internal investigation of the events leading up to the recall. In March of that same year, GM expanded its ignition switch recall after admitting to this being the core cause of the recall. The recall was now to include cars sold between 2008 and 2011 in the US. The death toll reached a total of 13 confirmed cases. It is apparent that GM did not feel the need to acknowledge the ignition switch issue until these deaths came to light. Why else would it take GM 10 years to issue a recall? Barra was stuck in a tough situation. She hired Ken Feinberg, a well-known attorney experienced in determining victim compensation, to address...
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...Question 1: Identify and explain the 4l’s based on the case. a. Issues The dispute over the safety of the pickup trucks, vehicle safety and defective design Firstly, the root cause is that the GM company has a unreasonable design of their gas tank on the collisions GM C/K pickups, the report shows that this pickups’ gas tank was too close with the bumper, it only 25 centimeters long. This is dangerous because that will cause explosions if there is any strike. A safety design should be place the gas tank on the top of axle or add on a shield between the gas tank and bumper. Further, the report also shows that the gas tank design was used for trucks manufactured between 1979 and 1987, and the fact is GM knows about their design problem but take no measure to fix or recall their cars because that will cause more cost. At the Moseley case happens, there are at least 130 other lawsuits involving the design of the gas tank GM need to faced. So the major issue of this case in this point is that whether the gas tank design and placement were defective and because that explosion case after their pickup was struck on the side by another vehicle. And those assumptions were proved by the GM engineer who is testified that GM company hidden the knowledge of this dangerous safety defect, but GM try to block his testimony because they had known for years and refused correct it for fear of alerting the public. Moreover, the provided videotapes of GM’s own crash tests between 1981 and 1983...
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...Transcript * 1. TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING INC. U.S.A Prepared By – Ashwin Mehta – 313 Pratik Mehta – 314 Ishaan Parekh – 315 Ankit shah – 317 Dishank Shah – 318 Fenil Shah - 319 * 2. Agenda Current Scenario Problems Faced Analysis Suggestions and recommendations Risks and contingencies * 3. Current Scenario • Toyota Motors Manufacturing (TMM) faces increasing problems with its seat supply. • Kentucky Framed Seat (KFS), is a single seat supplier for TMM. • KFS is responsible for the material flaws and missing parts as the major encountered defects. • These problems are increasingly occurring with an increase in varieties and demand for the seats. * 4. Problems Faced • Product proliferation problems with defective seats. • Company’s deviation from its normal production plan and lack of a recovery system. • Run ratio dropped from 95% to 85%. • This means 45 less cars were being produced per shift. • This translated in overtime of workers. • Too many cars needed off-line operations of one type or the another before they could go on shipping. * 5. Questions Raised • Will the sales company get cars on time as promised? • What does it mean to implement JIT and Jidoka principles to this situation? • Is TMM handling seat defects correctly on the line? • Is the current routine for handling seat-defect cars really a legitimate exception to TPS, or could it be a dangerous deviation from TPS? • Is there a way to kaizen TMM’s off-line routine? * 6. Analysis...
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...recently in June 2014, GM has been under fire from the media over their issues with the Chevy Cobalt as well as other sedan and pickup truck models for mechanical issues that have resulted in several accidents as well as a handful of deaths. General Motors lack of safety concern is baffling and has led to investigation that resulted in the loss of jobs for multiple employees, including some high level executives with the company. I will be writing on General Motors and their recalls as a whole this year, with key points on vehicles that have caused the most trauma to this masses as of this year. The Chevy Cobalt seems to be the model that has caused...
