Quality management steps into the spotlight .

That disruption began in an unlikely place , one that wasn ’ t well known for its innovation - quality management . Its department head Michael Moebius admits that what it lacked in futureforward thinking , it made up for in data . Data filters through quality management from over 150 countries , but its conventional analysis system was outdated and relied on siloed internal sources captured through traditional means .

As a result , quality and safety issue identification and investigation times were reactive , and focused on historical analysis after the problems had already matured . This long and sometimes inaccurate process yielded high warranty costs and delayed recalls .

Solidifying a futureforward foundation .

While the quality management department had access to a wealth of data , it didn ’ t necessarily know how to analyse it most efficiently . Beck confirms : “ We were collecting data , but not using it in a way in which you could make decisions or create business models out of it .”

This gap in skills highlighted a key area of attention for Beck , who believes that the foundation for everything within a company is its people . It was this desire to lay the correct foundation for DTA ’ s digital transformation that led to the relationship with Deloitte . Ashwin Patil , Deloitte Consulting LLP Managing Director for Global Manufacturing Analytics , remembers : “ We were able to gather folks from strategy , cloud , digital tech , data scientists — we brought key people to the table to help drive this .”

The power of collaboration

First , Deloitte analysed all of the available data from 45 of the last major DTA recalls . This included structured data like metrics correlated with its vehicles to unstructured data , such as call centre records , warranty claims , dealer and technician comments and social media engagement . Based on this combined analysis , Deloitte discovered that

80 % of these recalls could have been detected in advance based on the historical data patterns .

The opportunity to look even further into the future became possible with the introduction of live data through DTA ’ s launch of Fuso Super Great , its first connected truck and foray into the internet of things ( IoT ). As the truck is driving , geographical data and data from the vehicle ’ s system like oil pressure , coolant temperature and battery voltage is combined with the historical data , providing DTA with the insight to see the overall health situation of a truck . According to Moebius , this proprietary cognitive system , dubbed “ proactive sensing ”, enables DTA to implement “ predictive intelligent maintenance and service planning , which ultimately helps us get ahead ”.

The success of Daimler Trucks Asia and Deloitte ’ s proactive sensing project hinged on the teams ’ desire to function as an innovative client relationship . They embraced the “ flavor of a startup ”, where constructive criticism flowed freely , enhanced by regular meetings at the staff and management levels to create an open environment for questions and ideas . Deloitte also took a second look at DTA ’ s internal resources and developed skill profiles to identify gaps in capabilities .

Smarter insights , stronger outcomes .

The proactive sensing project is expected to save DTA $ 8mn in warranty costs during the first 24 months and even more in recall costs . The system is also able to predict and prioritise quality issues 13 months ahead of its previous process , which helps keep customers on the road with less downtime .

“ By doing this project , we were able to generate awareness for data at a management level ,” Beck states . “ The project helped us shape an overall business case for the big data topic . Now everyone wants to have it . The whole company is pushing for it .” The journey for DTA doesn ’ t stop here , however . The constant cycle of disruption continues , not only for the organisation and the industry , but also for the ever-changing world that is becoming increasingly reliant on connectivity , data and the internet of things .

avasudevan @ tohmatsu . co . jp | Ajai Vasudevan , Director Automotive , Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting