Can we cut Ford some slack?

[That_Hal]

Looks like Jim Farley finally got an account here

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[Corsair]

I’m getting confused at all the anger and frustration with Fords communication. They are literally fighting against forces they can’t control(chips, hard top shortages, COVID) that directly affect their builds. Week by week some new challenge for them pops up, I can only imagine the chaos thats going on over at HQ. This forum has ultimately spoiled us because originally we all were prepared to get our build dates in MAY. We need to step back and take a deep breath, because Ford is truly trying their best, we are just spoiled rotten. With all that being said, I better get my VIN this week or I'm getting my pitchfork.

Originally, even after the advent of the COVID shutdowns, quite a few of us were would’ve had our Broncos months ago. That most likely has quite a bit to do with t th e frayed nerves.

 

[Corsair]

Why cut them slack? How much of this could have been avoided if they had simply produced the real Bronco first and delayed the not really a Bronco bronco instead. And don’t get me started on how they wait to introduce the best color until after we have all ordered and not allow that until 22.

The Bronco was initially planned to be revealed first, followed several weeks later by the Squirt. If it wasn’t for COVID and Whitmer shutting down Michigan for months then the Bronco probably would’ve beat the Squirts to dealerships.

 

[Rusty Sheckleford]

The Bronco was initially planned to be revealed first, followed several weeks later by the Squirt. If it wasn’t for COVID and Whitmer shutting down Michigan for months then the Bronco probably would’ve beat the Squirts to dealerships.

As it should have been.

The amount of normies who think the Sport is the Bronco is dumb. I get it, the general public isn't that hooked in on this industry, but it's still a marketing/launch failure.

The sport should never have been allowed to become the face of the brands relaunch.

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

I've been in the auto industry for a while and have spent a lot of time doing greenfield start ups and launching new product models and so feel qualified to comment on this situation.

The issues we are seeing are Fords fault but they are following the industry playbook.

Many of the issues they are running into are a result of poor strategic sourcing models that have focused primarily on low cost at the trade off of stability. It is a short term view of profits vs. the long term health of the brand.

I see the questions already: What do you mean?!

Hard Top shortages - This is what SQEs (Supplier Quality Engineers) exist to fix. When you have a parts shortage you have two levers you can pull, diversification of sourcing strategy or hostile take over (joking...mostly). I've had various companies move into my facilities to monitor our ramp and production and bring in additional subject matter experts when we hit road blocks. For the launch of the Trailhawk I had over 20 FCA engineers camping in my conference room for 6 months to help overcome production ramp issues. They will quite literally take over your operations to help remove roadblocks. If Ford was monitoring their suppliers correctly they should have seen these ramp issues 12-18 months out (capital tooling is never fast) and it should have made them very cautious in their forecasting. Maybe marketing ignored the operations team (shocking!) on volumes but that is still Fords fault. Ford SQEs are some of the worst (just send me an 8D!) and are not senior enough to make a difference, they'd routinly send people with less then 2 years out of college to follow up on major issues. Toyota/Honda/BMW were the opposite, I'd end up with a Sr Dir. standing in my office demanding answers and helping make meaningful change.

Chip Shortage - This actually started about 2.5 years ago, the whole world saw these issues coming well before COVID and no one wanted to pony up the capital to build more foundries. Everyone sat around waiting for someone else to make the investment instead of proactively managing the known shortage. Ford leadership chose not to take a proactive approach by investing in dedicated chip suppliers and played the short term over the long term card. It's now too late and everyone is like "How could we have known?!". We all knew (google Intel shortages starting Oct 2019 and the rise of TSMC).

I could go on, but in summary, this is a failure of sourcing strategy that has been going on in the industry for the last 20 years. Everyone is doing it but it doesn't make it right or healthy long term.

I have wondered for years when a major disruption would bring a supply chain based on cost reduction crashing down. As everyone implemented SAP, and lean six sigma, and then extended the supply chains across oceans to countries who do not have governments set up for free enterprise or are in places threatened by those countries - everyone - like lemmings - for the all important shareholder value - they all forgot the what if, assuming most disruptions would be temporary.

