VWDS does a deep dive into Volkswagen Autoeuropa’s production and IT ecosystem
On the 8th of July, representatives from the Software Development Center’s (SDC) Production and Logistics (P&L) cluster had a full-day tour at the Volkswagen Autoeuropa factory in Palmela. This Volkswagen Digital Solutions’ (VWDS) tech unit is currently organized around four main clusters (Production and Logistics, Procurement, Sales, and VW Commercial Vehicles partnership), with the aim of providing in-depth expertise in software development for those verticals.
The Production and Logistics cluster focuses on software solutions for VW Group within the different phases and areas of vehicle production. Currently, SDC, has five product teams working, for instance, in the modernization of the Integration Vehicle Order Management (IFA) that serves VW group plants, and different car brands and connects more critical systems to support the entire vehicle order process from a customer ordering a vehicle to delivering the vehicle to the customer. Another example would be the calculation of the gross part demand per vehicle (FX4Demand) to optimize parts needed in the just in time concept or a software application that enables the planning and operational processes to do indoor measurements of buildings and objects (IVP).
The visit was led by AutoEuropa’s Carlos Fernandes (IT Business Process & Applications Management Coordinator), along with Fábio Faustino (IT BPA Production) and Fernando Jardim (IT IS PISO). The day encompassed a debrief on AutoEuropa’s history, business areas and IT ecosystem, and an extensive tour through the four main areas of production: press shop, body shop, paint shop and assembly line. This visit was an immersive learning experience aimed at understanding the intricate workings of the factory’s IT infrastructure and its impact on production efficiency and effectiveness.
Throughout the tour, the IT team at Volkswagen Autoeuropa provided in-depth explanations of how various IT systems are seamlessly integrated into the factory’s operations, playing a pivotal role in enhancing its performance. Along the tour, they pinpointed several IT initiatives that had a major impact on production, deep diving into technical details and their return on investment. They also emphasized the importance of data analytics in driving continuous improvement: it enables informed decision making, issues mitigation and operations optimization, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted production flow.
For SDC product teams this was also a 1st hand experience to do in field research and validation in the areas where they have touchpoints like the new Integration Vehicle Order Management, that enable the teams to decrease the risk when building software solutions.
This initiative was another step towards a closer partnership between VWDS and the Volkswagen Group’s factory in Portugal. This will allow ongoing collaboration for knowledge exchange on production topics, lean development, user-centric design and agile organization models and frameworks.
Both teams are optimistic about the potential for future joint initiatives that will further enhance the factory’s performance and contribute to Volkswagen’s vision of becoming a leader in automotive manufacturing through digital innovation.