Holden V8's stolen

Here's the story:

Engines stolen from assembly plant

"Sources said there was "no effective tracking system" to ensure that each of the major components delivered to the plant actually were used and this had enabled the thefts to continue until detected by police."

I can't believe they don't have way to track how many engines are in the plant at any time. When I worked for a Tier 1 supplier we had to make a control plan so we could track every single part back to the coil of steel it was stamped out of.

Lord please help those folks at Holden. Because of this they're surely going to be inflicted with some fancy bells and whistles inventory control system like SAP over this.

When we went to SAP we lost about one third of our business and about one third of the employees as well. The business left because the system killed the previous flexibility of optioning out the product, forcing "option packages" on the customers instead.

One third of the employees were lost due to lost business and out of sheer user frustration with the new system. The changes to the business to adapt to the new system were tremendous, because you don't make adjustments to SAP to suit your business, you adjust your business to suit SAP.

I cannot imagine the turmoil putting something like SAP into an auto assembly plant could cause. But I know it will hurt. My former employers haven't recovered to their business levels and it's been over a decade since the SAP fiasco.

It might be cheaper for Holden to let the thefts continue rather than endure the self-inflicted pain of going to SAP or another similar system.

My company uses SAP also. We quipped that it actually stands for "Stop All Production".

Did they check for other missing parts too?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWHniL8MyMM

I know the local distributors have a pretty good idea if what goes in and out in the US.

Is this surprising in a nation settled by criminals?

EvanB wrote: Did they check for other missing parts too? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWHniL8MyMM

Well played, sir.

vern2point3 wrote: Lord please help those folks at Holden. Because of this they're surely going to be inflicted with some fancy bells and whistles inventory control system like SAP over this. When we went to SAP we lost about one third of our business and about one third of the employees as well. The business left because the system killed the previous flexibility of optioning out the product, forcing "option packages" on the customers instead. One third of the employees were lost due to lost business and out of sheer user frustration with the new system. The changes to the business to adapt to the new system were tremendous, because you don't make adjustments to SAP to suit your business, you adjust your business to suit SAP. I cannot imagine the turmoil putting something like SAP into an auto assembly plant could cause. But I know it will hurt. My former employers haven't recovered to their business levels and it's been over a decade since the SAP fiasco. It might be cheaper for Holden to let the thefts continue rather than endure the self-inflicted pain of going to SAP or another similar system.

I work in manufacturing and we use SAP. I can't even begin to describe the turmoil that piece of E36 M3 creates.

jstein77 wrote: My company uses SAP also. We quipped that it actually stands for "Stop All Production".

I like that!

For those not in the know....

What is "SAP"?

ScottRA21 wrote: For those not in the know.... What is "SAP"?

A multimillion dollar production/sourcing/manufacturing system. It's Windows for manufacturing plants. Holds drawings, BOMs, stuff like that too. It sucks. So does Oracle, Enovia PLM and all of the others I have ever seen. It's as if we're back at Windows 3.1 level of software.

Don't tell me this. I will be the bad guy.

I am changing my Company from Oracle to SAP.

We are in the process of switching to sap now, luckily we only use it for payroll and whatnot. We don't use it for production really.

Gasoline wrote: Don't tell me this. I will be the bad guy. I am changing my Company from Oracle to SAP.

it's all in the implementation. As noted, you change your company to meet the software, meaning any sort of processes you have have to be rewritten. In our case, it wasn't ever written, so it was (is) a free for all while we threw E36 M3 at the wall to find out what would stick, and where.

I must be evil, my first or second thought was "where do I get these new $1500 - $2000 LS v8s??"

Since they're stolen, I wouldn't actually buy one, but you know how thought processes go ...

Gasoline wrote: Don't tell me this. I will be the bad guy. I am changing my Company from Oracle to SAP.

Please for the love of god, stop. You will be cursed to eternal damnation by those who have to use SAP. I wish I was joking.

In reply to tuna55:

That's just one piece of what SAP does, it's intended for all organizations, for all processes, all functions.

Done right, it works well ....

But far too many instances where it was not.

I swear, it's like we all work at the same company. Or maybe we are all just living inside one big Dilbert cartoon.

In reply to Gasoline:

To be successful, you (or someone in the organization) has to OWN the change process. They must become 100% immersed, and review, understand, and have full veto over EVERY decision. Find and interview the folks who actually do the work, they understand how the business really operates.
Build prototypes and let those folks evaluate them, revise and test over and over BEFORE committing to implementation.
Make the consultants earn their money! Be very very careful about describing the deliverables and Service Level Agreements before signing the Statement of Work. Be prepared to scuttle all or part of the project and walk away if you cannot get a workable solution.
Remember that when all is said and done, the salemen cash their bonus checks, the consultants move on to the next gig, but you will have to live with whatever is delivered.

It's the Golden Rule: You (who have the Gold), make the rules.

Carter (in the biz for 20 years)

I'm going to say, Holden staff were too busy building a better car, to bother with counting engines.

Criminals build better getaway cars

For the whole gang

I thought the idea was to steal all different parts, not the same one over and over.

Those motors are Chevy V8s' built in NY.....Yes?

So if someone in NY loads 1 or 2 extra motors in the Container....who's to know?

Supposedly, one of the driving forces for containerizing ocean freight was the Scotch being stolen off the NJ docs by the Mafia. Of course, after the liquor was delivered in a container.......the jersey boys would steal the entire container!

In any case, inside jobs REALLY look attractive until everyone goe to jail.

Rog

ransom wrote:

EvanB wrote: Did they check for other missing parts too? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWHniL8MyMM

Well played, sir.

Best youtube comment ever!

Clever Bastard said: "sometimes I'd hang my head and cry, cause I always wanted one that was long and black." That, my friend, is what she said.

sporqster wrote: Is this surprising in a nation settled by criminals?

in my head, i heard that in the voice of Jeremy Clarkson..

I'm new to dealing with the abyss of all production they call sap. From my unpleasant dealings with it the fundamental flaw is that they took what started as an accounting program and have tried to make it do every single thing a company can ever possibly imagine. But at it's cold soulless heart it is still an accounting program. I laughed when they told ms they did construction tracking with it.