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...Jim Press, former President & Chief Operating Officer (COO) Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. On February 24, 2010, Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota Motor Corporation’s founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, endured a grueling question-and-answer session before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The committee represented just one of three Congressional panels investigating the 2009-2010 recall of Toyota vehicles related to problems of sudden acceleration and the company’s delay in responding to the crisis. Signs of the coming recall crisis began as early as 2006 when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into driver reports of “surging” in Toyota’s Camry models. The NHTSA investigation was closed the next year, citing no defects. Over the next four years, Toyota, known in the industry for its quality and reliability, would quietly recall nearly nine million Toyota and Lexus models due to sudden acceleration problems. Toyota’s leadership, widely criticized for its slow response in addressing the problems, now had to move quickly to identify a solution that would ensure the safety of its vehicles, restore consumer confidence, protect the valuable Toyota brand, and recoup a plummeting share price. Akio Toyoda testified: I fear the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick. I would like to point out here that Toyota’s priority has traditionally been the following: First, Safety; Second, Quality;...
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...Jim Press, former President & Chief Operating Officer (COO) Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. On February 24, 2010, Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota Motor Corporation’s founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, endured a grueling question-and-answer session before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The committee represented just one of three Congressional panels investigating the 2009-2010 recall of Toyota vehicles related to problems of sudden acceleration and the company’s delay in responding to the crisis. Signs of the coming recall crisis began as early as 2006 when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into driver reports of “surging” in Toyota’s Camry models. The NHTSA investigation was closed the next year, citing no defects. Over the next four years, Toyota, known in the industry for its quality and reliability, would quietly recall nearly nine million Toyota and Lexus models due to sudden acceleration problems. Toyota’s leadership, widely criticized for its slow response in addressing the problems, now had to move quickly to identify a solution that would ensure the safety of its vehicles, restore consumer confidence, protect the valuable Toyota brand, and recoup a plummeting share price. Akio Toyoda testified: I fear the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick. I would like to point out here that Toyota’s priority has traditionally been the following: First, Safety; Second, Quality;...
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...Jim Press, former President & Chief Operating Officer (COO) Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. On February 24, 2010, Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota Motor Corporation’s founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, endured a grueling question-and-answer session before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The committee represented just one of three Congressional panels investigating the 2009-2010 recall of Toyota vehicles related to problems of sudden acceleration and the company’s delay in responding to the crisis. Signs of the coming recall crisis began as early as 2006 when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into driver reports of “surging” in Toyota’s Camry models. The NHTSA investigation was closed the next year, citing no defects. Over the next four years, Toyota, known in the industry for its quality and reliability, would quietly recall nearly nine million Toyota and Lexus models due to sudden acceleration problems. Toyota’s leadership, widely criticized for its slow response in addressing the problems, now had to move quickly to identify a solution that would ensure the safety of its vehicles, restore consumer confidence, protect the valuable Toyota brand, and recoup a plummeting share price. Akio Toyoda testified: I fear the pace at which we have grown may have been too quick. I would like to point out here that Toyota’s priority has traditionally been the following: First, Safety; Second, Quality;...
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...Ethics and the Food Industry By: Diana Rhyne and John Hanley In early 2009, Peanut Corp. of America was discovered to have allowed Salmonella tainted peanuts to be distributed across the United States causing an outbreak that resulted illnesses in 714 people across 46 states with nine resulting in deaths ("Department of Health and Human Services; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention", 2009). In this paper, we will explore the concept of corporate social responsibility and some of the current ethical dilemmas many corporations in the food industry face today. We will further discuss the many arguments (in favor of and in opposition to) these ethical dilemmas, or why these issues pose an ethical dilemma. Finally, we will examine the consequences of unethical behavior in the food industry and how consumer demand/behavior affects corporate decision-making. In the food industry, a corporation’s actions/inactions are often far reaching. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not a new concept. The idea that a business (or business person) should behave in an ethical and socially responsible manner has roots in Biblical times with the advent of usury laws. During the 1700s, Benjamin Franklin was an early advocate for business ethics, going so far as to form a club for young businessmen, tradesmen, and merchants to come together to discuss business philosophies and further their careers (Finamore, 2005: 35-38). CSR is generally based on the idea that companies...
