Download - Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Transcript
Page 1: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Table of Contents

Page No

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

21 Primary Objective

22 Hypothesis

23 Research Design

24 Scope of Study On Cost Reduction-Automobile

`25 Limitations

Chapter 3 Critical review of literature

31 Automobile Market Overview

32 Automobile Domestic Performance

33 Exports of Automobile from India

34 Review of Literature on Cost Reduction

Chapter 4 Industry Profile-Automobile

41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

43 The Advent of the Auto Majors-India

44 The After Sales Service Scenario

45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

451 Vehicle Prices

452 Consumer Finance

453 Infrastructure

1

454 Product Availability

46 The Future-Indian Automobile

Chapter 5 Company Profile-Tata Motors

51 History amp Evolution

52 Area Of Business

53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

Chapter 6 Cost Reduction techniques in

Tata Motorsrsquos Indica

61 Outsourcing Strategy

62 Vendor Development

63 Supply Chain

64 Leveraging The Supply Chain

65 Cost Cutting

66 Quality Management

67 Cost Reduction In Energy Consumption

671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

674 Projects Implemented During 2004-2005

675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

2

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques

in Automobile

Chapter 8 Recommendation

81 Main Indicators

82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Chapter 9 Bibliography

Chapter 10 References

Chapter 11 Annexures

3

Chapter 1 Introduction

This research work related to customer research study titled ldquoEffectiveness Of Cost Reduction Techniques In The

Automobile Sectorrdquo throws a bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a

number of keystone principles of the marketing distribution channel advertising and customer relationship

management (CRM) industries

Freed from the editing and selective hearing businesses often invokes to avoid hearing unpleasant

truths customers dish out an earful to companies about what they want what they dont want and what they

ignore mdash and how they really make purchase decisions

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

India has became manufacturing Hub for automobile and textile industries Where FDI Has been done in these

sectors So its task for Operational Managers to optimize Cost with respect to Capital employed This may helped

companies to gain maximum Profit with minimum effort So Competitive Pricing can be done by companies to

competitor with their competitors This Paper aims to study effective methods for Direct Cost reduction

techniques that currently being implemented by Automobile

The auto industry is another beehive of innovation why so many MNCs were setting up car plants in

Tamil Nadu Because the state produces an inexhaustible supply of engineers maybe 200000 per year Many

4

come from private engineering colleges of poor quality But even if half the graduates are sub-standard that still

leaves 100000 competent innovative technicians Multinational car companies originally came to India for the

potentially huge domestic market To cut costs they had to use local components which initially were of low

quality But soon the interaction between component manufacturers and MNCs led to not just quality

improvement but innovations that nobody had dreamed of earlier Today Indian auto component companies are

doing computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing constantly coming up with new designs that

reduce cost and increase efficiency This design-savviness has made India a global player ex-porting over $1

billion worth of components last year And car exports have shot up to over 100000 in 2003-04 In the bad old

days of the licence-permit raj companies had no incentive to do RampD Getting a foreign collaboration approval

ensured monopoly profits for years But the new competition brought in by economic liberalisation in the 1990s

made RampD is an essential tool to compete and survive Tatarsquos Indica car is a prime example Bajaj Auto once

depended on technical know-how from Kawasaki and TVS on Suzuki Today both two-wheeler companies rely

overwhel-mingly on in-house RampD this alo-ne will enable them to withstand the new challenge from Honda

Other miracle Asian economies like Korea and Taiwan used labour-intensive manufacturing as their launching

pad taking advantage of their low wages Later they moved up the value chain India missed the bus of labour-

intensive exports but has now caught the jet plane of brain-power exports This began in computer software It

then spread to design-intensive manufacturing And it is now sparking an RampD revolution

After booming years of 2002 and 2003 the sales growth is slowing down and the prices are falling

Competition is becoming fiercer Pressure on profit margins and falling market shares force many local producers

to move towards exports to foreign markets

Up to 2010 India is going to become the second biggest automotive market in the world Forecasters predict the

country will be the fourth-largest producer of vehicles in the world by 2008 and may be the third-largest producer

5

by 2010 Indian consumers are demanding high quality cars so prices must be cut and costs minimized (source

Ernst amp Young)

In 2005 India produced nearly five times as many motor vehicles as in the early 1990s With annual production

nearing six million vehicles it is on pace to overtake Germany as the third largest national vehicle producer and

would trail only the United States and Japan in total vehicle output

Among the studys key findings are

To Study Cost Reduction techniques practiced in Manufacturing Industries(Automobile)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

The presence of a growing gap between customer expectations and company behaviors which creates opportunity

for some companies and increasing risk to others At a high level a companys degree of customer focus was the

most important purchase decision factor for customers and by a very wide margin

In terms of specific company behaviors mdash delivering customer-relevant quality products as expected was the

most desired factor very closely and unexpectedly followed by companies empowering their employees

6

Chapter 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

7

8

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 21 Primary Objective

The founder of the Japan-based Kaizen Institute Masaaki Imai defined Kaizen in his book Kaizen - The Key to

Japans Competitive Success as Kaizen means continuous improvement in the personal life home life social

life and working life Automobile companies applied Kaizen for continuous improvement in their operations

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The savings are tremendous in time and material The engineering resources - both budget and people - freed up

from the productivity gains are being reapplied to bring out more new models more quickly

- Jay Wetzel Vice President and General Manager GM Technical Center commenting on the benefits

derived from CADCAMCAE tools in 200

To Study Operations of Automobile Company(Tata Motors)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

9

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 2: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

454 Product Availability

46 The Future-Indian Automobile

Chapter 5 Company Profile-Tata Motors

51 History amp Evolution

52 Area Of Business

53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

Chapter 6 Cost Reduction techniques in

Tata Motorsrsquos Indica

61 Outsourcing Strategy

62 Vendor Development

63 Supply Chain

64 Leveraging The Supply Chain

65 Cost Cutting

66 Quality Management

67 Cost Reduction In Energy Consumption

671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

674 Projects Implemented During 2004-2005

675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

2

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques

in Automobile

Chapter 8 Recommendation

81 Main Indicators

82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Chapter 9 Bibliography

Chapter 10 References

Chapter 11 Annexures

3

Chapter 1 Introduction

This research work related to customer research study titled ldquoEffectiveness Of Cost Reduction Techniques In The

Automobile Sectorrdquo throws a bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a

number of keystone principles of the marketing distribution channel advertising and customer relationship

management (CRM) industries

Freed from the editing and selective hearing businesses often invokes to avoid hearing unpleasant

truths customers dish out an earful to companies about what they want what they dont want and what they

ignore mdash and how they really make purchase decisions

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

India has became manufacturing Hub for automobile and textile industries Where FDI Has been done in these

sectors So its task for Operational Managers to optimize Cost with respect to Capital employed This may helped

companies to gain maximum Profit with minimum effort So Competitive Pricing can be done by companies to

competitor with their competitors This Paper aims to study effective methods for Direct Cost reduction

techniques that currently being implemented by Automobile

The auto industry is another beehive of innovation why so many MNCs were setting up car plants in

Tamil Nadu Because the state produces an inexhaustible supply of engineers maybe 200000 per year Many

4

come from private engineering colleges of poor quality But even if half the graduates are sub-standard that still

leaves 100000 competent innovative technicians Multinational car companies originally came to India for the

potentially huge domestic market To cut costs they had to use local components which initially were of low

quality But soon the interaction between component manufacturers and MNCs led to not just quality

improvement but innovations that nobody had dreamed of earlier Today Indian auto component companies are

doing computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing constantly coming up with new designs that

reduce cost and increase efficiency This design-savviness has made India a global player ex-porting over $1

billion worth of components last year And car exports have shot up to over 100000 in 2003-04 In the bad old

days of the licence-permit raj companies had no incentive to do RampD Getting a foreign collaboration approval

ensured monopoly profits for years But the new competition brought in by economic liberalisation in the 1990s

made RampD is an essential tool to compete and survive Tatarsquos Indica car is a prime example Bajaj Auto once

depended on technical know-how from Kawasaki and TVS on Suzuki Today both two-wheeler companies rely

overwhel-mingly on in-house RampD this alo-ne will enable them to withstand the new challenge from Honda

Other miracle Asian economies like Korea and Taiwan used labour-intensive manufacturing as their launching

pad taking advantage of their low wages Later they moved up the value chain India missed the bus of labour-

intensive exports but has now caught the jet plane of brain-power exports This began in computer software It

then spread to design-intensive manufacturing And it is now sparking an RampD revolution

After booming years of 2002 and 2003 the sales growth is slowing down and the prices are falling

Competition is becoming fiercer Pressure on profit margins and falling market shares force many local producers

to move towards exports to foreign markets

Up to 2010 India is going to become the second biggest automotive market in the world Forecasters predict the

country will be the fourth-largest producer of vehicles in the world by 2008 and may be the third-largest producer

5

by 2010 Indian consumers are demanding high quality cars so prices must be cut and costs minimized (source

Ernst amp Young)

In 2005 India produced nearly five times as many motor vehicles as in the early 1990s With annual production

nearing six million vehicles it is on pace to overtake Germany as the third largest national vehicle producer and

would trail only the United States and Japan in total vehicle output

Among the studys key findings are

To Study Cost Reduction techniques practiced in Manufacturing Industries(Automobile)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

The presence of a growing gap between customer expectations and company behaviors which creates opportunity

for some companies and increasing risk to others At a high level a companys degree of customer focus was the

most important purchase decision factor for customers and by a very wide margin

In terms of specific company behaviors mdash delivering customer-relevant quality products as expected was the

most desired factor very closely and unexpectedly followed by companies empowering their employees

6

Chapter 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

7

8

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 21 Primary Objective

The founder of the Japan-based Kaizen Institute Masaaki Imai defined Kaizen in his book Kaizen - The Key to

Japans Competitive Success as Kaizen means continuous improvement in the personal life home life social

life and working life Automobile companies applied Kaizen for continuous improvement in their operations

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The savings are tremendous in time and material The engineering resources - both budget and people - freed up

from the productivity gains are being reapplied to bring out more new models more quickly

- Jay Wetzel Vice President and General Manager GM Technical Center commenting on the benefits

derived from CADCAMCAE tools in 200

To Study Operations of Automobile Company(Tata Motors)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

9

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 3: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques

in Automobile

Chapter 8 Recommendation

81 Main Indicators

82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Chapter 9 Bibliography

Chapter 10 References

Chapter 11 Annexures

3

Chapter 1 Introduction

This research work related to customer research study titled ldquoEffectiveness Of Cost Reduction Techniques In The

Automobile Sectorrdquo throws a bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a

number of keystone principles of the marketing distribution channel advertising and customer relationship

management (CRM) industries

Freed from the editing and selective hearing businesses often invokes to avoid hearing unpleasant

truths customers dish out an earful to companies about what they want what they dont want and what they

ignore mdash and how they really make purchase decisions

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

India has became manufacturing Hub for automobile and textile industries Where FDI Has been done in these

sectors So its task for Operational Managers to optimize Cost with respect to Capital employed This may helped

companies to gain maximum Profit with minimum effort So Competitive Pricing can be done by companies to

competitor with their competitors This Paper aims to study effective methods for Direct Cost reduction

techniques that currently being implemented by Automobile

The auto industry is another beehive of innovation why so many MNCs were setting up car plants in

Tamil Nadu Because the state produces an inexhaustible supply of engineers maybe 200000 per year Many

4

come from private engineering colleges of poor quality But even if half the graduates are sub-standard that still

leaves 100000 competent innovative technicians Multinational car companies originally came to India for the

potentially huge domestic market To cut costs they had to use local components which initially were of low

quality But soon the interaction between component manufacturers and MNCs led to not just quality

improvement but innovations that nobody had dreamed of earlier Today Indian auto component companies are

doing computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing constantly coming up with new designs that

reduce cost and increase efficiency This design-savviness has made India a global player ex-porting over $1

billion worth of components last year And car exports have shot up to over 100000 in 2003-04 In the bad old

days of the licence-permit raj companies had no incentive to do RampD Getting a foreign collaboration approval

ensured monopoly profits for years But the new competition brought in by economic liberalisation in the 1990s

made RampD is an essential tool to compete and survive Tatarsquos Indica car is a prime example Bajaj Auto once

depended on technical know-how from Kawasaki and TVS on Suzuki Today both two-wheeler companies rely

overwhel-mingly on in-house RampD this alo-ne will enable them to withstand the new challenge from Honda

