Fiat : FCA Plant in Melfi Receives Prestigious German Award

PRESS RELEASE

The FCA assembly plant in Melfi, Italy, was awarded the prestigious "SMART Digital Operations OEM" Special Award based on the evaluation of a panel of experts selected by the German magazine Automobil Produktion and consultancy firm Agamus Consult.

Since 2006, over 1,000 manufacturing plants in more than 17 countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Benelux and Italy, have taken part in the selection process for this award, one of the most important of its kind in Europe.

Each year, Agamus conducts an initial analysis of questionnaires received from plants across Europe and then selects a short list of candidates for each award category. The selection process also includes site visits, interviews and meetings to validate data provided in the questionnaires.

The analysis looks at a plant's production system and application of that system. Specific focus is given to continuous and consistent application of the principles of Lean Production - particularly in the areas of quality, maintenance, logistics and people development - resulting in creation of a work environment that effectively facilitates a process of continuous improvement and systematic elimination of waste. Following this rigorous evaluation process, a panel of experts from Agamus Consult selects the winners.

In granting the award, the panel cited the systematic and consistent application of the World Class Manufacturing (WCM) methodologies at Melfi as being fundamental to realization of the SMART Digital Factory.

They also noted that advanced application of Lean Production was a prerequisite for development of "Industry 4.0" or full automation and data exchange in manufacturing. Factors making the difference include the innovative solutions forming part of nearly every one of the WCM pillars, in addition to the 20 shifts per week and training delivered through the on-site WCM Academy.

In recent years, FCA has received numerous Automotive Lean Production Awards - the most important being the awards received by the Pomigliano plant in 2012 and the Verrone plant in 2015. These results stem from establishment of WCM as the basis of FCA's production system. Alfredo Leggero, Head of Manufacturing EMEA Mass Market at FCA said: "This important award recognizes the contribution of all the men and women at Melfi in recent years to the significant transformation necessary for the plant to fulfill its mission, which today includes production of the Jeep Renegade, Fiat 500X and Fiat Punto. Through WCM, Melfi has achieved the highest production standards and established itself as a model for FCA's other plants. We are proud that these results have been recognized by international experts who also gave special mention to the organizational model, which is unique in Europe, including a 20-shift week and excellence in training through the on-site WCM Academy."

The Melfi plant covers a total surface area of more than 1.9 million square meters. Since opening in 1994, the plant has produced more than 6.3 million vehicles. The plant currently employs approximately 7,700 workers and operates 5 presses and 2 shearing machines in the stamping area, 860 robots in the body shop, 54 painting robots and 278 automatic screwing stations.

The awards ceremony will be held in Germany in November during the annual congress hosted by Automobil Produktion and Agamus Consult.

Turin, 28 July 2016

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