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...Continuous Improvement Jordan Barnes MBA 6022 Cause and Effect Diagram As shown, there are four main causes for Toyota's poor top to bottom communication and slow response. The first is the flawed company structure. Because Toyota is ran by an all male group of Japanese men, there is a cultural disconnect with the parts of their business outside of Japan. This also creates a bottom to top fear complex, where car dealers fear the consequences of sending up bad news or a bad report. Furthermore, there is only one central hub where decisions are made (which is in Japan) and this can easily slow down response times to problems. The second cause is Toyota's poor risk management strategy or lack thereof. With no risk management team or effective plan in place, the car dealers have no clear plan of action regarding multiple issues or multiple car defects. The third cause focuses on the company’s misconstrued core values. Toyota's values were ordered as Safety, Quality, and Volume. But when the want to be the best in the industry became the need to be the best, volume became the most important value. Quality and, subsequently, safety fell behind. The last cause was the company’s manufacturing system. When Toyota set out to beat GM in the automobile industry, they had one goal in mind: having the most cars on the road. They managed to accomplish this but it was at the expense of quality. The new suppliers they started working with had cheaper cost. This allowed them to save money...
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...PROMOTIONAL AND ADVERTISING STRATEGIES Martha Simpson Professor Gary Shelton BUS 508: Contemporary Business Strayer University August 31, 2014 The history of the automobile began during the late 1700s when European engineers began producing powered vehicles that consisted of combustion, steam, and electrical motors. The 1900s also proved to be a time when the uncertainty of determining which type of motor could actually power the automobile was in question as well. The production of the first U.S. automobile in 1901 by the Ford Motor Company has revolutionized, and changed the course of the auto industry as we know today. In the beginning of its production, automobiles were considered a luxury that only the rich could afford, but today, it is viewed as a necessity that can provide consumers with the freedom to take them anywhere they choose. Henry Ford (Ford Motor Company) helped to shape the auto industry by pricing cars to be affordable, and paying his employees’ wages that would allow them an opportunity to afford to purchase the automobiles they produced. General Motors has been in the auto industry for more than one-hundred years, and has produced about 450 million automobiles worldwide. Although there has been a decline in the production of domestic and foreign automobiles by more than thirty percent in the past fifty years, General Motors way of doing business...
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...faces some threats. Toyota has taken many actions to respond to these environmental contingencies. Based on my analysis, Toyota should continue to focus on its customers, as well as coping with change, and announcing their responses to its customers. Toyota Motor Corporation is a multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan; in the current market they have many opportunities. Currently, Toyota is one of the world’s largest automobile manufactures and employs over 300,000 employees. A major opportunity for Toyota is the new fuel efficient cars that they are producing. With the oil prices reaching record highs, Toyota has the advantage over other car manufactures with their more fuel efficient cars. This is one of their keys to success right now. Toyota is also producing cars that are targeted towards the younger generation of drivers. A great deal of money can be made here also. Acting on any opportunities in the automobile market is a risk taking action, and risk is associated with threats. Along with these opportunities, Toyota also faces some threats. The threats for Toyota are product recalls. In 2005, the company had to recall a significant number of SUV’s and pick-up trucks. In 2010, the company announced a recall related to the software program that controls the antilock braking system for four models. In 2011, the...
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...July 3 – 6, 2012 Car Recalls: A Problem Unique to Toyota or For All Car Makers? Kamrul Ahsan School of Management and Information Systems, Faculty of Business and Law Victoria University Australia Abstract Often automobile recalls are drawing media and public attention. Influenced by Toyota’s recent automobile recalls 2009-2010 this research conducts an empirical study on historical car recalls. The research uses secondary data from recall websites maintained by public and private organizations. For different car model year and manufacturer the study looks at frequency of recalls, recorded customer complaints, and yearly sales data. Analysis shows recalls are a common event with the majority of recalls initiated by only a few car makers. Though car makers use many eye catching and popular quality and customer care slogans and programs, many popular car makers still face valid customer complaints and consequently face many unwanted recalls. This study identifies that most recalls occur during the first five years of the car model year. This preliminary study of automobile recalls can be further extended at a later stage to identify key causes of recall. Keywords Product recalls, Reverse logistics, car recalls, product returns, closed loop supply chain 1. Introduction Though manufacturers use state-of-the-art operations philosophies, tools and techniques, it is difficult to make the perfect product and products often need to be recalled. Recalls occur when the customer...