Other miracle Asian economies like Korea and Taiwan used labour-intensive manufacturing as their launching

pad taking advantage of their low wages Later they moved up the value chain India missed the bus of labour-

intensive exports but has now caught the jet plane of brain-power exports This began in computer software It

then spread to design-intensive manufacturing And it is now sparking an RampD revolution

After booming years of 2002 and 2003 the sales growth is slowing down and the prices are falling

Competition is becoming fiercer Pressure on profit margins and falling market shares force many local producers

to move towards exports to foreign markets

Up to 2010 India is going to become the second biggest automotive market in the world Forecasters predict the

country will be the fourth-largest producer of vehicles in the world by 2008 and may be the third-largest producer

5

by 2010 Indian consumers are demanding high quality cars so prices must be cut and costs minimized (source

Ernst amp Young)

In 2005 India produced nearly five times as many motor vehicles as in the early 1990s With annual production

nearing six million vehicles it is on pace to overtake Germany as the third largest national vehicle producer and

would trail only the United States and Japan in total vehicle output

Among the studys key findings are

To Study Cost Reduction techniques practiced in Manufacturing Industries(Automobile)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

The presence of a growing gap between customer expectations and company behaviors which creates opportunity

for some companies and increasing risk to others At a high level a companys degree of customer focus was the

most important purchase decision factor for customers and by a very wide margin

In terms of specific company behaviors mdash delivering customer-relevant quality products as expected was the

most desired factor very closely and unexpectedly followed by companies empowering their employees

6

Chapter 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

7

8

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 21 Primary Objective

The founder of the Japan-based Kaizen Institute Masaaki Imai defined Kaizen in his book Kaizen - The Key to

Japans Competitive Success as Kaizen means continuous improvement in the personal life home life social

life and working life Automobile companies applied Kaizen for continuous improvement in their operations

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The savings are tremendous in time and material The engineering resources - both budget and people - freed up

from the productivity gains are being reapplied to bring out more new models more quickly

- Jay Wetzel Vice President and General Manager GM Technical Center commenting on the benefits

derived from CADCAMCAE tools in 200

To Study Operations of Automobile Company(Tata Motors)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

9

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 4: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 1 Introduction

This research work related to customer research study titled ldquoEffectiveness Of Cost Reduction Techniques In The

Automobile Sectorrdquo throws a bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a

number of keystone principles of the marketing distribution channel advertising and customer relationship

management (CRM) industries

Freed from the editing and selective hearing businesses often invokes to avoid hearing unpleasant

truths customers dish out an earful to companies about what they want what they dont want and what they

ignore mdash and how they really make purchase decisions

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

India has became manufacturing Hub for automobile and textile industries Where FDI Has been done in these

sectors So its task for Operational Managers to optimize Cost with respect to Capital employed This may helped

companies to gain maximum Profit with minimum effort So Competitive Pricing can be done by companies to

competitor with their competitors This Paper aims to study effective methods for Direct Cost reduction

techniques that currently being implemented by Automobile

The auto industry is another beehive of innovation why so many MNCs were setting up car plants in

Tamil Nadu Because the state produces an inexhaustible supply of engineers maybe 200000 per year Many

4

come from private engineering colleges of poor quality But even if half the graduates are sub-standard that still

leaves 100000 competent innovative technicians Multinational car companies originally came to India for the

potentially huge domestic market To cut costs they had to use local components which initially were of low

quality But soon the interaction between component manufacturers and MNCs led to not just quality

improvement but innovations that nobody had dreamed of earlier Today Indian auto component companies are

doing computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing constantly coming up with new designs that

reduce cost and increase efficiency This design-savviness has made India a global player ex-porting over $1

billion worth of components last year And car exports have shot up to over 100000 in 2003-04 In the bad old

days of the licence-permit raj companies had no incentive to do RampD Getting a foreign collaboration approval

ensured monopoly profits for years But the new competition brought in by economic liberalisation in the 1990s

made RampD is an essential tool to compete and survive Tatarsquos Indica car is a prime example Bajaj Auto once

depended on technical know-how from Kawasaki and TVS on Suzuki Today both two-wheeler companies rely

overwhel-mingly on in-house RampD this alo-ne will enable them to withstand the new challenge from Honda

Other miracle Asian economies like Korea and Taiwan used labour-intensive manufacturing as their launching

pad taking advantage of their low wages Later they moved up the value chain India missed the bus of labour-

intensive exports but has now caught the jet plane of brain-power exports This began in computer software It

then spread to design-intensive manufacturing And it is now sparking an RampD revolution

After booming years of 2002 and 2003 the sales growth is slowing down and the prices are falling

Competition is becoming fiercer Pressure on profit margins and falling market shares force many local producers

to move towards exports to foreign markets

Up to 2010 India is going to become the second biggest automotive market in the world Forecasters predict the

country will be the fourth-largest producer of vehicles in the world by 2008 and may be the third-largest producer

5

by 2010 Indian consumers are demanding high quality cars so prices must be cut and costs minimized (source

Ernst amp Young)

In 2005 India produced nearly five times as many motor vehicles as in the early 1990s With annual production

nearing six million vehicles it is on pace to overtake Germany as the third largest national vehicle producer and

would trail only the United States and Japan in total vehicle output

Among the studys key findings are

To Study Cost Reduction techniques practiced in Manufacturing Industries(Automobile)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

The presence of a growing gap between customer expectations and company behaviors which creates opportunity

for some companies and increasing risk to others At a high level a companys degree of customer focus was the

most important purchase decision factor for customers and by a very wide margin

In terms of specific company behaviors mdash delivering customer-relevant quality products as expected was the

most desired factor very closely and unexpectedly followed by companies empowering their employees

6

Chapter 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

7

8

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 21 Primary Objective

The founder of the Japan-based Kaizen Institute Masaaki Imai defined Kaizen in his book Kaizen - The Key to

Japans Competitive Success as Kaizen means continuous improvement in the personal life home life social

life and working life Automobile companies applied Kaizen for continuous improvement in their operations

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The savings are tremendous in time and material The engineering resources - both budget and people - freed up

from the productivity gains are being reapplied to bring out more new models more quickly

- Jay Wetzel Vice President and General Manager GM Technical Center commenting on the benefits

derived from CADCAMCAE tools in 200

To Study Operations of Automobile Company(Tata Motors)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

9

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 5: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

come from private engineering colleges of poor quality But even if half the graduates are sub-standard that still

leaves 100000 competent innovative technicians Multinational car companies originally came to India for the

potentially huge domestic market To cut costs they had to use local components which initially were of low

quality But soon the interaction between component manufacturers and MNCs led to not just quality

improvement but innovations that nobody had dreamed of earlier Today Indian auto component companies are

doing computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing constantly coming up with new designs that

reduce cost and increase efficiency This design-savviness has made India a global player ex-porting over $1

billion worth of components last year And car exports have shot up to over 100000 in 2003-04 In the bad old

days of the licence-permit raj companies had no incentive to do RampD Getting a foreign collaboration approval

ensured monopoly profits for years But the new competition brought in by economic liberalisation in the 1990s

made RampD is an essential tool to compete and survive Tatarsquos Indica car is a prime example Bajaj Auto once

depended on technical know-how from Kawasaki and TVS on Suzuki Today both two-wheeler companies rely

overwhel-mingly on in-house RampD this alo-ne will enable them to withstand the new challenge from Honda

Other miracle Asian economies like Korea and Taiwan used labour-intensive manufacturing as their launching

pad taking advantage of their low wages Later they moved up the value chain India missed the bus of labour-

intensive exports but has now caught the jet plane of brain-power exports This began in computer software It

then spread to design-intensive manufacturing And it is now sparking an RampD revolution

After booming years of 2002 and 2003 the sales growth is slowing down and the prices are falling

Competition is becoming fiercer Pressure on profit margins and falling market shares force many local producers

to move towards exports to foreign markets

Up to 2010 India is going to become the second biggest automotive market in the world Forecasters predict the

country will be the fourth-largest producer of vehicles in the world by 2008 and may be the third-largest producer

5

by 2010 Indian consumers are demanding high quality cars so prices must be cut and costs minimized (source

Ernst amp Young)

In 2005 India produced nearly five times as many motor vehicles as in the early 1990s With annual production

nearing six million vehicles it is on pace to overtake Germany as the third largest national vehicle producer and

would trail only the United States and Japan in total vehicle output

Among the studys key findings are

To Study Cost Reduction techniques practiced in Manufacturing Industries(Automobile)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

The presence of a growing gap between customer expectations and company behaviors which creates opportunity

for some companies and increasing risk to others At a high level a companys degree of customer focus was the

most important purchase decision factor for customers and by a very wide margin

In terms of specific company behaviors mdash delivering customer-relevant quality products as expected was the

most desired factor very closely and unexpectedly followed by companies empowering their employees

6

Chapter 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

7

8

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 21 Primary Objective

The founder of the Japan-based Kaizen Institute Masaaki Imai defined Kaizen in his book Kaizen - The Key to

Japans Competitive Success as Kaizen means continuous improvement in the personal life home life social

life and working life Automobile companies applied Kaizen for continuous improvement in their operations

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The savings are tremendous in time and material The engineering resources - both budget and people - freed up

from the productivity gains are being reapplied to bring out more new models more quickly

- Jay Wetzel Vice President and General Manager GM Technical Center commenting on the benefits

derived from CADCAMCAE tools in 200

To Study Operations of Automobile Company(Tata Motors)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

9

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 6: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

by 2010 Indian consumers are demanding high quality cars so prices must be cut and costs minimized (source

Ernst amp Young)

In 2005 India produced nearly five times as many motor vehicles as in the early 1990s With annual production

nearing six million vehicles it is on pace to overtake Germany as the third largest national vehicle producer and

would trail only the United States and Japan in total vehicle output

Among the studys key findings are

To Study Cost Reduction techniques practiced in Manufacturing Industries(Automobile)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

The presence of a growing gap between customer expectations and company behaviors which creates opportunity

for some companies and increasing risk to others At a high level a companys degree of customer focus was the

most important purchase decision factor for customers and by a very wide margin

In terms of specific company behaviors mdash delivering customer-relevant quality products as expected was the

most desired factor very closely and unexpectedly followed by companies empowering their employees

6

Chapter 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

7

8

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 21 Primary Objective

The founder of the Japan-based Kaizen Institute Masaaki Imai defined Kaizen in his book Kaizen - The Key to

Japans Competitive Success as Kaizen means continuous improvement in the personal life home life social

life and working life Automobile companies applied Kaizen for continuous improvement in their operations

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The savings are tremendous in time and material The engineering resources - both budget and people - freed up

from the productivity gains are being reapplied to bring out more new models more quickly

- Jay Wetzel Vice President and General Manager GM Technical Center commenting on the benefits

derived from CADCAMCAE tools in 200

To Study Operations of Automobile Company(Tata Motors)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

9

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 7: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

7

8

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 21 Primary Objective

The founder of the Japan-based Kaizen Institute Masaaki Imai defined Kaizen in his book Kaizen - The Key to

Japans Competitive Success as Kaizen means continuous improvement in the personal life home life social

life and working life Automobile companies applied Kaizen for continuous improvement in their operations

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The savings are tremendous in time and material The engineering resources - both budget and people - freed up

from the productivity gains are being reapplied to bring out more new models more quickly

- Jay Wetzel Vice President and General Manager GM Technical Center commenting on the benefits

derived from CADCAMCAE tools in 200

To Study Operations of Automobile Company(Tata Motors)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

9

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 8: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

