Credit: PAUL VERNON
Credit: PAUL VERNON
The Honda Way is one reason we see so many second-generation Honda associates who want to work here. Two young weld technicians recently approached me, to tell me that both of their moms had worked here. They like it at Honda and are trying to work their way up through the company just like their parents.
We value the experience of associates who are working “at the spot” on the production line regardless of their title or rank. When our associates have concerns about a production process, we not only want to hear about it, we want their suggestions for how to improve it.
Efforts to re-route a wiring harness or replace a fastener with a snap-in part might seem small and mundane, but changing a process that is repeated over and over again each day can have an enormous impact on the health and safety of our associates. That’s why we work with our associates to find opportunities to make their daily work safer and more ergo friendly.
In fact, Honda has been recognized for these efforts. The Ergo Cup is an independent competition that highlights successful ergonomic solutions in North America. In the Ergo Cup’s 18 years, Honda associates have won 17 awards, representing each of our plants in Ohio.
Early Involvement is the Key
Since 1982, our associates in Ohio have built ten different generations of Accord. Just as we continue to update the product with new features, we invest in the processes and technologies we use to make it safer and easier to build.
In a previous role I served as a new model project leader. Before each new model goes into production, our Honda associates contribute hundreds of suggestions for changes to the product and the processes used to build them. This is one way we create a work environment that is safer for associates while achieving higher quality for our customers.
For the introduction of the 2023 Accord, a new tool was developed to align the trunk lid to the body. When we got feedback from production associates about the weight and difficult maneuverability of the tool, they worked with our engineers to reimagine the tool, resulting in a safer process. This is how our team leaders and associates work to achieve both high quality and production safety.
Investing in Our Future
Now, we are preparing for our electrified future, starting with the production of EVs next year at our EV Hub in Ohio. This is where three of our auto plants will anchor the shift to electrification for Honda in North America. How we build our products will undergo dramatic change, but the way we approach it will not.
We will continue to invest in our people, listen to their ideas and work together to create products of the highest quality for our customers and unprecedented job security for our associates and their families. That is The Honda Way.
Jun Jayaraman is the Vice President and Plant Lead, Honda Marysville Auto Plant.
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