What is Vehicle Inspections in the Staging Area? It is one of the standard practices of all vehicle manufacturers. Vehicles awaiting shipment, produced and destined for dealerships, park in the factory staging area. For any reason, suspected vehicles that may be unsuitable according to certain criteria must undergo a final inspection before being shipped. Inspection personnel locate and inspect suspected vehicles at their locations, and information about whether the vehicle is suitable or defective is communicated. The shipment of defective vehicles is prevented. In Industry 3.0 systems the notification period, which can last a few minutes, may not be enough to stop the shipment of defective vehicles. Therefore, using Industry 4.0 systems that provide instant notification (15-20 milliseconds) ensures significant savings.
Purpose: To identify vehicles in the manufacturers' own staging area that do not meet quality criteria, report them to the manufacturer in milliseconds, and prevent shipment. Our company's personnel-conducted "parking lot vehicle quality control process" has been analysed according to the VDMA Industry 4.0 Guide and upgraded from Industry 3.0 level to Industry 4.0 level in five steps:
1) Process Analysis: Each stage of the inspection process is examined. Data generation, information transfers, methods and technologies are determined.
2) Technology Status: The information from the manufacturer was used as an Excel file. After the inspection, it was indicated in the list whether the vehicle was suitable (OK) or unsuitable (NOK) in writing. When a NOK vehicle was detected, its VIN number was immediately sent to the reporter by an sms. The reporter immediately sent the NOK VIN number to the manufacturer via e-mail.
3) Potential for Development: Digitalisation Target: Overall, there is a need to digitize the data generated to facilitate the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. Specifically for this application:
- Shifting from paper-based information to tablets or smartphones
- Conducting VIN checks by scanning barcodes with a tablet instead of visually inspecting them
- Entering data via tablets rather than using pen and paper.
Industry 4.0 Target: To transmit the generated digital data in milliseconds using IoT technology.
4) Roadmap:
- Digitalization: Transferring information from the manufacturer to the CORE online system. Developing an application that displays data on a tablet, verifies VIN by reading barcodes, and saves the data to the CORE database.
- Industry 4.0: Ensuring the application instantly transfers the NOK vehicle VIN number to the manufacturer using the IoT system.
5) Project Management: A tablet application with the desired functions was developed in a modular structure. The prototype of the application was tested in the staging area, necessary changes and modifications were made, and it was tested again. Ultimately, it became our standard practice for vehicle inspections in the staging area.
Improved Inspection Process: The vehicle manufacturer notifies the CONTRACT team via email regarding the VIN numbers of the vehicles requiring inspection in the staging areas, along with their locations within the area and the inspection criteria.
Our team automatically uploads vehicle information to our CORE system. All data uploaded to the cloud-based CORE system can be accessed online from devices such as tablets, smartphones, and computers.
CONTRACT personnel, who conduct inspections, access vehicle information online via the application using tablets.
The inspection personnel go the address of the vehicles and use a tablet to scan the VIN barcode on each vehicle, verifying the vehicle's identity. The application then cross-references this number with the VIN provided by the manufacturer. If the VIN matches, the inspection proceeds. In cases where the VIN cannot be confirmed or no vehicle is present at the designated address, the situation is reported using again the application.
If the vehicle meets the criteria upon inspection, it is registered using the "OK" button. However, if the vehicle does not meet the criteria, it must be promptly quarantined to prevent shipment. Pressing the "NOK" button instantly transmits information regarding the defective vehicle to the manufacturer via the IoT system, typically within 15-20 milliseconds.
All digital data generated is stored in the CORE cloud database, ensuring accessibility to relevant parties.
CORE, “Contract Online Reporting” system, functions as a reporting system and repository for all data pertaining to the quality control activities conducted by our company. It provides customers with online access to information regarding all work performed, results obtained, and scorecards generated.
