Chrysler Canada Inc.
QUALITY

Chrysler Canada: Chrysler Group’s Quality Process Gets More Sophisticated For Simple Reason; Create Vehicles Customers Will Love

¥	Improving quality generates more loyal customers
¥	Customers of newer products are 32 per cent more likely to recommend 
Chrysler Group brands
¥	Quality teams start at earliest stages of new product development, 
setting performance quality targets for more than 300 functions

In the age of global vehicle development, quality controls and vehicle testing are becoming increasingly sophisticated, yet the ultimate objective remains simple – eliminate things customers dislike and create vehicles they love. 

“Customer loyalty and advocacy of our brands is directly related to vehicle quality,” said Doug Betts, Senior Vice President — Quality, Chrysler Group LLC. “The most trusted and influential opinion about the quality of our vehicles comes from an individual who drives a Chrysler, Ram, Dodge, Jeep® or Fiat every day.”  

Substantial investments in new products and quality processes have contributed to measurable improvements in customers’ willingness to recommend Chrysler, Ram, Dodge, Jeep and Fiat vehicles. After three years with their vehicles, owners of 2012 model year Chrysler Group products were 
32 per cent more likely than owners of 2009 model year Chrysler Group products to recommend 
the same brand to their friends and family, according to survey data from Chrysler Group owners.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression
From a customer standpoint, the first impression on quality comes when a person sees and touches 
a vehicle the first time, whether it’s at a dealership, auto show or neighbour’s driveway. Chrysler Group established a perceived quality team that measures and evaluates vehicle attributes such as fit-and-finish, ergonomics, the feel of interior materials and even the sound quality of movable parts like doors and storage bins. The goal is for customers to identify new Dodge, Ram, Chrysler, Jeep and Fiat vehicles as well-crafted and quality-built vehicles at the first impression.  

Cross functional approach to quality
Quality teams also play key roles working with engineers, designers, marketers and product planners at the earliest stages of new vehicle development. The teams establish performance quality targets after extensive benchmarking of best-in-class vehicles to make sure a new vehicle excels in a wide range of comparison tests with the competition. This covers more than 300 vehicle functions, including criteria such as acceleration, braking, handling, seat comfort, storage space, quietness and fuel economy. 

In addition to maximizing the desirability of a new vehicle, aka its performance quality, the Quality Department identifies how to minimize the design features that customers dislike or find annoying and confusing. For example, this includes identifying the best cup holder design and location as well conducting research to make sure the controls on the Uconnect® touchscreen, steering wheel buttons and related knobs are intuitive and easy to use.

Quality is part of everyone’s job
The tens of thousands of manufacturing plant workers, supported by World Class Manufacturing principles, play an integral role to ensure new vehicle quality and reduce warranty repairs. Prior to the launch of the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200, employees at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plan identified and implemented approximately 3,500 quality controls into the assembly process before the first customer vehicles were built.

Once a potential customer becomes an owner, reducing or eliminating trips to the dealership for repairs becomes a key objective. The company established customer satisfaction teams (CST) that review warranty data on a daily basis as part of their task to continually find and fix issues. Each of the 
15 teams is responsible for a specific vehicle system (brakes, driveline, electronics, etc.). For example, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) team – made up of experts from engineering, manufacturing, supplier quality and service – is tasked with continually reducing warranty claims and improving HVAC system quality on all Chrysler Group vehicles.

Service at the dealership, whether it’s the shopping process or maintenance and repair after the sale, 
is another critical part of customer satisfaction. Chrysler Group surveys customers after dealership visits to determine how likely they are to recommend the brand and products. The company also 
asks customers about their level of satisfaction and monitors whether an issue was fixed properly 
on the first visit.

“Quality means different things to different people,” Betts said. “We design and build our vehicles to appeal to a diverse customer base and we’re constantly tracking our progress on a comprehensive 
set of quality targets. We’re continually improving our products in our pursuit of more loyal and highly satisfied owners.”