GM Plant Productivity Makes Gains on Toyota

General Motors Corp., once the symbol of big, slow corporate America, virtually matched Toyota Motor Corp., the icon of lean manufacturing, in North American assembly plant productivity last year for the first time since it has been measured, industry research group Harbour Consulting reported Thursday.

Toyota logged 22.05 hours of plant labor per vehicle assembled, while GM reported 22.15 hours, a difference of one-tenth of an hour, or just 6 minutes per vehicle.

"General Motors essentially caught Toyota in vehicle assembly productivity," consultancy President Ron Harbour said.

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BigShow50 - 6/1/2007 1:10:45 PM

0 Boost

So what took GM so long to catch up? Toyota is now ready to unveil their secret production plant in Japan they have been working on for sometime which will be more effcient from their last, while still maintaining high quality build, if not better. And they are saving as much as $1,000.00 per vehicle. Soon to go into full operation mode in the coming months. Therefore back to the drawing board for GM...

jasaero - 6/1/2007 2:28:37 PM

+2 Boost

Well if you read that whole report you will see that GM has MANY plants with a several hour advantage on Toyota. They just have several plants that lag also. If they get all their plants upto par with thier fastest ones, toyota will be NEEDING these special processes they are developing out in Japan.

neutral - 6/1/2007 1:35:12 PM

+4 Boost

Waaaa, waaaa, waaaa. Just say "good job GM" and quit whining.

jasaero - 6/1/2007 2:31:55 PM

+1 Boost

Just what we all need! More handouts.

jasaero - 6/1/2007 3:24:17 PM

+1 Boost

That's a pretty big handout when it is something we are all having to take care of or expecting our employers to take care of right now. Really they just need to force health insurance companies out group, hmo, ppo and all that sorta jazz and make peeps all handle their own individual and family health insurance to bring more competition into the industry and force prices down. The insurance would be affordable then and if they were all competing just to make money they would force the best prices outta the health facilities they sent you too also. It's all a big regulated boondoggle right now is the only reason everything is so expensive. If we let the government take it over it is going to get even less efficient and cost us even moer, but just through taxes rather than to the insurance and healthcare companies themselves. The best doctors will also flee to free markets where they can make more money.

toolatetorace - 6/2/2007 10:47:04 AM

+2 Boost

At least for now if you get hurt on the job at GM they will fix you back up and you will get your job back unlike some of these other so called "Made in America " auto makers where it's , get hurt , get out and don't come back and then go and sign up for public assistance

rocker - 6/1/2007 9:22:39 PM

+1 Boost

The most productive plant in the auto kingdom is the GM plant Oshawa #2. That include Toyota & Honda.