Ford hires new executive "Quality Czar" Josh Halliburton

[cyberfalco]

Unfortunately JD Power is all about marketing. To win a JD Power award, you just need to pay JD Power. Maybe that's why he doesn't work there anymore.

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[gryphon1231]

Ford has hired a new executive director of quality, Josh Halliburton, in a newly created position under CEO Jim Farley.

This story seems to have gone under the radar until this week when Ford has been making the press with a number of personnel changes. This is great news, Jeep did the same thing back in 2014 with the quality having attained joke status. Over the last few years reviews point to improved quality at Jeep so I'm hopeful Ford can achieve the same kind of turnaround.

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How about Ford hire a "logistics Czar" . Seems to be more of a pressing issue at the moment.

 

[North7]

While some get triggered by the name J.D.Power, it's interesting what a quick google search reveals about the breadth of the company. Not only are they a survey company we all know but they also are an Automotive Product Consulting company. So it turns out the surveys help sell consulting services, smart business plan.

Automotive Consulting Solutions
- Improve product quality, lower warranty costs, and improve customer satisfaction

Quality System Development & Management
Production Process & Quality Improvements
Product Planning, Manufacturing & Engineering
Quality System Development & Management
Technology Development & Implementation
Production Process & Quality Improvements

 

[John Auer]

Jesus... give the guy a chance already.

While the results remain to be seen, I see this as a huge move for several reasons:

1. In even publicly acknowledging there's a problem, while everyone has seen it for quite some time, this is still a HUGE step for a major corporation to admit, as the admission will reflect ownership of several generations of bad decisions.

2. Bringing in someone from outside the company, who is not a home grown "yes man" tied to some of those earlier bad decisions gives him a little more autonomy to point them out as opposed to having to "die with the lie" or remaining married to the bad decision that burned them in the first place

3. His ties to J.D. Power brings with it a combination of knowledge of what both industry insiders AND the public both say, good and bad, which allows him to prioritize fixing things that matter to the consumers over some that might only matter to the company or to him. He likely knows he can't fix everything, but it gives him knowledge of areas to focus on as well as working knowledge of consumer forums and others like this that provide insight from OUR optic. For example, when taking on a new assignment, I sit down with my key stakeholders and ask them to identify their top three things our team or program is doing right from their optic and the top three things from their position we need to work on. In seeking the positives, I'm not looking for accolades, but more so identifying areas not to screw with, even if I personally may not like them.... basically don't f**k with something that is working. Getting their feedback across the board, especially on the improvement areas you start seeing common trends from various mission partners that tells you what to work on first.

So yes, in a sense, it is a PR move. But isn't everything? One of the biggest issues to fix is trust, and PR, to include reporting on the bad goes a long way toward that. Think of it like a sports team hiring a new coach... the ultimate goal is to win, but making the change is fundamental PR from the start.

Give him a chance and lets see how he does. Then bash him or commend him as necessary. You may disagree with the change, but it's a good start.

Ford needs to get back to “Quality is Job 1.” Cheap is expensive.

 

[North7]

How about Ford hire a "logistics Czar" . Seems to be more of a pressing issue at the moment.

Interesting point, makes you wonder if Mud Mountain storage is for more than just Bronco's missing modules, perhaps some have serious and significant quality flaws that Ford is trying to come up with fixes for in lieu of scraping them?

 

[gryphon1231]

Interesting point, makes you wonder if Mud Mountain storage is for more than just Bronco's missing modules, perhaps some have serious and significant quality flaws that Ford is trying to come up with fixes for in lieu of scraping them?

Good point. And let's face it there are all the issues with the top's

 

[North7]

Ford needs to get back to “Quality is Job 1.” Cheap is expensive.

Ford dropped that slogan back in 1998, we now know why.

 

[schadenforduh]

 

[John Auer]

That’s awesome to hear across the board. It’s sad when we often think of reliable vehicles mostly coming from overseas ie Honda and Toyota, even Kia recently with 100k mile warranties. I certainly would like to see ford and Chevy at the forefront of quality.

When ol’ Henry ran the company, Ford was vertically integrated from top to bottom. Out sourcing and “just in time” manufacturing changed quality results for the worse.

 

[John Auer]

Ford dropped that slogan back in 1998, we now know why.

Too bad they didn’t follow through with their marketing slogan.

 

[North7]

For those that have not followed FCA Jeep's similar poor quality story since 2014, here is a recap to their road to improvement. Now that Ford seems to be copying Jeep again, let's hope for similar or better success.

Quality chief leaves FCA amid recalls, poor reliability

Fiat Chrysler has big problem to address. Here's what it's doing

How FCA Busted Away From Its Past To Gain Top Spot In Quality Awards

“Quality is Not by Accident,” says FCA Exec as Dodge Becomes 1st Domestic Brand to Lead JD Power IQS

The Chrysler & Jeep® Brands | Most Improved Initial Quality in 2016

FCA US Quality Improvement Outpaces Industry Average for Third Consecutive Year

 

[Razorbak86]

When ol’ Henry ran the company, Ford was vertically integrated from top to bottom.

Mostly true, but not entirely true. Stories about “ol‘ Henry”, one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his era, tend to contain a mixture of facts, legends, and outright myths.

Even Henry Ford was not able to conquer the natural rubber cartel, which controlled raw materials supplies for making automotive tires, although he tried valiantly. That lengthy and expensive project in the middle of the Amazon jungle, dubbed “Fordlandia”, was one of his biggest failures.

 

[Bronco Snow Dog]

I recall reading a few years back, the average age of Ford's lineup was 6 years. At the time, management decided they needed to reduce this number and has been successful with Ford now having the lowest lineup age. Unfortunately, this couldn't have come at a worse time. Going forward, Ford needs to simplify their new offerings to minimize quality issues and supply constraints.

 

[John Auer]

Mostly true, but not entirely true. Stories about “ol‘ Henry”, one of the most successful entrepreneurs of his era, tend to contain a mixture of facts, legends, and outright myths.

Even Henry Ford was not able to conquer the natural rubber cartel, which controlled raw materials supplies for making automotive tires, although he tried valiantly. That lengthy and expensive project in the middle of the Amazon jungle, dubbed “Fordlandia”, was one of his biggest failures.

I stand corrected, Ford wasn’t vertically integrated %, but they were light years more integrated than today’s OEM’s. I think Tesla is probably the best example of a modern day vertically integrated manufacturer. Even still, they’ve had their own quality problems. VI doesn’t guarantee top quality, great engineering and critical inspection will probably deliver better results.

I recall reading a few years back, the average age of Ford's lineup was 6 years. At the time, management decided they needed to reduce this number and has been successful with Ford now having the lowest lineup age. Unfortunately, this couldn't have come at a worse time. Going forward, Ford needs to simplify their new offerings to minimize quality issues and supply constraints.

I agree. I was kind of surprised when they reintroduced the Bronco with seven different variants. KISS: keep it simple stupid.

 

[Desert_6G]

Maybe he can figure out why they can't align all 4 doors on my Ranger corrently so they don't stick out. And the two driver side doors on my Bronco.

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