8

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 21 Primary Objective

The founder of the Japan-based Kaizen Institute Masaaki Imai defined Kaizen in his book Kaizen - The Key to

Japans Competitive Success as Kaizen means continuous improvement in the personal life home life social

life and working life Automobile companies applied Kaizen for continuous improvement in their operations

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The savings are tremendous in time and material The engineering resources - both budget and people - freed up

from the productivity gains are being reapplied to bring out more new models more quickly

- Jay Wetzel Vice President and General Manager GM Technical Center commenting on the benefits

derived from CADCAMCAE tools in 200

To Study Operations of Automobile Company(Tata Motors)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

9

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 9: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 2 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 21 Primary Objective

The founder of the Japan-based Kaizen Institute Masaaki Imai defined Kaizen in his book Kaizen - The Key to

Japans Competitive Success as Kaizen means continuous improvement in the personal life home life social

life and working life Automobile companies applied Kaizen for continuous improvement in their operations

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The savings are tremendous in time and material The engineering resources - both budget and people - freed up

from the productivity gains are being reapplied to bring out more new models more quickly

- Jay Wetzel Vice President and General Manager GM Technical Center commenting on the benefits

derived from CADCAMCAE tools in 200

To Study Operations of Automobile Company(Tata Motors)

(a) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Supply Channel of distribution Network

9

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 10: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

(b) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Procurement of Raw Materials

(c) Study of Effective Cost Reduction techniques in Operational Management

According to the Council of Logistics Management Supply Chain Management ldquothe process of planning

implementing and controlling efficient and cost effective flow of materials in-process inventory finished goods

and related information from point-of-order to point-of-consumption for the purpose of conforming to customer

requirements as efficiently as possiblerdquo The automobile industry has undergone significant structural and other

changes in the last decade or so In view of the present globalisation implementation of lean production and the

development of modularisation have changed the relationships between automobile assemblers (OEMs) and their

suppliers especially those in the first tierStiff competition among manufacturers will result in more mergers or

acquisitions The challenges automobile manufacturers and suppliers face include improving quality meeting cost

reduction targets and developing time to market

CHAPTER 22 Hypothesis

Is Automobile companies are following certain guidelines for Operations or not

Hypo 1- Network Planning ndash This is one of the most important issues for SCM

Determination of production requirements and inventory levels at the vendorrsquos facility for each product and

development of transportation flows between these facilities to the warehouses in a best possible way to reduce

total production inventory and ransportation costs with fulfilment of service level requirements

10

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 11: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Hypo 2- IT and Decision Support Systemndash

This is another important challenge for SCM Today SCM is driven by the scope and opportunities appearing due

to abundance of data and the savings which can be achieved through efficient analysis of these data What data

should be transferred with its significance and most importantly what infrastructure is required internally and

between its partners is very important

Hypo 3- Supply chain integration and strategic partnering ndash

In SCM information sharing and operational planning are crucial for successfully integrated supply chain

CHAPTER 23 RESEARCH DESIGN

The study was conducted on part of Business Expansion plan of Automobile industry to expand their

existing Business On this part Exploratory Survey was conducted to know about Operatational Strategies of

automobile companies

This Market research is EXPLORATORY RESEARCH DESIGN Arguments in favors of EXPLORATORY

RESEARCH DESIGN is-

-It tests the Hypothesis examines the relationship and comes to a conclusion It test Hypothesis whether -

Is Automobile Companies using Network Planning

Is Automobile Companies using IT and Decision Support system

Is Automobile Companies Using Supply Chain Integration And Strategic Partnering

Findings and analysis are used for Decision making on account of Surveyed Data

11

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 12: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

In This type of Exploratory Research design involves Collection of Information from Secondary Data

In this Automobile Survey The whole study is Secondary data based oriented

a Secondary Data from Internet on Manufacturing Industries

b Journals on Cost reduction Techniques on manufacturing Industries

c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries

d Books on Operational management

e Review Articles on Supply Chain-Upstream and Down stream

f Study for Opeartion Research Techniques- Transportation Techniques

CHAPTER 24 Scope of the Study

Among the studys key findings are

Indian automobile and auto components industry is on a roll and there is an immense scope for management

for enhancing the supply chain of the sector India has become a favourable destination for foreign companies

to establish their facilities and form alliances with domestic companies Low cost of manufacturing

and conducive government support have been the major drivers for foreign companies investing in India

Indiarsquos large young population higher GDP growth and most importantly per capita passenger car penetration

is low at 85 car per thousand population which creates great opportunity for industry players to offer

an affordable four-wheeler alternative to the two-wheeler customers According to Planning Commission of India

Indian automobile industry is expected to grow at CAGR of 15 over the next five years The Indian economy is

12

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 13: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

now gaining momentum in the world of free trade and liberal movements of goods and services between

countries Therefore efficiency in supply will be critical for Indiarsquos automobile success

NEED FOR MATERIALS-SYSTEMS APPROACH

Improved materials and materials processing can and must play a large role in generating productive and effective

responses to the forces that will drive the automotive industry in the future However these forces often pull in

diverse directions when specific technological actions are considered For example aluminum alloys can be used

to reduce vehicle weight thereby reducing emissions and improving fuel economy but the added materials costs

currently offset these advantages for many applications As a result steel is still the major material of choice for

automobile construction today and will be difficult to supplant for the foreseeable future

Indiarsquos process-engineering potential can be utilised for redesigning of manufacturing

processes to make them more labour intensive and less capital intensive which will enable the MNCrsquos to reduce

their overall costs substantially For instance de-automating of the production processes which are applied in

Western countriesrsquo factories can reduce the overall manufacturing cost of some components by up to 20

In case of product engineering India has emerged as a leading destination in the world

Indiarsquos strength is in its design which helps in reducing costs For instance redesign of the Maruti Altorsquos steering

system has cut down its weight by 15 India with its skilled engineers can design a product very fast which in

turn reduces its development cost and lead times For example an Indian supplier took six months to design a

steering system for an automaker It took more than four years to develop similar system with suppliers in the

other low-cost countries Several automobile manufacturers have already set up their auto component facilities in

India

13

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 14: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

CHAPTER 25 Limitations

For Automobile Study Primary Data varies wrt Secondary Data on account of theoretical practices in field then

practical theories

With increasing disposable incomes and ever-growing burden on the public modes of transport the Indian

passenger car industry is heading for a bright future provided car manufacturers offer a world class cars that give

value for money use novel marketing concepts to entice potential buyers and offer good after-sales service

Demand for passenger cars in FY2002 is projected at approximately 970755 units while production is expected

to reach 1210000 units The year is likely to witness a spurt in exports due to excess supply and liberalization of

export policy by the government

Some of the future strategies that need to be addressed while entering in to Indian small car market include the

redesign of the vehicle to suit the Indian road conditions and to develop aggressive marketing strategy to counter

the cost advantage enjoyed by dominant players like Maruti due to high capacity utilization With growing

number of two wheeler owners opting for used cars vehicles with higher resale value and excellent service

network are likely to account for a major market share in the near future Moreover the introduction of Euro III

and Euro IV norms in the near future is likely to increase the scrapping rates of cars

Exports are likely to increase in the near future with the entry of international car giants like Daewoo Hyundai

Honda Siel GM and Ford that intend to use India as a manufacturing production base

14

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 15: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF

LITERATURE

15

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 16: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

CHAPTER 3 CRITICAL REVIEW OF LITERATURE

A just released customer research study titled Customers Say What Companies Dont Want to Hear throws a

bucket of ice water in the face of some core business management tenets mdash plus a number of keystone principles

of the marketing advertising and customer relationship management (CRM) industries

Greenberg adds Customers Say What Companies Dont Want To Hear proves a mission-critical strategic point

Businesses need to rethink their logic and develop new operating models based on customer centric behaviors and

valuations

Commenting on the findings Paul Greenberg author of the industry best-seller CRM at the Speed of Light

Customer Strategies for the 21st Century says Lee and Mangen have verified and amplified with hard data

the growing perception that the new breed of customer is here to stay and businesses need to react mdash or risk their

very existence

If you introduce a new vehicle for example and the management cannot adequately determine what the market

wants the company is in trouble Theoretically the top managers of a company should take up the role of that

ideal customer They should be driving their competitors vehicles they should be driving the best-of-breed

vehicles and they should be making cost comparisons While a top manager should be the ideal customer he

should also be the greatest critic of his companys products If the CEO compromises or is only looking at the

margins then even if he is successful the companys success will be short lived

- Ratan Tata the Chairman Tata Group

16

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 17: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 31 Automobile Market Overview

The domestic automobile market has been growing at 142 per cent CAGR over the past 4 years (2000-01 to

2004-05) while the auto components market has been growing at 192 per cent CAGR (2000-01 to 2003-04) The

industry (OEMs and suppliers together) contributed nearly 4 per cent to the countryrsquos GDP in 2003-04 The

automotive sector also offers significant employment opportunities It employs 045 million people directly and

around 10 million people indirectly

The industryrsquos capabilities in design engineering and manufacturing have been recognised the world over and

most automotive majors are looking to increasingly source auto components from India

India is emerging as one of the most attractive automotive markets in the world and is poised to become a key

sourcing base for auto components The table below captures the highlights of the sector in India that illustrates

its growing significanceSee Annexure A amp B

Indian Automobile Industry

Largest three wheeler market in the world

2nd largest two wheeler market in the world

4th largest passenger vehicle market in Asia

4th largest tractor market in the world

5th largest commercial vehicle market in the world

17

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 18: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 32 Automobiles - Domestic Performance

The production and domestic sales of the automobiles in India have been growing strongly While production

increased from 48 million units in 2000-1 to 85 million units in 2004-05 (a CAGR of over 15 per cent) domestic

sales during the same period have gone up from 46 million to 79 million units (CAGR 142 per cent) A positive

trend in the domestic market is that the growth has not been driven by one or two segments but is consistent

across all key segments Two wheelers which constitute the majority of the industry volume have been growing

at a rate of 143 per cent three wheelers at a rate of 14 per cent and passenger vehicles at a rate of 113 per cent

Commercial vehicles have been growing at a higher rate of nearly 235 per cent although from a lower base

Since nearly all macro-economic indicators ndash GDP infrastructure population demographics interest rates etc ndash

are showing a favourable trend the domestic market for automobiles in India is expected to continue on its

growth trajectory

Chapter 33 Exports of automobiles from India

While the domestic sales of automobiles have been increasing at a significant rate exports have taken a quantum

leap in recent years The exports of automobiles from India have been growing at a CAGR of 39 per cent for the

past four years Exports growth has been spearheaded by the passenger vehicle segment which has grown at a

rate of 574 per cent

As a result the share of passenger vehicles in overall vehicle exports has increased from 18 per cent in 1998-99 to

26 per cent in 2004-05 Europe is the biggest importer of cars from the country while predominantly African

nations import buses and trucks The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is

the prime destination for Indian two wheelers

18

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 19: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 34 REVIEW OF THESIS DONE

This is easy to understand because the per capita disposable income of the people has gone up remarkably Over

the last five years per capita personal disposable income has gone up by around 8 which has increased

purchasing capacity of the people in the country Other factors have also contributed to this high growth in Indian

automobile sector These include lowering age of first car users shorter replacement cycles rising duel income

families nw technology which is lowering cost of ownership low car penetration in the country and most

importantly growing steel production in the country In addition wide variety and easily available financing

options are also some of the major reasons for surge in demand for automobiles in India

Global automobile manufacturers are consistently streamlining their business process by outsourcing their non-

core activities to low-cost countries like IndiaGlobal automobile manufacturers are under tremendous pressures

to innovate their manufacturing process and at the same time to reduce costs In view of the present global

competitiveness they must not only develop new features to strengthen their customer requirements but also

follow the environmental and safety standards In addition the base price of a car is expected to remain same over

the next decade As a result companies are forced to source more components from low-cost countries like India

According to Mckinsey global outsourcing of automobile and auto components would reach US$375 billion by

