Performance analysis in the automotive industry

Abstract

The goal of the thesis was to enable a thorough insight into the automotive industry and its most important challenges and design a practical, relevant and user-friendly performance analysis tool that examines a car manufacturer’s compliance towards reference performance targets within the automotive industry. The thesis summarizes the main characteristics and challenges of the car industry, provides a definition of the automotive industry and its economic contribution and relevance. The manufacturing philosophies that have revolutionized car making throughout the world, Fordism and Toyotism, their distinctive features and characteristics are emphasized on a case study of the Romanian car brand Dacia. The Lean management production philosophy is explained with its component work organization concepts as well as the importance of their interrelated connections and effects on productivity improvement. The role of road infrastructure and the synergic effect of car industry and motorway network enlargement for supporting a sustainable long-term development is also highlighted. The French manufacturer Renault and the Romanian carmaker Dacia are presented along with their manufacturing sites within the international car market context. Case studies on two current topics in the automotive world are also presented: the low-cost segment created by Renault in 2004 with the Dacia Logan and the more strategic issue of relocation in automotive industry towards more cost-competitive countries with the example of the newly built Dacia plant in Tanger, Morocco. An extensive review of the specific research literature provides an in-depth analysis on performance assessment issues in the automotive industry which mainly focus on production, management, supplier-buyer collaboration and supply chain development. The performance analysis tool includes 81 relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) which are applied on a case study on the Renault plant in Douai, France and the Dacia factory in Mioveni, Romania. The case study provides a comparative analysis on logistic, management and internal performance on strategic, tactical and operational level as well as judging their impact on short-, medium- and long-term. The global CSR indicator overviews the degree of economic, social and environmental performance.