Measuring performance in automotive component makers: what to track and what to ignore

A fastener plant posts a board in its sorting hall. Each sorter's pieces per hour, ranked, top to bottom. Within a quarter the fastest sorters earn the praise and the incentive. A customer then finds mixed lengths in three cartons. The two most careful sorters, always near the bottom of the board, have already left for a unit that pays a flat wage.

Our HR page for component makers notes that output, rejection and attendance goals can be fair when set by line and shift. The hard part is choosing which numbers to put in front of people, and which ones to keep away from individual reviews.

On a transfer press, a moulding machine or a harness conveyor, the cycle sets the pace. An operator cannot run faster than the die or the mould. Differences in pieces made usually reflect which station, which part number and how many stoppages that shift had. Ranking individuals on output then punishes whoever was given the troublesome die and rewards whoever skipped a check to save seconds.

• Schedule adherence. Planned quantity against good quantity dispatched, by part number and shift.
• First-pass yield. Good parts at first attempt, by station, so rework and sorting do not hide problems.
• Escapes traced to the line. Customer returns and in-house rejects found downstream, with the station identified.
• Changeover minutes. Actual against standard for each die, mould or header size change.
• Stoppage minutes by cause. Material, breakdown, absence, quality hold or waiting for a setter.
• Attendance and punctuality. By line and shift, read alongside roster changes.
• Near-miss reports raised. A rising count usually signals trust, not danger.

1. 1

   Operators

   Checks done correctly when observed, sign-offs earned on new stations, punctuality, safe habits and help given to joiners.

2. 2

   Setters and fitters

   Changeovers within standard, first-off accepted at the first attempt, tool history cards completed and deputies brought up.

3. 3

   Inspectors

   Accuracy on seeded parts with known defects, completeness of records and timely holds. Never lots passed.

4. 4

   Shift in-charges

   Line results over a quarter, overtime spread across names, attrition and absence on their shift, handover log quality and training progress of their crew.

• Harness makers: crimp audit results, continuity test first-pass and wrong-wire incidents after a drawing revision.
• Moulding plants: purge and startup scrap in kilograms, mould change minutes and cosmetic rejects by press.
• Machining and grinding cells: tool-life adherence, offset entries logged and gauge room disputes resolved.
• Brake makers: cure cycle compliance, dynamometer retests and dust-mask audits in the mixing room.
• Suspension makers: fatigue rig failures traced to weld or temper, and lifting-aid use in hot bays.
• EV component makers: end-of-line test first-pass, torque audit findings and isolation routine lapses.
• Fastener makers: mixed-part incidents, header uptime after changeovers and seeded-check catch rates in sorting.

Pick two or three from your own plant type and add them to the line scorecard. A shorter list read every month beats a long one nobody discusses.

• Individual piece counts on lines where the cycle sets the pace.
• Public ranking boards of operators or sorters by speed.
• Inspector targets on lots cleared or rejections found, which push them to pass or to over-reject.
• Hours stayed late as a sign of commitment.
• OEE attributed to one operator, when it mostly reflects breakdowns, material and planning.
• Ratings with no observation or record behind them.

Base each target on the demonstrated cycle of the die, mould or header, less planned changeovers and breaks. Do not copy the best day of last quarter. Revisit the figure when the part number, tooling or crew changes. When a line misses, read stoppage minutes by cause before judging anyone. Material shortages belong to stores, breakdowns to maintenance and late tooling to the tool room. A crew that trusts its target puts effort into it. A target lifted straight from the customer's schedule mostly produces excuses.

Line and month: for example, weld line 3, current month.
Schedule adherence for each rotation.
First-pass yield by station: top three loss stations named.
Escapes: count, station and status of the corrective action.
Changeover minutes against standard: by die or mould.
Stoppage minutes by cause: the biggest cause and who owns the fix.
Attendance and punctuality by shift: compared with last month.
Near-miss reports raised and closed.
New sign-offs earned by operators this month.
One action for next month: owner and date.

The plant head, the line in-charges and quality spend thirty minutes on each line. The discussion is about conditions and fixes, not names. Individual conversations happen separately, using the person's own record.

Keep incentives tied to measures people control, and link grade progression to sign-offs earned. Our shop-floor performance process design helps plants build that link. The harness performance page shows measures for board workers, and the fastener performance page covers sorters and header setters. Our essay on targets that reward the wrong behaviour explains the general trap.