2015 from US$65 billion in 2002 India has plenty of scope to garner this potential According to the management

consulting firm India has the potential to notch this opportunity and reach up to US$25 billion to emerge as

major sourcing destinations along with China Mexico and Thailand Besides low cost Indias auto components

industry has the major advantage of enormous skills in process product and capital engineeringmdashits excellent

manufacturing history and good education system

19

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 20: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Human beings think our way is the best but at Toyota we are told we have to always change We believe there is

no perfect way so we continue to search The goal is to break the current condition through Kaizen

- Shoichiro Toyoda Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation in December 2000

When Kaizen is applied to the workplace it means continuous improvement for - managers and workers Thus

Kaizen involves everyone in an organization to make improvements without large capital investments It can be

seen as a culture of continuous sustained improvement focusing on eliminating waste in all systems and

processes The Kaizen strategy begins and ends with people With Kaizen an involved leadership guides people

continuously to improve their abilities to meet high quality expectations low cost and on-time delivery which in

turn helps the organization gain a competitive edge

The production divisions council which checked the plants objectives occasionally modifying them taking into

account the companys profit targets replaced the production allowance councils After approval these objectives

became the Kaizen norm of each plant in terms of production efficiency The method of determining the

production efficiency was altered to make it less constrained as the standard time was fixed by measuring the time

really required for workers operations whereas earlier standard time was fixed on the basis of the best standard

time marked in the past

20

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 21: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 4 Industry Profile

21

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 22: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

CHAPTER 4 Industry Profile

The Trans-nationals were also serious about developing vendors in India India is

bound to become an important destination for the global auto industry It took the financial turmoil in South East

Asia and the slowdown in the Chinese auto market to reinforce the targeting to Indian Market The new interest in

the small car segment also reflects certain amount of bullishness on the part of auto manufacturers about India

Despite projected over capacities--and current losses carmakers continued to queue

up their investments for small car segment To day there are 10 global auto majorsmdashincluding the $13-billion

Suzuki Motor (Japan) the $65-billion Daewoo (South Korea) the $147-billion Ford (US) the $47-billion Fiat

(Italy) and the $168-billion General Motors (US) operating in Indian Market

Chapter 41 The Pre 1997 Automobile Market

As late as 1997 the auto market in India was clearly segmented At the entry level

were MULs 800-cc car--priced between Rs 210-lakh and Rs 245 lakh--and the Omni at Rs 175 lakh At the

next level were the 993-cc Zen--priced at Rs 370 lakh--and the 999-cc Fiat Uno (Rs 362 lakh) Then came the

1300-cc Esteem models--priced between Rs 469 lakh and Rs 595 lakh--the 1498-cc Cielo (Rs 620 lakh) and

the 1598-cc Opel Astra (Rs 752 lakh) followed by premium cars like Mercedes-Benzs E-220 (Rs 22 lakh)

Changing Lanes

Two events have upset the equations in the price-segmented car market Daewoo has

Changed the lanes with the Cielo which is now priced at Rs 490 lakh and competes with the Zens top-end

model (Rs 440 lakh) and the Esteems lower-end version (Rs 469 lakh) Ceilo has created a new value segment

where the price is not proportionate to the size Daewoos strategic response has very clearly redefined

differentiation from price or size to value

22

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 23: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Hyundai Motors India a subsidiary of the $27-billion Hyundai of South Korea launched

its 999-cc Santro at the Auto Expo 1998 in Delhi The model comes in five variants with the non-air-

conditioned manual transmission model priced at Rs 280 lakh and the semiautomatic air-conditioned GLS

model priced between Rs 315 lakh and Rs 4 lakh ClearlyHyundais strategy is aimed at taking on the market

leader Maruti Udyog Limited But by pricing the deluxe model at Rs 4 lakh it is also bridging the gap between

the small and the middle car segments At present Marutirsquos Esteem LX is priced Rs 70000 more than the

Santro GLS while the Cielo is priced Rs 90000 more

The further entry of new players will only blur the segments New entrants will be

involved in price war to find a foothold in the Indian market Few of the examples include

TELCOs positioning of its 1400-cc Indica car--launched in November 1998 and priced close to Marutirsquos 800-cc

model as a small carand Honda sneaking its 1300-cc City into the segment vacated by the Cielo although it is

an accepted fact that pricing or positioning cannot be done in isolation In a crowded market that must depend on

the available strategic opportunities

By creating new segments companies can broaden their market base increase

capacity utilization levels pre-empt competitors market entry moves and importantly lower costs While Maruti

did that by launching three versions of the Esteem TELCO accomplished it by using a common platform for the

Sumo the Estate and the Sierra models Hyundai is also planning to come to the market with five variants in near

future At high volumes costs can be lowered by more than 20 per cent across variants due to experience curve

effect

Configuring the sticker price for a car in the market today is no more a functional

decision It has become a strategic decision as it identifies the key segmentrsquos response

23

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 24: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

elasticity to the market offer The two key inhibiting factors for the poor response to the auto war fare in Indian

Car Market are basically the low per capita income at $350 (Rs 14000 at current prices) and the high

manufacturing costs A large part of the population expected to graduate from two wheelers to four wheelers has

not responded as they were supposed to during this period of time The domestic auto giant Maruti Udyog

limited still forces the new players to benchmark themselves against its products which roll out from a

depreciated yet high-volume plant It enjoys the fast mover as well as the cost advantage with the higher capacity

utilisation that helps him to cut costs across as more cars you make the cheaper they get

With the worldrsquos second largest and fastest-growing population there is no doubt that Indiarsquos potential in both

economic and population terms and the effect it will have on the auto industry in the next years During the last

two years export from this sector has grown significantly owing mainly to the export of cars and two-three-

wheelers

The industry is characterized by a very high percentage (75) of production in the 23 wheeler sector India ranks

as the largest manufacturer of motorcycles and second largest in manufacturing of scooters in the world India

today is also the second largest manufacturer of tractors as well The industry has intense forward and backward

integration

The Indian automotive industry had experienced an extraordinary growth due to the improvement in the living

standards of the middle class and an increase in their disposable incomes Moreover the liberalization steps such

as relaxation of the foreign exchange and equity regulations reduction of tariffs on imports and refining the

banking policies initiated by the Government of India have played an equally important role in bringing the

Indian Automotive industry to great heights

It is estimated that the sale of passenger cars have tripled compared to their sale in the last five years Thus the

sale of cars has reached a figure of 1 million users and is expected to increase further Its also to be noted that the

24

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 25: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

demand for luxurious models SUVs and mini-cars for family owners have shot up largely due to increase in the

consumers buying capacity

The Indian automotive market

India country fact file 2005

Population 1 080 264388

Per Capita GDP (PPP) $3400

GDP Growth Rate 71

Total automotive sales 2005 1 439604 (889333)

Total automotive production 2005 1 643460 (1 000567)

Market growth 2005 vs 2004 70 (64)

Best sold model PC segment 2004 Maruti Alto (168)

Best sold model LCV segment 2004 Maruti Omni (213)

(passenger cars) (market share in segment)

Source httpwwwsegmentycomIndiahtm

Chapter 42 The Protected Indian Domestic Automobile Sector

MUL which set up shop in 1984 had 10 long years of relative protection to emerge as a formidable competitor

with high volume and a strong brand image in the mind of Indian customers When the industry was deregulated

in 1993 the cost barrier had become so high that new companies could not dare to look at the small car segment

25

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 26: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Instead they settled for the mid-size segment where both volumes and margins were expected to be high

However a shakeout in the Indian mid-size car segment the slowdown in international auto sales pushed

transnational auto majors into India which have now turned the tide against MULThe present generation small

cars launched recently are more contemporary in terms of both design and technology while Marutis small-car

technology is at least a decade old

Keeping the future growth potential of Indian market in mind the auto majors are prepared to bear losses for the

next 10 years This will help them to gain a good market share the long run and provide breathing space to

counter the strategic moves of the leader Hence the narrowing price differential between the old and the new

small cars is the first call of the auto majors against Maruti in Indian Market If Maruti has to try and match the

features of new generation small cars it would mean additional costs On the contrary if Maruti decides to

hold its price line and add new features it could translate into losses or at least low profits But MUL can still

bank on at least two Suzuki models the proposed 657-cc Cervo C and the current 996-cc Wagon R to battle its

rivals in the future

Chapter 43 The Advent of the Auto Majors

Besides bracing up for losses in the initial years auto majors like Hyundai and Daewoo are banking on exports

too At the moment export may look unattractive because of the South Asian meltdown but in the long run low

production costs and component-manufacturing skills will make India- made cars competitive at global market

place Hence they are looking India as a production base to cater to the growing Asian market by way of

outsourcing from Indian manufacturing base However many a hurdles they have to cross on the journey to

profitability

26

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 27: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

The investments necessary for a large plant are simply huge Daewoo has so far sunk Rs 2700 crore in a

120-lakh-unit-a-year plant Unlike China which has restricted the number of companies India has followed an

open door policy for car manufacturers which has resulted in emergence of fragmented markets with distributed

capacity

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) needs a minimum economic size of 150 lakh cars a year to attract

vendor interest Daewoo was able to slash the Cielos price as it is cheaper to import components because of the

devaluation of the South Asian currencies The auto majors are lobbying with the government to ease the strict

indigenisation norms in the new automobile policy so that they can import the components from other countries

This will help them to cut the prices and to go head on the market leader particularly in a price responsive market

like that of small car segment

The other argument is that with the given import duty of 103 per cent on Completely Knocked-Down Kits

(CKDs) which is the same as that on Completely Built-up Units (CBUs) and 68 per cent on components the

imports will become costlier and compel companies to localize their manufacture The exposure to currency

fluctuations which crippled the four Japanese light commercial vehicle projects in the late 1980s is also minimal

when a company localizes component manufacture

Besides lean manufacturing techniques like Just-In-Time (JIT) are possible only when the supplier is located

close to the manufacturing unit If Maruti is a success story it is only because it indigenised 85 per cent of its

components within five years of going on-stream

Then theres the question of servicing the replacement market for spares Customers typically expect

components to be available locally and at competitive prices Imports cannot guarantee that but it is a

27

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 28: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

tremendous job to localize components at the right quality and price given the supplier problems in prevalent in

India

An Original Equipment Manufacturerrsquos competitive advantage lies in its marketing skills Having achieved price

and technology parity it can easily woo the consumer with attractive financing schemes and superior after-sales

service Nudged by the competition most auto players have a clutch of schemes to offer Daewoo Motors India

provides interestfree car finance Ford Motor and General Motors have slashed interest rates MULs joint

venture finance company Maruti Countrywide is offering loans at 1350 per cent when the prevailing lending

rate is 17 per cent and above

Chapter 44 The After Sales Service Scenario

After sales service for cars is as critical as showroom deals Maruti services its 2 million customers through an

army of 174 dealers spread across the country It will be impossible for a company to duplicate such

infrastructure particularly with investments in a metro-based showroom going up to Rs 4 crore Margins in

retailing are moving from actual sales to after sales service

The problem of price war is evident with Auto majors as much as with dealers In a bid to woo the customers

dealers particularly in non-prime locations are cutting their margins It will not be surprising if single-brand

dealers eventually turn into multi-brand sellers in future

Doing so will benefit all the three constituents in the marketing chain the OEM the dealer and the buyer The

carmaker can expand his reach without expensive investment the dealer can increase his revenue and the

customer gets a variety of models and brands under one roof in future

The local partner will be the loser in this fierce battle Without the means to make either matching equity or

technological investment the Indian collaborator will be driven off the road

28

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 29: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

It has already happened to the Rs 166-crore DCM which tied up with Daewoo Motors and can happen to both

the Rs 1258-crore Hindustan Motors (Partner General Motors) and the Rs 360657 crore Mahindra amp Mahindra

(Partner Ford Motor)

So they are reconciled to adopting a minority role or becoming auto component vendors This list includes

Siddharth Shrirams Rs 430-crore Siel (Partner Honda) the Kirloskars (Partner Toyota) and the Munjals of the

