CHICAGO – Ford Motor Company is the latest auto maker to buy Manufacturing Intelligence software from Executive Manufacturing Technologies of London, Ontario. With auto plant downtime at major facilities averaging thousands of dollars a minute, the Canadian firm's web-based technology has found favor as manufacturers look to reduce costs in a slowing market.
Ford is purchasing VisualPlant™ for its St. Thomas Assembly Plant in St. Thomas, Ontario. The plant produces the Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis luxury sedans.
VisualPlant™ fits the e-business movement underway in the auto industry. The Ford purchase follows a pilot project last June at the St. Thomas facility. VisualPlant™ is replacing existing custom data collection and analysis systems at the Ford plant. Plant staff will now be able to easily access real time and historical production data over a web browser.
This is the third purchase of VisualPlant™ by Ford and includes a maintenance contract. Today's purchase announcement at the National Manufacturing Week trade show in Chicago will see VisualPlant™ operating in 12 North American automotive manufacturing facilities.
"With the current slowdown in the auto sector, manufacturers are looking for new ways to streamline their production activities to reduce costs and remain competitive globally," says Dennis Cocco, CEO, Executive Manufacturing Technologies. "The ability to quickly identify sources of production downtime and slowdowns with VisualPlant™ provides huge cost savings."