I don’t think the lesson has been learned either.

 

[NotApplicable]

For those of you keeping track, my graphic from Dec 6, 2020, a joke turns into reality.
https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...lays-and-more-layoffs.9716/page-4#post-352178

Dec 2020 wasn’t that long ago, and many of us are getting a MY21 in summer 2021 just as promised…

 

[Erock]

I’ve got a much better idea... all of you folks pissed about colors, interiors, options, trim levels, lack of communication and any of the other 17,259 things folks complain about... just cancel your reservations and orders. Maybe I can get a MY ‘21 then.

 

[North7]

Dec 2020 wasn’t that long ago, and many of us are getting a MY21 in summer 2021 just as promised…

Yes, and more will take delivery in 2022, just as promised...

 

[NotApplicable]

Yes, and more will take delivery in 2022, just as promised...

Ohhhhh, you mean those that chose to wait or those that didn’t place an order in a quick enough timeframe? This is indeed just as (should have been) expected, even in a world before COVID. Want new hyped product (iPhone, Apple Watch, switch, Xbox, ps5, Tesla, Rivian, Mach-E, etc.) shortly after launch? Order right when the banks open.

 

[da_jokker]

As far as I'm concerned, Ford as a company lost all slack in the rope when they did 2 FU actions to it's reservation holders..

1- Dealer allocations... Single handily made your reservation timestamps worthess except as a weighing factor at your specific dealer and only against the other reservation holder at that single dealer.

2 - Continually gave us BS excuses instead of being honest. COVID did not cause every delay nor did it force people to release non-proof read materials time and time again. AND a computer glitch is not the reason you can't get roof rails on a 4 door.


You want slack Ford... Stop treating us like ignorant car buyers.

 

[Butzy]

Exactly how are dealer allocations and priority orders earning Ford any Grace from people spending all night trying to log in to get an earliest order possible? Delays due to the liberal COVID agenda is forgivable. The stuff Ford has pulled is not.

Liberal Covid agenda?! You think the mass cremations in the streets of India have something to do with a Liberal agenda?! Tfoh!!!

 

[DryYourTears]

Ohhhhh, you mean those that chose to wait or those that didn’t place an order in a quick enough timeframe? This is indeed just as (should have been) expected, even in a world before COVID. Want new hyped product (iPhone, Apple Watch, switch, Xbox, ps5, Tesla, Rivian, Mach-E, etc.) shortly after launch? Order right when the banks open.

Some HAVE ordered shortly after launch (under 24 hours) and still won't see one until over a year (close to a year and a half for some) after ordering, and that's not counting the SAS+manual / painted hard top type of restrictions, and that's because of the dealer allocation formula.

For a first 24 hour order, you shouldn't have to wait until October or later.

 

[DryYourTears]

I’ve got a much better idea... all of you folks pissed about colors, interiors, options, trim levels, lack of communication and any of the other 17,259 things folks complain about... just cancel your reservations and orders. Maybe I can get a MY ‘21 then.

Some are considering it. I mean, even Land Rover can get me a custom build in 3-4 months from order time. That may still be sooner than Ford can get me a Bronco that was ordered morning after launch, and that only because the website was down night-of and I went to sleep.

 

[Butzy]

in light of what is happening currently around the world, this is small potatoes. However, the last place Ford should be cut any slack is with communication.

 

[Crimpcap]

As far as I'm concerned, Ford as a company lost all slack in the rope when they did 2 FU actions to it's reservation holders..

1- Dealer allocations... Single handily made your reservation timestamps worthess except as a weighing factor at your specific dealer and only against the other reservation holder at that single dealer.

2 - Continually gave us BS excuses instead of being honest. COVID did not cause every delay nor did it force people to release non-proof read materials time and time again. AND a computer glitch is not the reason you can't get roof rails on a 4 door.


You want slack Ford... Stop treating us like ignorant car buyers.

And the priority build BS!

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