Rs 2000-crore Hero Group (Partner BMW) And the evidence is compelling eg Hindusthan Motors has a

passive role in its joint venture with General Motors although the Opel Astra is manufactured at HMs Halol plant

in Gujarat The same can be forecasted about Mahindra and Mahindrarsquos joint venture with Ford Motor What can

prolong the life of the joint venture is distribution muscle as it will take at least five years for a transnational auto

major to build a strong distribution channel in this country

By all accounts the auto industry is headed for a glut With an estimated demand for cars to touch 9 lakhs in

2001-2002 the installed capacity will rise to 16 lakhs So the current growth rate in Indian market is not

sustainable There will be at least two years of stagnant or declining demand before the resumption of the growth

trendThere is a projected demand of 1-lakh cars in the mid-segment alone by 2001-2002 And the car numbers

will add up to around 6 lakh a year That will engender a shakeout which is already afoot in the other Asian

markets For instance poor off -take and a consequent build-up of car inventories has led to a fierce price-war in

China

Chapter 45 Market Potential of Indian Automobile Segment

The demand for the small car will continue to drive growth for the next five years Of the total sales of Maruti in

2000-2001around 85 per cent were small cars The Esteems sales dropped in the same period where as the small

cars drove MULs sales So demand for small cars will leap only if certain conditions are fulfilled

29

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 30: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Rise in the Income Levels In the US auto demand rises by 4 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in the real

Gross Domestic Product but this is irrelevant for India as only the top 150 per cent of the population

can afford a car The demand can shoot up if the income levels of the top 5 per cent continue to rise in future

Level Of Motorization It is stagnant at 170 cars per 1000 people for decades However in the post-liberalization

period the motorization level has leaped to 370 cars per 1000 Although it is still lower than the levels in the

developed markets motorization is bound to rise further in the coming years

Chapter 451 Vehicle Prices

Falling imports and excise duties coupled with competition will continue to boost demand and

the prices are likely to fall further at least in the short run

Chapter 452 Consumer Finance

Over 60 per cent of customers opt for consumer finance That figure could go up if interest

rates continue to fall

Chapter 453 Infrastructure

Traffic congestion and bad roads could deter potential buyers from going for small cars

particularly in small cities of India The future is not very heartening in this aspect

Chapter 454 Product Availability

As manufacturers shift their attention to the small car more and more people will be able to

afford it and demand will only rise in the future period of time

30

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 31: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 46 The Future-Indian Automobile

There is a sharp contrast in the buying behavior of Indian Consumer compared to their western counter parts yet

there is no doubt that Indian car market is going to increasingly resemble the latter In the West the industry is

likely to be dominated by three or four major players With a likely demand of 11 lakh cars by 2006 there will be

a few niche players like BMW Mercedes-Benz and Audi with luxury cars to offer Unless car manufacturers

have a large range of vehicle to offer they will be unable to subsidize their costlier models

The market will consolidate to few segments The carmaker has to make diverse models based on diverse and

flexible platforms Products like the stripped-down economy car the sports utility vehicle or the van should be

built on the same platform For the price-sensitive customers there can be a no-frills version a loaded version for

the middle customer and luxury car manufacturers can target the high-end customers

The fortunes of the autoobile industry will continue to hinge on the large price sensitive customers who will

graduate to the higher end of the market over a period of time

Until then the small car will continue to drive demand and most of the car-manufacturers are

gearing up for this eventuality

31

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 32: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 5 Company Profile

ldquoTata Motorsrdquo

32

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 33: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

CHAPTER 5 Company ProfileTata Motors

Tata Motors previously known as Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co Ltd (TELCO) is one of the largest

companies in the Tata Group and one of Indias largest business houses Tata Motors is Indias leading

commercial vehicle manufacturer and the third largest passenger car manufacturer The company is the sixth

largest truck manufacturer in the world Tata Motors recently received the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative Hall

of Fame Award for having achieved a significant turnaround of its overall performance A comprehensive quality

improvement and cost cutting initiative in September 2000 has played an important role in the companys

turnaround from a loss of Rs 500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit of Rs 28 crores in the first

quarter of 2002-2003

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO)

Chapter 51 History amp Evolution

Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd popularly known as Telco was incorporated in 1945 to

manufacture steam locomotives In 1954 the company diversified into automobile manufacturing through a

collaboration with Daimler-Benz for the manufacture of commercial vehicles By the time the collaboration ended

in 1969 Telco had not only become an independent producer of medium commercial vehicles (MCVs) with

negligible import contentbut had developed the capability of designing and developing such vehicles The

Company progressively widened its product range to cover heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) and light

commercial vehicles (LCVs) implementing one expansion program after another

To sustain the unrelenting pace of its growth Telco added machining press and assembly

33

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 34: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

capacities set up its own forge and foundries and virtually created the countryrsquos automobile ancillary industry

The Company even developed facilities for designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art machine tools material

handling equipment dies and fixtures To accommodate the Companyrsquos growing activity base a large modern

complex was set up at Pune in western India and a new plant became operational at Lucknow in the north of the

country

To provide a business focus for the Companyrsquos main activity areas Telco has created twobusiness unitsrsquo -

Automobiles and Construction Equipment ndash both of which have notched up record-breaking results

Telco today has a domestic market share of 68 in the MCVHCV segment 64 in the LCV segment and 32

in the multi-utility segment Apart from commercial vehicles which range from 1 ton to 35 tons GVW Telcorsquos

automobile products also include passenger vehicles and an extraordinarily popular multi-utility vehicle All these

products have been developed inhouse by the Companyrsquos own RampD Center This Center is equipped with the

latest computeraided design hardware and software enabling the company to respond quickly to changing

customer needs both in India and abroad

Telco has been exporting its products since 1969 and currently exports about a tenth of its

output Export markets include the Middle East Africa and Southeast Asia as well as

developed countries in Europe like France UK and Spain It is intended that exports should account for 20 of

the automobiles sold by the Company

Telcorsquos second line of business Construction Equipment has also grown rapidly and the

Company currently commands a 61 share in the excavator market and 90 in the crawler cranes market in

India The hydraulically operated construction equipment made by the company is in collaboration with Hitachi

34

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 35: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Construction Machinery Limited of Japan There are ambitious plans for widening the range of excavators made

by the company and for adding new lines of construction equipment A recent addition to the excavator range is

Backhoe Loader

Telco is one of Indias largest private sector companies With a turnover of Rs 6637 billion it is the countrys

leading commercial vehicle manufacturer and the worldrsquos sixth largest automobile company

The widely successful Tata Indica which is Euro 1 and 2 compliant is the countryrsquos first

indigenously designed developed and manufactured passenger car The company also

makes several other passengers vehicles including the Safari the Sumo the Sierra the Tata Estate and the

Tatamobile pick-up

The companyrsquos products have received wide acceptance not only in India but also in markets in the Middle East

Asia Africa and Europe

Chapter 52 Areas of business

The company manufactures medium heavy and light commercial vehicles multi-utility

vehicles and passenger cars It also makes general and special purpose machines for

automotive applications at its machine tool division These include NCCNC horizontal and inline machining

centers flexible manufacturing systems CNC cylindrical grinding machines and robots for welding cutting

painting and other applications

In 1999 the companyrsquos revenues from its four manufacturing plants at three locations in India were Rs 6637

billion ($15735 million) In 1998 they were Rs 7026 billion ($1893 million) (The average exchange rate in

1999 was Rs 4218 to one US dollar)

35

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 36: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

In the year ended 31 March 2000 the companyrsquos total exports were worth about Rs 50553 crore against about

Rs 60078 crore in the previous year

Locations

The companyrsquos manufacturing plants in India are at Jamshedpur in Bihar Pimpri and

Chinchwad near Pune in Maharashtra and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh A fifth manufacturing facility is being set

up at Dharwad in Karnataka

Collaborations

The Company has technical tie-ups with

bull The Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering SPA Italy for assistance in

small car body design and styling

bull Nachi Fujikoshi Corporation Japan for robots for welding painting and other

automotive applications

bull Le Moteur Moderne France for the development of diesel and petrol engines for

passenger cars and

bull Robert Bausch GmbH Germany for application work on the engine management

system for 4 PL petrol engines

36

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 37: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 53 Tata Motors ndashSuccessful Car Indica

TELCO launched Indica when the TATA group was in red Telco chairman Ratan Tata said that the 1400 cc car

Indica would drive the company out of the red

Tata while talking to reporters at the IETF 99 in a videoconference from Mumbai said that the overwhelming

response of over 125 lakh initial bookings for the Indica had come as a surprise It seems we touched the

national chord somewhere as people responded to the fact that this is the first Indian car said Tata Indica is not

the end of the road for Telco when it comes to passenger cars It is just the beginning as there are more to come

said Tata adding that the company was working on another mid-size car after Indica

Telco had to produce 60000 cars a year to break-even The group created two

organizations within Telco one dealing with commercial vehicles and the other with passenger cars The

company under took a major restructuring exercise whereby the passenger car and commercial vehicles divisions

would function as two separate business units Telco had a strategy to go for exports after addressing the initial

requirements of the domestic market

Awards and Recognition

In May 2000 Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company Ltd (Telco) won a national award for successful

indigenous technology used in the Indica car project The award titled National award for successful

commercialization of indigenous technology by an industrial concern for indigenous development and

commercialization of Tata Indica car was presented by the minister for human resource development science and

technology and ocean development

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi

37

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 38: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

In November 1999 Telco was awarded the Department of scientific and industrial research

national award for indigenous design of the Tata Indica It was the first company in India to implement stringent

emission norms well ahead of the mandate dates

Promotions

The Indica advertising made interest for the car go into overdrive The campaign revolved around the premise that

the Indica would not just meet peoples expectations it would exceed them Every advertisement has a story to

tell

Pre launch Campaign

The Indica campaign began in the right earnest in December 1998 It was advertised as the launch of a car that

will spell doom for the small cars It was directly aimed at Maruti 800 The ad line used in the first campaign was

ldquoCar makers will suddenly remember all the thing they forgot to give yourdquo This hinted that Indica would have

more features than any of the existing small cars Indica used the catch lines like ldquo More car per Carrdquo ldquoMore

dreams per carrdquo to suggest that Indica will be bigger in size to the existing small cars yet be in the small car

category It competes with the mid size cars on size and give them a run for their money with its cheaper price

tag

At the launch of the car TELCO claimed that the people would never have to suffer from a small car again and

that the n end of the year (1998) would be the end of the small cars

Launch Campaign

The launch campaign of Indica focussed on the many advantages that it offered over other cars in the same

segment It promised the customers more than the current offerings Its first advertisement carried the following

catch line ldquo50cc moped 100cc bike 800cc car Time you asked for morerdquo

38

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 39: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

It then concentrated its efforts on criticizing the negative aspects of Maruti 800 and highlighted how Indica has

removed those very defects and presented a very sophisticated and modern car to the Indian customer It even

pointed out that the shape of Maruti was very unconventional and that people would prefer the shape of Indica to

Maruti 800 The advertisement read ldquo Box shaped bubble shaped wedge shaped But then Gentlemen prefer

curvesrdquo

The launch campaign also focussed on the roomy interiors of Indica a feature not offered by Maruti at that point

of time Also the expertise of TATA in diesel engines and fuel efficiency of these were the highlight of the launch

campaign of Tata Indica

Post Launch Campaigns

While the Launch campaign focussed on the features of Indica the post launch advertisements focussed on the

superior after sales service and longer warranty periods offered by Indica

Telco was the first company to offer an 18-month warranty period on engine parts The most famous line used

during this campaign was ldquoWe could go on and on about service or give you the one word summary TATArdquo

While their main adversary was the Maruti 800 Telco felt that it could also tap the mid size segment using the

selling point of space given by Indica They carried a campaign which said ldquoForget small cars we even make big

cars feel smallrdquo

It then went on to highlight the fact that Indica was Euro II compliant even before it was legally binding upon car

manufacturers to do so It also highlighted the concrete wall safety test that Indica withstands and tried to

showcase the car as a safe and strong car

39

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 40: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 6 COST REDUCTION TECHNIQUES