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...There were a number of issues the case talks about, starting with insufficent training to the overall social subsystem problem. The GM was in a hurry to solve the problem rather than understand the new process that would help solve the problem. He was sold on the fact that he had to solve the problem but not on the Rapid Response system. There was insufficent training imparted on the employees on how to use the system. The social aspect of the 4 components was not addressed properly. The analyst who created the entire solution was removed before he could effect change – which leads to the question, how good was the consulting firm? There was a massive breakdown of communication between the two analysts. The transfer of the documentation was not proper and all the facts of the case were not transferred over to Jack from Blake. The system was tested properly; therefore there was no user acceptance. The staff was not properly trained to use the system and was comfortable using the old manual system. The hotel staff could not determine the effectivness of the reporting system, the value of quality improvement and the effect it would have on improving customer satisfaction. The consulting firm went wrong at a number of steps during the entire process. Blake had already spoken to the GM and explained the solution. Blake understood that the GM was extremely anxious to get the process in place and solve the problem. He was in the process of acquiring the machine and negotiating with...
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...Part I Case Study a. Based on the case, define agribusiness supply management. Supply chain management can be defined as a combination of different arrangements occurring between various business entities involved in the production, procurement, processing, and marketing of a product or products. It also can be defined as the cooperation between producers, processors, wholesalers, and/or retailers, to guarantee high quality and/or to minimize costs. Based on my observation through all of the supply management case studies I would have to agree with the definition of supply management. b. There were three agribusiness cases presented. Provide a brief description of each case. Which case did you like or dislike and why? The case that most interested me was the case about Niman Rancher-A Natural Meat Producer. This was the most interesting because most farms doesn’t practice natural environment Niman Ranch contracts with family farms to raise their animals in a natural environment without the use of drugs or hormones. Niman Ranch is so committed to the family farm philosophy that it sees itself as the processing and marketing operation for about 100 family farms. This was also interested because of the different sites in which animals were processed at, also the different packaging and how it applies their farm to supply management. c. What is the difference between vertical integration and vertical coordination? The difference between vertical integration...
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...KELLER GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT Group Class Project Toyota Group II Class: GM 591 Instructor: Gerardo H. Chaljub Executive Summary Toyota Motor Corporation is a multinational corporation headquartered in Japan and is the world's largest automaker. As of 2008, Toyota employs approximately 316,000 people around the world. In 1934, while still a department of Toyota Industries, it created its first product Type A engine and in 1936 its first passenger car the Toyota AA. The company was eventually founded by Kiichiro Toyoda in 1937 as a spin-off from his father's company Toyota Industries to create automobiles. Toyota currently owns and operates Lexus and Scion brands and has a majority shareholding stake in Daihatsu Motors, and minority shareholdings in Fuji Heavy Industries Isuzu Motors, and Yamaha Motors. The company includes 522 subsidiaries. In January 2009 it announced the closure of all of its Japanese plants for 11 days to reduce output and stocks of unsold vehicles. Toyota Philosophy: Toyota's management philosophy has evolved from the company's origins and has been reflected in the terms "Lean Manufacturing" and Just in Time Production, which it was instrumental in developing. The Toyota Way has four components: 1) Long-term thinking as a basis for management decisions, 2) a process for problem-solving, 3) adding value to the organization by developing its people, and 4) recognizing that continuously solving root problems drives organizational learning...
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