Intra‐group Work Patterns in Final Assembly of Motor Vehicles

Discusses experiences from the design of parallellized flow assembly systems. Also discusses factors influencing the performance of collective work and relates these to the flow parameters in the Saab Automobile′s final assembly plant in Malmö and the Volvo Uddevalla final assembly plant. Illustrates this discussion by empirical data from the shopfloor of the Volvo Uddevalla plant. Focuses mainly on the evolution of the intra‐group work pattern from the start in the training workshop to the final intra‐group work pattern and the assembly performance achieved before the closing down of the plant. Reports on management′s initial design assumptions communicated during the design of the Uddevalla plant. Comments on and revises these design assumptions, since they were far too simple and lacked the support of theoretical analysis and empirical evidence. The lack of a scientific explanation for the production and work organization principles communicated within Volvo might be one of the reasons for the closing down – it certainly was not the performance of the plant.