IN TATA MOTORSrsquoS INDICA

40

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 41: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 6 Tata Indica - The Making Of The Small Car

with objective of minimizing costs

The research provides an understanding of the issues concerning the supply chain management system at

Telco in regard to its small car Indica It outlines how Telco built the supply chain for the car by leveraging its

existing competencies and how it transformed itself from an integrated truck manufacturer to an automobile

integrator and from a product-centric company to competence- centric company The case discusses various

components of the supply chain and emphasises how Telco orchestrated them with the objective of minimizing

costs

ldquoTelcorsquos Indica not only has a new plant and a new set of people manning the plant but also new manufacturing

philosophies new systems and new processes in place as it gets ready to take on its competition in the

millennium to comerdquo

- Business India March 22 1999

In the early 1990s Telcorsquos Chairman Ratan Tata (Tata) was flirting with the idea of developing a small

car By mid-1994 a rudimentary design was in place In 1995 Telco announced that it planned to build a car

which would be priced close to the Maruti 800 shaped like the Zen and spacious as an Ambassador

Producing the new small car ndash Indica ndash represented a different kind of challenge for Telco Should Tata succeed he

would change the face of Telco As a truck-maker Telco was so integrated that it even made it own castings and

forgings As an automaker it would have to focus on the value chain that stretched between raw materials and after-sales

41

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 42: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

service as well as assembling the parts into the complete automobile

For its new venture Telco outsourced 80 of the components (1200 of its 1500-plus parts) from 200-odd vendors To

develop the Indica Telco had to combine the learnings from its predecessors with its own unique supply chain

management strategies to ensure a sustainable low-cost platform

By learning to build and manage a supply chain it would set the ground for leveraging the capabilities of the

automotive component-manufacturers who already operated in its target markets In other words Telco planned

to use its skills as an integrator--bringing together products and services from both upstream and downstream

operations and packaging them for the customer under a brand name in its new venture

Globally a car could be built in 48 months with an investment of US $ 3 billion (Rs 1275 billion) Indica was

built in 31 months on a budget of Rs 17 billion This seemed to have been possible by focussing on the supply

chain

Chapter 61 THE OUTSOURCING STRATEGY

For Telco outsourcing seemed to be one of the most difficult aspects of producing the Indica Unlike global

automobile majors Ford Motors or General Motors which had a global vendor-base that could be replicated on

a smaller scale in India Telco had to create a vendor-base from scratch Moreover it did not have the expertise

either to design a car or to build an engine for it

Against this background Telco had to take its primary lsquomake-or-buyrsquo decisions for the key inputs-design

engine and transmission Telco decided to shop globally for the best deals and use its own expertise to make

42

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 43: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

whatever modifications were needed

(Refer Table I for the components outsourced by Telco)

TABLE I

OUTSOURCING THE COMPONENTS

Components Supplier

5 door hatchback IDEA Italy

Engine Institut Francais du Petrol

France

Assembly Line Nissanrsquos Plant Australia

Presses Mercedes Benz

Pistons and Piston rings India Pistons

Electrical components and fuel injection

systems Lucas-TVS

Steering systems Rane TRW Steering Systems

Clutch facings and rear (drum) brake linings Sundaram Brake Linings (SBL)

Seating Systems Tata-Johnson Controls

Radiators Tata-Toyo

Rear view mirrors Tata-Ficosa

Front and rear bumper dash-board inside

trims Tata-Auto Plastics

Air conditioning kits Subros Ltd

Wind screens and windows Asahi Glass

Fuel lines Imperial Auto

Differential assemblies Sona Steering

43

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 44: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Sheet metal items JBM Tools

Source Business Today March 22 1999 and December 7 1999

Telco turned to the Italian company IDEA for the product-design It bought the engine from the Institut

Francais du Petrol of France and applied its engineering skills to adapt the engine requirements The transmission

was developed in-house at its Engineering Research Centre (ERC) at Pune Of the Rs 25 billion it spent on

designing the Indica the major share went in buying design tools and training its engineers in new skills Telcorsquos

engineers traveled regularly to the sites of its technology suppliers to receive training before the actual delivery

of the machines

Telco also outsourced its assembly line from Nissanrsquos plant in Australia for just Rs 900 million Telco

transplanted it at its factory at Chikli near Pune which was newly set up for Indica A new assembly line of the

same proportions would have cost at least Rs 4 billion Again of the 3 presses for the Indica only 1 was new

acquired for Rs 900 million while the other 2 were bought second-hand from Mercedes-Benz and modified to

suit the Indica

Telcorsquos engineers and the ERC did the application engineering programming installation and commissioning to

save around 45 of the technology costs The tooling for the car too was supplied internally by Telcorsquos machine

tool division To manage the supply chain better Telco kept the number of suppliers for Indica to just 200 as

compared to about 1000 for trucks Most of the parts were supplied by Telcorsquos traditional suppliersmdash TVS Rane

Group and Tata Auto Component Systems (Taco) who were single source suppliers Pressed parts assemblies

and drive shafts were sourced from single vendors

44

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 45: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 62 VENDOR DEVELOPMENT

Once Telco made its make-or-buy choices the next step was to identify the vendors Most of the parts that went

into making Telco were sourced locally Except for some sheet metal parts cylindrical gaskets and belts--which

accounted for 2 of the component value the Indica was totally indigenous[1] K Mahesh CEO Sundaram Brake

Linings said ldquoLocalisation of components is the most important challenge a new manufacturer faces It is a time-

consuming and painstaking processrdquo

Telco employed a simple yardstick for selecting suppliers the ability to supply components at the negotiated

quality cost and quantities In the first stage of selection an initial assessment team from Telco evaluated the

supplier This was followed by self-evaluation of the supplier based on a format provided by Telco Then there

was a quality systems survey carried out by a Telco quality audit team

This was followed by design validation And then there was a manufacturing validation to ensure that the

supplier was following the proper manufacturing processes This was followed by the Production Part Approval

Process (PPAP) which certified the production quality R Chakraborty (Chakraborty) senior deputy general

manager materials amp supplier quality improvement group said ldquoWhen a vendor reached this stage our

comfort level in dealing with him goes up considerably with regard to quality and his ability to supply material

to us

We feel that he has a proper production process in place to ensure quality and timely suppliesrdquo Only a handful of

vendors met Telcorsquos stringent requirements Telco set up Supplier Quality Improvement Teams to improve the

vendorsrsquo systems to ensure that they produced defect-free parts

45

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 46: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

It applied a 13-step Quality Improvement Programme covering supplier self-evaluation thorough design-

validation and audit of supplier quality Another key to Telcorsquos successful vendor-base was a modern system of

process management Telcorsquos target-costing was broken up into vendor-wise cost targets and the suppliers had to

carry out their own value-engineering exercises to lower cost and improve quality

For example India Pistons which supplied the pistons and piston rings walked away with the Indica order

because it benchmarked itself against supplies to Maruti Udyog whereas the other vendors benchmarked

themselves against pistons supplied to Telcorsquos commercial vehicles

India Pistons invested Rs 15 million in toolings and Rs 25 million in a separate line at its Maraimalai Nagar

(Tamil Nadu) facility N Venkatramani CEO India Pistons commented ldquoTELCO is very particular about

logistics that raw materials have a supply trace be ready for assembly need no inspection It is a demanding

customerrdquo

Telco even involved its vendors in the design-process to give suppliers more lead time to innovate and for better

supply chain coordination Commented TK Balaji CEO Lucas-TVS which supplied electrical components and

fuel-injection systems for the Indica ldquoBy making vendors its partner early TELCO ensured both quality and

price-conformity Late involvement would have yielded different resultsrdquo

MS Kumar Director amp CEO Rane TRW Steering Systems (Rane) which supplied the steering systems for the Indica added

ldquoTELCO has been extremely supportive making available its entire RampD resources to our engineers It is one of the best

experiences we have had in product-developmentrdquo Telco wanted Rane to design a system that would meet the peculiarities of

Indian road conditions

46

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 47: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Besides offering both manual and power systems Rane also had to come out with a left-hand drive variant for the export market

Rane had to go deep into application engineering because the front axle-weight of the Indica was heavier and its engine-

displacement higher Indica was not only compact which left less space but also heavy which strained the system Telco wanted

Rane to benchmark the maneuverability of the Indica against the Zen a much-lighter car

Rane took about 16 months to develop and get the steering system approved spending close to 2 man-years on it

It spent Rs 16 million on development costs for the power steering system--including tooling and dies--and Rs 10

million for the manual steering system Said PR Sarathy President Rane (Madras) ldquoTELCO gave us price-

targets We worked within them using value-engineering and concurrent engineering to lower our development

costs For all effective purposes we were an arm of TELCO during the processrdquo In the case of small vendors

Telco examined their processes- and cost-levels Telco configured its suppliers in 2 tiers Tier I suppliers had to

assemble sub-systems using components provided by Tier II vendors

Telco asked the latter to supply products at low margins to the former On its part Telco helped them lower their

costs by solving quality-related problems For instance SBL which supplied clutch-facings and rear (drum) brake

linings for the Indica developed them in-house VR Janardhanam President SBL remarked ldquoDespite its size

Telco has a lot of humility It is willing to work with even the smallest of vendors to meet its targetsrdquo

A typical brake-lining usually went through the following steps the raw material was converted into slabs the

slab was cut into the required length the cut piece went through 2 stages of grinding for the inner and the outer

diameters then the piece was drilled and finally champered But SBL brought down the number of operations

to 3 the raw material was straightaway converted into pieces of required length and the grinding was done to

only the outer diameter

47

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 48: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

And the company saved 15 because of this single-piece flow technique K Pandarinath Deputy General

Manager (Research) SBL commented ldquoTelco is a transparent company It allowed us to use all their facilities as

long as it helps develop a better product Our engineers spent several weeks working with Telcorsquos engineers on

perfecting the brake-liningsrdquo

Chapter 63 SUPPLY CHAIN

To keep its transaction costs low Telco configured its supply chain on a just-in-time basis All high-value

components were delivered daily and in the case of nearby suppliers twice a day Vendors who were located far

away from Pune set up local warehouses near the plant

The rationale for the relocation transportation costs alone accounted for 45 of the total logistics costs for a

company delays in supplies added to costs in terms of machine down-time at the plant Meanwhile on the shop

floor where the assembly line was located Telco had done away with the traditional store function

There was no material store in the Pune plant of Telco The truck loaded with the material first entered the

factory at the material gate where there was a documentation center A person at this center checked whether

the material was scheduled to arrive or not by keying in the part number and the supplier code

If the material was not scheduled to arrive the documents were not processed further and the truck was not

allowed to enter the factory premises Once it was cleared at the gate the truck proceeded to the receiving center

Once the items were unloaded unpacked and cleared for quantity and quality they were moved into the transit

area From there they went into what was called the lsquosuper marketrsquo The super market was close to the assembly

line In the super market the materials were arranged in such a way that the workers could easily access all the

48

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 49: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

material required on the assembly line without wasting much time and effort

The benefits of this just-in-time inventory system were that the inventories were low and so the interest costs

were also low Again the manpower required to handle the inventories was also low

For Telco a crucial link in the supply chain was its ability to forecast demand accurately which would help the

vendor plan his production-schedule in advance thus lowering costs Telco and Concorde employed market

research agencies to help forecast demand through trend analysis using the historical data technique

It used a complex web of correlation involving the countryrsquos economic situation competitorsrsquo products and

their USPs To ensure quick flow of information along the value chain Telco electronically linked its demand

forecasts to production and backwards to its suppliers

All its dealers were linked to the plant through VSATs(2) connected by e-mail to relay demand patterns on-line

to the Pune plant This reduced the order-processing time by 80 Analysts felt that by being online Telco

would save a minimum of 4 days from the order-to-despatch lead-time

For speedy delivery Telco resorted to inter-location transfers of the product between dealerships This would

ensure movement of the product to a place where there was more demand

This would make a big difference to finished goods inventory management once Telco started producing at

optimum capacity Telco also trimmed costs by making Concorde leaner than other dealerships with just 3 levels

managing director general managers and managers(3) Each of Concordersquos(1) general managers worked as

profit-centre heads of their individual business regions and reported directly to the managing director

