How GM Can Fix Itself

This bad attitude also exists in other North American industries, such as petrochemicals, production, chemicals, etc. In many cases the company can't conceive of "long term" past the second or third quarter.

Refineries are the classic example where technology from the 1960's - pneumatic control loops run on 5-15 psi air pressure - are expected to be used in the 21st century. It can take weeks to go from a cold start to making in-spec product, as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita demonstrated for us.

The Chinese state oil company SECCO recently completed the world's largest Foundation FieldBus installation as part of their new refinery. They have the largest ethylene cracker on the planet, actually 10 cracking units around a central product unit.

Their time from cold-start to inspec? 10 hours. Compared to WEEKS. With all the efficiency and productivity gains you'd expect from 21st century technology. It helps that was a "green field" plant and it also helps the Chinese don't cling to old production methods.

With all the record oil company profits, why don't we see American refiners using similar technology? Or for that matter, car assembly plants. All of my recent process control work has been directed towards Asian clients, not North American clients.

So, is that my fault (Traitor issue has come up before), the Asians fault, or our own government? We appear to have created our mess, it's only right that we try to fix it.

 

It really makes me sad to read that article. Every car I have ever owned was a GM, till now. They seem like the government. They KNOW what is best for the consumer, they KNOW what the consumer wants so they will make it come hell or high water. What they don't realize is unlike our one choice when it comes to government we have a choice to buy or not to buy from them. I'm sorry make a car I WANT to buy. Get rid of the lazy union worker. When a UAW union worker makes 2 or 3 times what a person with a similar job that is non-union worker does is just sick. 2 years after a lay off you get 95% pay....give me a break...oh boo hoo you union rat.

 

UAW assembly workers make a good target, but they do not account for the ongoing drop in GM's US or world market share.

 

No I do not solely blame them. There are several reasons as the article states. That is one point I feel stongly about though.

 

Jack 06, your so right!!! The poor slob working guy always gets the shaft. Maybe if an everyday guy had some say inGM they wouldn't be in the shape their in. Maybe if the person that made the bad descions got the AX so many jobs wouldn't be eliminated because they would have modern products that people would buy. Too bad Toyota can't take over some of these closed plants(although from the sounds of their condition maybe they wouldn't want them) or at least take over some of the workers so they can still have jobs.

 

Doesn't it seem obvious to anyone but me that the first cost-cutting measure should be to eliminate all high end 'bonuses'? Funny how the article didn't mention Clinton's attempt at nudging US automakers in the right direction by GIVING them BILLIONS to develop hybrids 10 years ago, and how they took the money and ran kicking and screaming AWAY from hybrids, and rewarded their highest paid executives with outrageous bonuses.

 

In todays news:
By Leslie Wines, MarketWatch
Last Update: 3:23 PM ET Dec 20, 2005

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - U.S. stocks were lower in late afternoon trade Tuesday, as strategists suggested the year-end rally may be over, while General Motors traded not far from its all-time low stock price.