Operations Management in Automotive Industries

This book has proved its worth over the years as a text for courses in Production Management at the Faculty of Automotive Engineering in Turin, Italy, but deserves a wider audience as it presents a compendium of basics on Industrial Management, since it covers all major topics required. It treats all subjects from product development and 'make or buy'-decision strategies to the manufacturing systems setting and management through analysis of the main resources needed in production and finally exploring the supply chain management and the procurement techniques. The very last chapter recapitulates the previous ones by analysing key management indicators to pursue the value creation that is the real purpose of every industrial enterprise. As an appendix, a specific chapter is dedicated to the basics of production management where all main relevant definitions, techniques and criteria are treated, including some numerical examples, in order to provide an adequate foundation for understanding the other chapters. This book will be of use not only to Automotive Engineering students but a wide range of readers who wish to gain insight in the world of automotive engineering and the automotive industry in general.

Marco Gobetto was born in Rimini (RN, Italy) in 1967 and took his master's degree in Electronic Engineering in 1993 at Politecnico of Turin.

He currently holds positions as Manufacturing Training Unit Manager at FIAT Sepin S.c.p.A. and Professor at the Faculty of Automotive Engineering.  He has taught courses in both Production Management and Production Processes, Safety, Organization and Management.

After having complete his University studies, he began his professional career at FIAT Auto S.p.A. in the Manufacturing Engineering Department, as part of the Style Design Manufacturing Analysis Team. From there he proceeded to the position of  Body in White Process Engineer, contributing to the production launches of two new cars in Italy and then coordinating industrialization activities in Poland for a new body in white  model.

In 1998 he moved to Ferrari S.p.A. as Body in White Plant Manager at the 'Carrozzeria Scaglietti'  facility in Modena.

In 2000 he left FIAT to assume responsibility for the Manufacturing Engineering Department at Carrozzeria Bertone S.p.A. in Grugliasco (TO,, Italy).  {AU:  PLEASE CONFIRM 'TO,,' IT IS OK, IT STANDS FOR 'TORINO PREFECTURE' } In two years, three new models of vehicles were launched and, for the first time in Bertone history, second and third shifts in production were activated.

At the beginning of 2002 he rejoined the FIAT Group at ISVOR FIAT S.c.p.A. where he specialized in Total Productive Maintenance and Continuous Improvement training programs, following on  IVECO and FIAT Powertrain sectors. He subsequently coordinated international training initiatives for a joint venture in India between FIAT and TATA.  In 2007 he assumed responsibility for the Manufacturing, Quality and Product Development Training Area that, at the end of 2008, became the central Manufacturing Training Unit in the new training organization in FIAT, thereby contributing to all initiatives worldwide both in FIAT and Chrysler LLC with a major focus on World Class Manufacturing, the Corporate Production System.