49

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 50: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Added AK Seth General Manager (Delhi) Concorde ldquoThe company wanted to create a lean and responsive

network with the primary objective being to meet customer requirements as quickly as possiblerdquo

(1) Telcorsquos dealer for Indica It had 9 dealerships and 25 outlets

(2) Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) is a satellite communications system that serves home and

business users A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the userrsquos computer and an outside antenna

with transceiver The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky The satellite sends

and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system Each end user is

interconnected with the hub station via the satellite For one end user to communicate with another each

transmission has to first go to the hub station which transmits it via the satellite to the other end userrsquos VSAT

VSAT handles data voice and video signals

(3) Most other car-marketers in the country operated with a minimum of 5 levels

Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Indica marked the beginning of Telcorsquos drive into Indiarsquos auto market as an integrator with a multi-product

portfolio Analysts felt that the competencies that Telco had grown in the process of marketing Indica would be

the core around which it would build its future car business Analysts also felt that Tata would use the supply

chain that fed the Indica to feed a whole range of Telco cars of the future

DC Anand CEO Anand Group said ldquoTelcorsquos capacity will be tested by how many new models it can come

up with--and how soon Is Telco in a position to do so Four years ago I would have said no Today I am not

going to underestimate their capacity They have demonstrated itrdquo

50

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 51: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Business Today wrote ldquoLeveraging the low-cost supply chain that it has built Telco will launch a series of

other cars--priced both below and above the Indica straddling the entire spectrum--each of which will be

progressively easier to integraterdquo The supply infrastructure would become economical as the volume of the

business that Telco offered its vendors increased

The volume of business would increase with a larger number of cars The learning that it was extracting from the

Indica supply chain would also be available to the company as it moved into other products

There seemed to be a distinct opportunity for a smaller cheaper car positioned as an entry-level for the first-time

buyer Analysts felt that Telcorsquos supply chain management would become the pivot around which it could

assemble its passenger-car business

Chapter 65 Cost CuttingTo cut costs Tata Motors tried innovative techniques such as zero-based costing The companys engineers re-

worked the cost of components all over again For example earlier Tata Motors paid for its forged components

on a cost-plus basis as claimed by a vendor Under the new system it paid a price depending on the weight of the

forging leading to savings of 25 Prakash M Telang senior vice president (manufacturing) was appointed as

the cost-erosion champion and put in charge of the entire initiative Four specific areas were identified

-Direct material costs Reduction Projects

-Inventory Analysis-Just in Time

51

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 52: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

-Transporation Analysis

-Stock keeping Unit Analysis

Chapter 66 Quality Management

Tata Motors started a comprehensive quality improvement initiative in September 2000 The initiative played an

important role in the companys turnaround from a loss of Rs500 crores in the year ended March 2001 to a profit

of Rs28 crores in the first quarter of 2002-03 Every year about a quarter of Tata Motors workforce went

through training courses which were rated highly in the Indian engineering industry

Personnel were trained before building workshops In case of imported machines engineers and workers

were sent to the foreign manufacturers facilities to receive training well before the arrival of the machine

52

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 53: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 67 Cost Reduction in Energy Consumption

By implementing various energy conservation projects there has been a consistent decrease in the

specific Electrical and Thermal Energy Consumption

53

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 54: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 671 Energy Conservation Commitment Policy and Set Up

Tata Motors considers Energy Saving as a multi disciplinary approach Even the smallest cost reduction is going

to add directly to its profits in bottom line Plant energy profile consist of Electricity Gas Oil Light Diesel Oil

High Speed Diesel Oil Kerosene and Water Budget provisions are made exclusively for Energy conservation

management ( ECON ) Energy conservation plans policy and structure are reviewed periodically Plant has

conducted In house seminar on lsquoEnergy Conservationrsquo with external faculties like National Productivity Council

Atlas Copco Enercon Croma Engg and Thermax which was attended by participants from all plants of Auto

Sector Senior executives have attended lsquoEnergy Conservation Meetrsquo organized by CII and visited Reliance

Industries Godrej ICICI Towers to share energy conservation ideasEnergy Conservation week is celebrated

every year from 14th December to 21st December Poster and slogan competition on Energy saving was

conducted in every year

Energy Management policy is displayed every where in the plant for creating the energy conservation

awareness The company has formed cross functional teams for cost reduction through Energy savings

Each team comprises of Senior Executives as facilitators with members from each product units Safety

and Environment Department is also closely attached with Energy Conservation Cell Top management

like president vice- president General managers actively participate in the energy conservation program

and support the energy conservation plans by providing the necessary budgetary and morale help

The importance of energy conservation was emphasized through various forums and TPM (Total

Productive Maintenance) methodologyBy using TPM methodology plant has implemented more than

200 kaizens ( small improvements) like - Removal of unwanted motors Continuous to intermittent operating

of motors Timer for Blowers Heaters Providing air pressure regulatorsStopping idle running of motors

Photo cell control for lighting Combining activities etc

54

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 55: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Energy Management Policy

middot Promote Energy saving and conservation of resources

middot Bench mark specific energy consumption with National amp International standards and setting up

systems to achieve them

middot Increase use of non-conventional sources of energy amp alternate fuel sources

middot Comply with the Energy Legislation and other regulations

middot Conduct regular Energy Audits to reduce energy wastage in all areas

middot Promote awareness among all employees through leaflets seminars competitions and company

visits

middot Recognise energy conservation initiatives taken by employees and award them

middot Reduce waste generation and promote disposal reuse and recycling in an Environment friendly

manner

middot Make an effort to reduce the cost continuously every year by adopting effective ldquoEnergy Management

Systemrdquo

Energy Conservation Achievements

During the period between 2003-2005 Mahindra amp Mahindra Ltd has implemented around 320 proposals

through Engineering initiatives workmenrsquos suggestion schemes Auditors recommendations and TPM

methodology resulting into total saving of Rs 589 lakhs with an investment of Rs 143 lakhs This has

resulted in a reduction of 15 in specific electrical energy consumption and 14 in specific thermal

energy consumption

55

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 56: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chaptera 672 Electrical Saving ndash ( Compressed Air)

1 Screw Compressor with Variable Frequency Drive

Before Installation

For 2200 cfm output compressed air requirement plant was running

four compressors having total motor capacity of 630 hp

Motor Capacity = 630 hp

Power Consumption per Annum = 2532 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 10763 Lakhs Annum

After Installation-

Screw compressor with VFD running in combination with existing

compressors having total motor capacity of 516 hp

Motor Capacity = 516 HP

Power consumption per annum = 2079 Lakhs kWh

Operating Cost = Rs 8835 Lakhs Annum

Saving = Rs 1920 Lakhs Annum

56

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 57: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

b) Electrical Savings Measures

1 Integrated ( IT ) gun in place of Conventional gun for Spot Welding

Before - Use of conventional spot welding mc gun

Power Rating - 150 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 072 Lakhs annum

After- Use of Integrated gun ( IT Gun)

Power Rating - 33 KVA

Electrical Consumption - 016 Lakhs annum

Installed 6 nos of IT Guns

Total Saving - 337 Lakhs KWH annum

Rs 1432 Lakhs annum

2 Installed Steffa Control valve for Optimum utilization of Chilled water in Central

AC Plant

Installed Steffa Control Valve for optimum utilization of chilled water

at Central Air Conditioning Plant

Saving - 3579 KWH annum

Rs 015 Lakhs annum

57

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 58: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

3 Conversion of Core baking over from Electrical to PNG in Foundry

Foundry Core Baking Oven which was running on Electrical firing

converted to PNG firing by installing fuel efficient burners

Before - Electrical Heating

Electrical Consumption ndash 345 Lakhs KWH

annum

Cost - Rs 1469 Lakhs annum

After - PNG Heating

Thermal Consumption ndash 106 Lakhs SCM annum

Cost - Rs 909 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 560 Lakhs annum

Chapter 673 Thermal saving amp Heat Recovery

1 Conversion of Thermopac from LDO to PNG with Heat Recovery

Before - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic Fluid

58

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 59: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Previously was running on LDO

LDO Consumption ndash 415 Lts day

Cost of LDO ndash Rs 2517 Lakhs annum

After - Thermopac used for heating of Thermic fluid

Converted to PNG firing with Heat Recovery

System

PNG Consumption ndash 798 SCM day

Cost of PNG ndash Rs 2050 Lakhs annum

Saving - Rs 467 Lakhs annum

2 Heat pump using atmospheric heat for washing machines

Before - Use of 66 kw electrical heaters for water heating in washing

machine

After ndash Heat Pump using atmospheric heat to rise the temperature of

water from 32 ordm to 60 ordm for washing machine avoiding electrical heaters

Saving = 177 Lakhs KWH annum

= Rs 751 Lakhs annum

Chapter 674 Other projects implemented during 2004-2005

59

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 60: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

middot Variable frequency drive for Body top coat Exhaust blower in paint shop

middot Automatic power factor controllers

middot Continuous to intermittent motors by modifying the circuits or using Programmable Logic Controls

middot Online Diesel dispenser system

middot Stopping idle running of motors

middot Higher HP Motor to Lower HP Motor

middot Automatic Star Delta Converter

middot Flat belts instead of lsquo V lsquo belts for blowers

middot Boosters for High Pressure Compressed Air in machine shop

middot Use direct heating avoiding indirect heating

middot Effective Insulation for Paint Shop Ovens

middot Air pressure regulators

middot Recycling amp Reuse of Waste Material

middot Turbine Air Ventilation System

middot Building Management system for effective air conditioning

Chapter 675 Energy Conservation Plans and Targets

Energy Conservation Measures Anticipated (planned)

Anticipated savings In

Energy (Rs lakhs)

Approx Project

Investment (Rs Lakh)

Project commencement

amp completion year

Centralization of compressor house at utility compressor house 25 75 2004Fuel Cells for Power amp Heat generation 104 650 2004Install waste heat recovery for CGC 2 furnace and preheat quench oil 772 10 2004Replacing open type Burners by close typeburners at SAC Furnace 285 45 2004Heat pump for washing machine 8 15 2004Vapour Absorption System for air conditioningin Transmission PU 42 21 2005

60

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 61: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Variable Frequency Drives for Gray PrimerBooth Exhaust Blowers in Paint Shop 10 628 2005Solar Water heating system for washing machine 10 175 2005

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

61

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 62: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 7 SWOT Analysis of Cost Reduction Techniques in

Automobile

Overview on the automotive sector

The automotive industry is torn between trying to reduce costs on the one hand and on the

other dealing with the high price of performance-enhancing technology and environmental

compliance Key drivers in the automotive industry are

middot Reduced air pollution

middot Reduction of weight

middot Recyclability

middot Safety

middot Better performance and engine efficiency (fuel saving)

middot Aesthetics

middot Longer service life

62

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 63: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

SWOT analysis on the automotive sector

II1 Frames and body

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

Concerning the materials used for frames and body polymer nanocomposites play an

essential role

Engines and powertrain

The new development in engine and powertrain technologies has the objectives to improve

thermal and mechanical efficiency performance drivability and reliability as well as to reduce

emissions and costs

63

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 64: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Paints and coatings

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Properties of traditional materials change and the behaviour of surfaces start to dominate the behaviour of bulk

materials Such effects include ultraviolet (UV) blocking anti-static and conductive capabilities Paints and

coatings industries were among the first to take advantage of these capabilities three years ago Companies also

found that with the incorporation of nanoparticles thin film coatings have stronger bonds and better flexibility

with little cost differences These coatings are smoother stronger and more durable When used on products the

results range from scratch-resistant and self-cleaning surfaces to moisture-absorbing clothing Many companies

from around the world are using the properties of nanoparticles and are incorporating them within their coatings

