Global Best Practices Statistical Yearbook

Now in its fourth global annual edition, the Global Best Practices Statistical Yearbook is the culmination of 10 years of firm-level research into the competitiveness of automotive component manufacturers.

For the first time, it includes overview Best Practice Assessments in each section, enabling you to quickly establish what best practice in your sector is. Further improved by a bigger than ever database of benchmarked firms, improved global data coverage and more detailed sub-sector information, the study remains a definitive guide to automotive supplier manufacturing best practice, and a unique opportunity to compare your company's performance against it.

The Global Best Practices Statistical Yearbook can help you answer questions such as:

• 1. Are we meeting the rapidly changing standards of the global automotive industry?
• 2. How competitive are we really?
• 3. Do we know what defines global best practice standards? Do we meet them?
• 4. Where do we excel - and where do we fail?
• 5. Are we measuring our performance well enough?

Created with participation from companies like Becker, DaimlerChrysler, Dana, Delphi, Faurecia, Federal Mogul, GM, Lear, Timken, Toyota, Visteon, Denso, Dunlop and ZF Lemförder, it consists of six sections of firm-level statistical data, grouped under six market driver indicators:

• 1. Cost control
• 2. Quality performance
• 3. Value chain flexibility
• 4. Value chain reliability
• 5. Human resource development
• 6. Product development

Key changes and improvements for 2006 Database growth: The underlying database has grown from 105 to 141 firms, an increase in firm-level participation over the previous edition of 35%.

Best Practice Assessments: As a reaction to customer demand, we have included a Best Practices assessment in each section, designed to provide a quick, but comprehensive overview of best practice standards in the global automotive components industry generally, in developed and developing economies more specifically, within individual sub-sectors, at small versus large firms and finally between firms with different market orientations (vehicle assemblers versus the aftermarket).

More detailed sub-sector information: As a result of the continued database growth, firm-level benchmarking data is now disaggregated into 12 automotive component manufacturing sub-sectors: Precision machining (new to the 4th edition), trim, harnesses, electronics, foundry/forge, JIT assembly, metal forming/pressing, metal fabrication, components, glass, heat transfer products, and other (paint, rubber).

Global orientation: The 2006 edition includes firm-level data from South Africa, India, Thailand, China, Australia, Malaysia, USA, and Europe.

Methodology and measurement: Improved measurements in this edition include production downtime due to materials unavailability, product industrialization lead times, lifecycle profile of product ranges at firms, and capital expenditure as a proportion of total sales.

Enhanced formulae, definitions and explanations: These have been further revised to ensure readers gain maximum benefit from the content of the 4th yearbook.