| The General Motors approach to automation has | | | | equipment. |
| been inflexible. It did optimize costs if you made | | | | Once that order leaves the Web site or the |
| tremendous numbers of exactly the same vehicle. | | | | telephone representative, automation takes over |
| If you needed to change over to offer vehicle | | | | again. Supplies by plant are checked against the |
| variations, the robots needed a lot of tending. | | | | customer's location to see where the custom |
| Toyota countered that challenge by automating | | | | machine should be made. |
| relatively stable processes such as the link | | | | The assembly is then automatically scheduled for |
| between a customer's order in a dealer | | | | where the inventory is in place and shipping |
| showroom and the parts order process, while not | | | | distance is shortest. That scheduling triggers |
| automating that which would be desirable to | | | | orders for more parts and accessories from the |
| change quickly such as providing any extra | | | | appropriate suppliers. If a needed part isn't yet at |
| features a customer wanted. | | | | a work station but is in a plant's inventory, an |
| Flexibility is an important point for two reasons. | | | | automatic order goes out to move the part from |
| First, customer satisfaction soars when | | | | the inventory to the work station before the |
| customers can have just the features they want | | | | computer is due to be assembled. |
| without waiting. The traditional assembly line | | | | At the work station, however, things were not so |
| produces lots of standard cars that the | | | | automated when I visited a Dell factory in Texas. |
| manufacturer and dealers then try to sell at the | | | | It was more like Toyota's approach to assembly. |
| best price. Only a small number of customers | | | | There was a work order that listed all the parts |
| want exactly the features a particular vehicle has. | | | | that were needed. Those parts were pulled by |
| You can order a custom-made car or truck with | | | | someone from the work station inventory into an |
| just the features you want, but there's a long | | | | assembly kit. The kits were picked up by a |
| delay in many cases. In some automotive | | | | two-person team who then assembled the |
| companies, these custom cars cost a fortune to | | | | computer, checked it for simple faults, and sent |
| produce. You take the standard car and rebuild it | | | | the computer on for automated upgrades. |
| into a custom car. This method of customizing | | | | One of those next steps was to load the |
| also means that the car is more likely to have | | | | software that was ordered with the computer. |
| faults. | | | | Automated testing turned up flaws in some |
| Second, those who assemble cars hate assembly | | | | computers. The ones with minor errors went to a |
| lines. They find it hard to stay focused. As a | | | | nearby repair specialist. Those with major errors |
| result, more errors creep into the cars they | | | | were not repaired. Instead, another computer |
| produce. | | | | was produced in the following few hours. |
| The Toyota assembly teams, by contrast, enjoy | | | | From there, packing and shipping looked pretty |
| the variety of tasks they do and like being part | | | | much like any other factory except that the |
| of a team. This team-based assembly process | | | | labels were automatically printed for each order |
| means that the Toyota teams make fewer | | | | to facilitate fast, accurate deliveries. These labels |
| errors due to higher morale and having more | | | | notified the shipper how to combine shipment of |
| eyes looking out for errors at each stage of the | | | | the computer with the monitor, printer, and |
| vehicle's assembly. | | | | whatever else had been ordered so that although |
| Similarly, the Dell processes are both highly | | | | these components shipped from different sites, |
| automated . . . and not. If you go to Dell's Web | | | | the customer received a complete order in one |
| site, you can find information to help you select | | | | combined delivery. |
| the features you want and order your | | | | But the automation doesn't end there. Your new |
| custom-made computer. That's great if you've | | | | computer's software will direct you to register |
| owned quite a few computers and want to use a | | | | with vendors to receive automatic updates. Dell |
| new one for a similar purpose. | | | | will also send you updates from time to time |
| It's even better if you simply need a machine to | | | | about subjects that affect the computer you |
| use at work. Dell will probably have established a | | | | purchased. Your order information will be stored |
| customer account profile that will ensure your | | | | so that the next time you call about ordering a |
| order is compatible with your firm's network, | | | | computer, the choices you are presented with |
| hardware, and software. | | | | reflect your prior purchasing habits. |
| But what if you're clueless and need someone to | | | | As you can see, Toyota and Dell are using |
| talk to? That's no problem. You just contact a Dell | | | | automation to make the customer and the |
| representative via a toll-free call. | | | | employee experiences better by creating a |
| I have ordered equipment from Dell this way. The | | | | flexible process for rapid customization. Whenever |
| knowledge and helpfulness of the people I've | | | | automation doesn't create a better experience, |
| talked to are most impressive. You get the | | | | they avoid automation. |
| impression that Dell has rounded up thousands of | | | | Let's look at a contrasting experience. The first |
| experts with great personalities. | | | | time I ate in an automat in the 1960s, it was a |
| But wait. Are there really so many technophiles | | | | new experience. You went to a wall covered with |
| who love talking on the telephone? Dell didn't find | | | | glass doors. You opened one of those doors to |
| that to be the case. Instead, they found people | | | | remove the item you wanted, took your tray, |
| who enjoyed talking on the telephone and who | | | | and headed for the cash register. |
| knew something about computers. | | | | But after one time, the experience paled. It's |
| Dell made it easy to help by providing automated | | | | more pleasant to go to a coffee shop, diner, or |
| help screens written in plain-vanilla English that the | | | | fast-food emporium and order something |
| representatives could use to deliver the latest | | | | prepared the way you like it and receive some |
| technical information. Dell also provides classes and | | | | personal attention. It's no wonder that automats |
| additional information to make its representatives | | | | faded from the landscape. They automated the |
| more knowledgeable. That's important because | | | | wrong part of the process and didn't enhance the |
| Dell also provides many other kinds of electronic | | | | customer experience. Avoid that mistake. |