Risk Profiles for the Pre-series Logistics in Automotive Ramp-up Processes

Abstract The increasing complexity and shortening process duration of ramp-up projects in the automotive industry causes research and industry since years to optimise the ramp-up phase and develop supporting methodologies. Risk management seems to be a promising approach to identify and analyse critical processes. This paper presents a risk survey approach, based on the knowledge of existing methodologies for the ramp-up management. The applicability of these methods and tools depends on the project-specific risks within the sub-processes of the ramp-up phase. Hence, suitable indicators are necessary to monitor the risk drivers and sources and thus to identify the risks. Nevertheless, the adoption of suitable indicators from these sets for an individual pre-series project requires the derivation of a specific risk profile. Based on a framework of pre-series logistics sub-processes a survey approach will be presented, allowing to deduce risk profiles for ramp-up projects. Following, the results of an exemplary survey, which has been conducted at a German premium automotive manufacturer and the resulting logistical risk profile are presented. The paper concludes with a summary and an outlook on further research.