To that end, Ford EVDC currently has about 350 people working in Long Beach at any given time. Employees in outside offices dealing with manufacturing engineering and software, for example, bring the team size to around 480, but in Ford terms, it’s still a very small division.
4. A very simple drawing and drawing release system with great flexibility to make changes should be provided.
This one is interesting. EVDC is extremely well equipped with everything from three types of 3D printers to a CNC router larger than my first three apartments (including one just for shaping full-size clay models). This allows for rapid iteration and a simplified approval process without the need to send modified models and drawings off-site for manufacturing. Speed also comes from everyone being under one roof, avoiding silos. All that plus a carpentry workshop, a metal workshop and more. Even elements like the design and patterns of the seats are done in-house.
5. There should be a minimum number of reports required, but important work should be recorded thoroughly.
The less time you spend justifying your decisions to senior management, the more time you will have to get the job done.
6. There should be a monthly cost review that covers not only what has been spent and committed but also the projected costs through the conclusion of the program.
This may sound like project management 101, but it goes beyond simply budgeting time and money for project development. Because the Universal Electric Vehicle is being designed to be as affordable as possible, it is critical to constantly consider the effect of design decisions on cost. This extends from material selection to making the seat mounting bolts face outward, speeding installation and reducing labor costs on the line. Ford is being relentless in this pursuit.
7. The contractor must be delegated and must assume more responsibility than normal to obtain good offers from suppliers to subcontract the project. Commercial bidding procedures are often better than military ones.
Modern manufacturing technology has made Johnson’s Seventh Rule largely irrelevant. Because EVDC is so vertically integrated, from computer design to clay models, rapid prototyping, assembly and testing, the need for outside contractors has largely been eliminated.
8. The inspection system currently used by Skunk Works, which has been approved by both the Air Force and the Navy, meets the intent of existing military requirements and should be used on new projects. Return more basic inspection responsibility to subcontractors and suppliers. Do not duplicate so much inspection.
If we swap contractors for engineers, this rule becomes much more relevant to what Ford is trying to do. At EVDC, teams are fully equipped with high-end testing equipment, allowing them to validate designs before leaving the office. There is even a car model made with 80/20 aluminum extrusions, which is used to design an entire wiring harness and everything that connects to it except a battery. This allows engineers to validate not only the hardware, such as the internal modules that make up the UEV zonal architecture, but also the software.