Lubrication

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially used

o Nanotechnology-based solid lubricants reduce friction between moving parts and minimise wear save

maintenance costs and greatly improve overall machine performance In addition it reduces energy consumption

and decreases air pollution

Suspension and breaking systems

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Suspension systems Injecting nano iron-based particles into certain fluids creates a magnetic field that changes the viscosity from a thin liquid to a solidhis allows a vehicle to instantly alter its suspension system based on theconditions it senses

Tires

(1) Nanomaterials presently industrially usedo Replacement of carbon black in tyres with nanoparticles of inorganic claysand polymers leading to tyres that are environmentally friendly and wearresistanto New nano coating reduce weight improve pressure retention and reducerecycling and incineration costso Nanostructured soot as an additive to increase tire life reduce friction and fuelconsumptiono In the past few years European elastomer and inorganic oxide producers haveteamed to produce using an empirical approach the green tire which isbased on nano-structured silica reinforced hydrocarbon elastomers

64

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 65: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 8 Recommendation

65

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 66: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 8 Recommendations

The automobile components industry is composed of Tier 1 manufacturers positioned directly below the

automobile manufacturers and Tier 2 manufacturers and lower that are positioned beneath the Tier 1 producers

forming business relationships in the shape of a broad-based pyramid with automobile manufacturers at the top It

is common for Japanese automobile component manufacturers to be so-called keiretsu producers which have

strong business ties with a specific automobile manufacturer

The business performance of the automobile component manufacturers is strong but RampI cannot be

optimistic about the future business environment Amidst increasingly intense global competition between

automobile manufacturers the performance of the automobile manufacturers which are the main customers has

a significant influence on the performance of components manufacturers In addition with earnings for

automobile manufacturers themselves being squeezed by the intensification of competition the demands made

on component manufacturers in terms of price have become even more stringent Moreover adding in the

current rise in the price of raw materials such as steel aluminum and copper and it seems that earnings are being

squeezed from both upstream and downstream directions

In this tough business environment RampI considers that the presence of a financial base that can

accommodate strategic investment will have a major impact on future creditworthiness for components

companies

Rating Points for the Automobile Components Industry

Evaluation of Business Base

In evaluating the business base for the automobile components industry RampI focuses on three areas which

are the relationship with the automobile companies that are the major customers the structure for global supply of

products and the importance of the products

Sales for components manufacturers are significantly affected by how many models they can obtain orders

for at the launch of new vehicles or model changes and how sales go for each of the models for which they

receive orders Global production and sales of new cars is rising overall but there are major disparities between

individual manufacturers Therefore it is necessary to analyze structure of sales and trends for each automobile

manufacturer and assess the possibility of changes in future sales while considering external factors such as the

track record and future projections of each automobile manufacturer in the launch of new models and the effect

66

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 67: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

of environmental restrictions Automobile manufacturers have so-called close component manufacturers typified

by Toyota-affiliated Denso and Aisin Seiki Being a close manufacturers does not necessarily guarantee orders

Nevertheless the close manufacturers ultimately have a high share of deliveries business volume is often stable

and future order risk is limited to some extent However there are also fields in which independent manufacturers

have an overwhelming share depending on the product and it can be considered that order risk is also small for

independent manufacturers in these cases

With the move of automobile manufacturers toward a global base structure component manufacturers

have also been aggressively promoting the establishment and expansion of production centers overseas Catering

to the global strategy and global optimal procurement of automobile manufacturers is essential to maintain and

expand orders in the future and it is important to assess the state of the global structure for the supply of products

of the components manufacturers

The importance of the products that a company handles is also an key point As the stringency of demands

from automobile producers ruses major disparities in profitability for each component have started to appear

depending on factors such as the added value of a product or differences in efforts to improve costs in production

It is important to forecast future profitability taking into consideration the nature of the product its importance in

an automobile overall as a part and future technological directions

Chapter 81 Main Indicators

1048706 Net debtoperating cash flow ratio Net debt

1048706 Operating cash flow capital expenditure

1048706 Equity capital equity capital ratio

1048706 Operating profit on sales RampD expenditure on sales ratio

1048706 Sales and operating income (loss) by region proportion of overseas sales

1048706 Share of main products (global for customer)

1048706 Production and sales of major customers

Chapter 82 Focus on Moves to Strengthen Ties with

Automobile Manufacturers

In order to survive global competition some Japanese automobile manufacturers are trying to boost

67

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 68: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

product strength by forging extremely close ties with highly competitive component manufacturers The role

played by component manufacturers in the development of new models primarily in such fields as the

environment safety and comfort is becoming increasingly important and there are instances of automobile

manufacturers moving to boost ties including on the capital front with competitive component manufacturers

RampI is following the impact that this trend is having on the competitive environment between automobile

component manufacturers

Chapter 83 Investment Margin is Key to Survival

Ability to generate cash flow is the most important factor In response to production increases by

automobile manufacturers each of the component producers have also stepped up capital expenditure primarily

to boost capacity both in Japan and overseas However the sharp increase in capital expenditure has been a heavy

burden on finances in the automobile components industry which has many companies that are small in scale

compared to automobile producers and that compare unfavorably in terms of financial base In order to

implement strategic investment including rationalization maintenance and innovation and initial investment in

addition to establishing centers in growth markets it is necessary to secure stable cash flow in excess of a certain

amount every fiscal year and this could be termed a condition for survival

Chapter 84 Focus on Adequacy of Equity Capital

Sales credit and inventory risk is relatively small for component manufacturers With the exception of

some open market sales the majority of sales credit is for automobile manufacturers and the risk of bad debts is

low when limited to Japanese automobile producers Moreover compared to other industries sales credit

collection period is often short and its terms are also favorable Inventory is ordered production for automobile

manufacturers so RampI considers the risk of abolition and impairment to be extremely small

RampI also considers that equity capital as a risk buffer is an important factor RampI assesses effective equity

capital taking off balance sheet debt into account as a risk buffer for accommodating asset impairment risk and

extraordinary losses Nevertheless the level of risk buffer required varies depending on the business risk of

individual companies If the customer is a manufacturer that is continuing to increase production the risk that the

component manufacturer will abolish facilities is extremely small However when the customer is a

68

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 69: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

manufacturer that is carrying out large-scale restructuring it is necessary to consider the effect of the restructuring

plans on the rate of operations at the components manufacturer and to examine the risk of abolition of production

facilities and the adequacy of equity capital

69

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 70: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 9 Bibliography

70

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 71: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Chew W B T F Bresnahan and KB Clark 1990 ldquoMeasurement Coordination and Learning in a

Multiplant Networkrdquo in R S Kaplan ed Measures for Manufacturing Excellence Harvard Business

School Press Boston

Chew W B D Leonard-Barton and R E Bohn 1991 ldquoBeating Murphyrsquos Lawrdquo Sloan Management

Review Spring pp 5-16

Cusumano M A 1985 The Japanese Automobile Industry Technology amp Management at Nissan and

Toyota Harvard University Press Cambridge

Daiwa Securities Research Institute annual issues Analystrsquos Guide Tokyo Japan

Fujimoto T and A Takeishi 1994 ldquoAn International Comparison of Productivity and Product

Development Performance in the Automotive Industryrdquo in R Minami etal Acquisition Adaptation and

Development of Technologies Macmillan

Geweke J R Meese and W Dent 1983 ldquoComparing Alternative Tests of Causality in Temporal

Systemsrdquo Journal of Econometrics (21) pp 161-194

Granger C W J 1969 ldquoInvestigating Causal Relations by Econometric Methods and Cross-Spectral

Methodsrdquo Econometrica 34(4) July pp 424-438

Hall R W 1983 Zero Inventories Homewood IL Dow Jones-Irwin

Im J H and S M Lee 1989 ldquoImplementation of Just-in-Time Systems in US Manufacturing Firmsrdquo

International Journal of Operations and Production Management 9(1) pp 5-14

Jorgenson D W and M Kuroda 1992 ldquoProductivity and International Competitiveness in Japan and the

United States 1960-1985rdquo Economic Studies Quarterly 43 December pp 313-325

Lieberman M B 1990 ldquoInventory Reduction and Productivity Growth A Study of Japanese

Automobile Producersrdquo In Manufacturing Strategy J E Ettlie M C Burstein and A Feigenbaum eds

Kluwer Academic Publishers Boston

Lieberman M B Demeester L and R Rivas 1995 ldquoInventory Reduction in the Japanese Automotive

Sector 1965-1991rdquo mimeo

Monden Y 1981 ldquoWhat Makes the Toyota Production System Really Tickrdquo Industrial Engineering

(January) pp 36-46

71

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 72: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 10 References

72

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 73: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 10 REFERENCES

httpwwwintelligencom

httpwwwbitpipecomrlisttermManufacturing-Industryhtml

httpscitationaiporggetabsservletGetabsServletprog =

httpwwwwww-manufacturingcentercommanufacturing-industrieshtml

httpwwwrfidjournalcomindustrysummitsmanufacturingphp

wwweInventoryControlinfo

wwwtraining-classescomcourse_hierarchycourses8567_ cost _ reduction _ techniques

wwwricsorgQuantitysurveyingQuantitysurveyors30_percent_real_ cost

wwwalmmccomUserResourceCtrMfg Cost Reducthtm

wwwstrategisicgccasam

wwwhalf cost productscomoutsourcinghtm

wwwiimmorgknowledge_bank12_ cost - reduction -through-improvement-in-productivityhtm

wwwcordiseuropaeuespritsrctcsfmws

www dmozorgBusinessIndustrial_Goods_and_ServicesConsulting

wwwrapid-response-consultingcomrst-qoihtml

JOURNALS

The Relationship Between Firm Growth Size and Age Estimates for 100

Manufacturing Industries

The Journal Of Industrial Economics Volume XXXV June 1987 0022-1821

Research for a ldquonew age of magnesiumrdquo in the automotive industry By H Friedrich and S

Schumann

Journal of Materials Processing Technology

Volume 117 Issue 3 23 November 2001 Pages 276-281

Comparison of Construction Alternatives Using Matched Simulation Experiments J Constr Engrg

and Mgmt Volume 122 Issue 3 pp 231-241 (SeptemberOctober 1996)

73

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 74: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 11 Annexure

74

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 75: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

Chapter 11 Annexure

Annexure A

Segment Key Players

Commercial Vehicles Tata Motors Ashok Leyland Swaraj Mazda Mahindra amp Mahindra

Bajaj Tempo Eicher Motors

Passenger Vehicles Tata Motors Maruti Udyog Honda MotorsHyundai Motors Toyota Skoda Mahindra amp

Mahindra Daimler Chrysler Hindustan Motors

Two Wheelers Hero Honda Honda Motors Bajaj Auto TVS Motors

Yamaha Kinetic Engineering

Three Wheelers Bajaj Auto Piaggio India

Annexure B Competitive Advantages

India has several competitive advantages in the automobile sectorwhich have been analysed using the following

frameworkAvailability of skilled manpower with engineering and design capabilities India has a growing

workforce that is English-speaking highly skilled and trained in designing and machining skills required by

the automotive and engineering industries In a combined assessment of manpower availability and capabilities

India ranks much ahead of other competing economies

Many Indian and global players are leveraging this advantage by increasingly outsourcing activities like design

and RampD to their Indian arms The Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (SIAM) estimates that

automotive vehicle manufacturers are expected to invest US$ 57 billion in the Indian market from 2005 to 2010

Of this about US$ 23 billion will be on research and development and the rest probably on capex Some

examples of investment in areas leveraging the engineering and design capabilities of India include

75

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN
Page 76: Cost Reduction Techniques-final

bull MICO the Indian operation of Bosch and a key player in fuel injection equipment ignition systems and

electricals has invested in the MICO Application Centre (MAC) for RampD It has emerged as a key global RampD

competency centrecatering to the entire Bosch Group It is the first of its kind in India and the Bosch Grouprsquos first

outside Europe

bull GM set up a technical centre at Bangalore that became fully operational in September 2003 The centre focuses

on both RampD and engineering and takes up high-value work to complement current research programmes as

well as new exploratory research projects

76

  • c Scholarly articles for brief about indian manufacturing industries
  • Chapter 64 LEVERAGING THE SUPPLY CHAIN