The modular consortium in a new VW truck plant in Brazil: new forms of assembler and supplier relationship

Since November 1995, VW has been running an experimental plant to produce trucks and buses in Brazil. The manufacturing strategy is quite different from the current strategies one can see in the automotive industry worldwide. VW has defined its concept as “modular consortium”. Describes the plant’s main characteristics, and discusses the risks and the opportunities for VW and its partners to obtain sustainable competitiveness based on a radical new production concept.