3 - Jacobs University

internal processes and increases organization’s operational efficiency and therefore its profitability.
Platforms reduce the number of components and therefore simplify OEMs’ inventory management
(van Weele, 2010). Meanwhile, the larger volumes per component accelerate the learning process
in production, which eventually results in improved quality. An important advantage of standardized
platforms is also risk-pooling. In cases of shortages of components for a particular model, the
OEM can quickly counteract by filling in the inventories with the same components stock-piled
for other models (Veloso & Kumar, 2002; van Weele, 2010). This is particularly useful to offset
misguided forecasts of customer demand such as unexpectedly high interest in particular products
and lack of interest in others (van Weele, 2010).
Due to the significant advantages which the platform use offers, very often the whole product
portfolio of a particular automotive group is based on just a few standardized platforms. Quite
common are also cases in which automotive business competitors would form alliances among
one another and develop joint platforms. Recently, more daring projects aim at the even further
integration of individual models in OEMs’ product ranges and therefore larger cost reductions.
One such example is Volkswagen’s MQB strategy (from German Modularer Querbaukasten or
modular toolkit). The target of Volkswagen’s new strategy is to develop a universal platform for
the construction of transverse, front-engine, front-wheel-drive vehicles, which is intended to be
highly standardized, but at the same time flexible enough to be incorporated in a very large number
of different models in several different market segments 5 . The use of the MQB is an important
pillar in Volkswagen’s business strategy. It is expected that the introduction of the MQB platform
would reduce the one-off expenditure and the unit costs by up to 20% each, and the engineered
hours per vehicle by up to 30% (Pötsch, 2011). MQB is also particularly useful for significant
weight reductions and respectively lower emissions. The first mass production models based on
the MQB concept are expected to roll off the Volkswagen production lines already in 2012.
Despite their immense advantages, standardized platforms represent still another significant
challenge for the quality management process and in particular for quality auditing. The fact
that they offer a way to suppress rising development costs, and at the same time allow OEMs to
maintain product portfolios with a large number of models, gives platforms a central position in
OEMs’ production strategies. However, potential defects in the individual standardized production
components immediately affect all models using the platform and respectively a very large amount
of vehicles. Such undesired situations not only have serious financial consequences, but also are
especially harmful for the image of the respective company. In the end of 2009 and the beginning
5 Source: personal communication with Volkswagen AG employees.
23