There is so much competition and capacity in today’s auto industry, that the only way an automaker can attract new customers to its showrooms is to come out with more product faster.  That requires manufacturing operations that are lean and flexible, but it also requires having the right kind of people to run them.  Here’s a recap of Anne Stevens’s speech on Monday.

Historically, the auto industry always needed raw materials to run the business.  Coal, steel, and oil.  Today, information is the raw material that business runs on.  But how do you take information technology and re-engineer a corporation to become more efficient?

How do you integrate six-sigma quality with lean manufacturing and information technology?  Ron Turkett fills us in with the details.

Accenture, the giant consulting company that looks into all aspects of business and industry, has just completed a fascinating survey of how car buyers actually use the internet.

One of the most knowledgeable economists in this industry is Dave Andrea.  He chaired a session on Monday looking at all the trials and tribulations faced by small to medium supplier companies.  He has some amazing research to back up his findings and shares them with us.

Telematics is a technology that can potentially revolutionize the way people drive their cars.  But, there are a lot of downsize risks associated with telematics.  Paul Green fills us in on some of those dangers.

Don Little shares his ideas about how automakers are being helped by plastic companies to cut cost, cut weight and open up new design opportunities.