Processes

What will AGI do for Engineer/design vehicle (CAD model)?

Once the concept for the new vehicle has been created and finalized, the vehicle can be designed/engineered and a computer aided design (CAD) model can be created using software. First, the program specifications are created and finalized and then the supplier’s ability to fulfill engineering requirements is evaluated. The evaluation and selection of suppliers by product engineers ensures that there is a reasonable likelihood of actually building a vehicle - i.e. there are material and services suppliers who can fulfill engineering and manufacturing requirements. If there are not capable suppliers, then the design may need altering or the company may have to manufacture its own components. Procurement may engage with this selection and evaluation exercise, but will generally avoid speculative conversation with numerous suppliers about components which may or may not make their way into production. Often suppliers selected for prototyping components will not be the chosen party for mass manufacturing, as the skills and capabilities are more engineering/design-based than manufacturing oriented. This process focuses on the supplier’s capability to deliver against the technical/design requirements - and is a design team decision rather than a procurement decision. (NOTE: some OEM's work this process 50:50 with design and procurement, but the latter's role is more about price and supplier risk mitigation which is covered in the process element “procure materials and services”). The product and process design is then completed, rules and policies are designed, and the configuration is managed. The final step in the design process is the establishment of service and warranty parameters for individual parts and the whole vehicle. It is normal for engineers to recommend warranty characteristics and how long it should take to fit parts, but their recommendations are not necessarily published. Instead, cars are sold with 7 year warranties (for example) as a whole and the fitment times determine what ought to be paid to dealers for fitting the warranty items (i.e. if they fail before 7 years). Service schedules are the inspection and lubrication regimes and are different from the warranty.