GTI Build Dates - Anyone got one yet?

[monkeyhanger]

I do wonder when post shutdown builds (like mine) will update to "build week confirmed" on tracker. is it 4 calendar weeks prior to build or 4 production weeks prior to build? If it is the latter then BW33 people should be hearing in BW25 (as there are only BW's 26/27/28 before 33). So far i've heard nowt, but perhaps my build has been pushed back again to 34/35/36?

[matchboy]

I'm in the same boat as you monkeyhanger, I'm going to guess that the tracker is automated so it'll be BW29 before it switches to confirmed. Or not, knowing VW 

[Bill_the_Bear]

BW25 was last week, we're BW26 now.  So, the updates should have happened.

Because each order is unique I guess there is a partially manual process before the tracker updates (which I agree with you should be automatic).  I'm guessing when they confirm they have all the bits someone flicks the order state over to some level which triggers the tracker to display BW confirmed.  So, if the people who arrange this are going to be 'away' during the shutdown then we may see the tracker not update during this period.  Am I speculating too much?

4 weeks shutdown sounds like a lot to me.  I'm doubting VW's suppliers do the same, anyone know otherwise?  The one that would be most interesting is the DSG manufacturer.  If they really are short of these as they claim is August a month to catch up with supply perhaps?

I still have to wait another 2 months after the end of the shutdown to get my DSG though. Unless they bring it forward, but I'm not holding my breath.

[monkeyhanger]

@Bear: 4 weeks shutdown does seem a massive amount. 2 weeks seems the norm for most manufacturing, 3 weeks is what Ford employees get at the Southampton Transit van plant (not this year - it is about to close), I think Nissan Sunderland also get 3 weeks. 4 weeks? Add in Christmas and bank holidays - do they get any days to take off of their own choosing?

If so they must get nearly as much time off as teachers do. If they're working CSP shifts then it could be argued that they get plenty of time off to do stuff every 8 day cycle and so don't need to have any "free choice" holidays.

I suppose admin that would update BW dates may not necessarily be off during the shutdown and so I may see my "build week assigned" status appear on BW29 when the production staff are all off. seeing as it hasn't happened before now.

[Bill_the_Bear]

For their suppliers though do they even have a shutdown?  The assembly plant yes, but I don't think the component suppliers will do, maybe a week at Christmas since everyone will book holiday anyway...  Suppliers of nuts and bolts and all that crap don't need to close down to maintain their operation.  The DSG supplier might shutdown... I guess not though.  Anyone know?

I agree with you we have to assume the admin guys aren't off, or at least that the job is still being done.  You've got to constantly manage your suppliers and that takes up a lot of time of badgering and chivying and checking and rechecking as I'm sure a lot of us know.  There is no way they're gonna all be off and just have 4 weeks of maybe deliveries will arrive, maybe they won't!

So on that basis I'm guessing its likely the tracker will still be updated.  I'm assuming its probably automatic and basically just reflects information the supply chaps would be entering on the system anyway.

[monkeyhanger]

Anyone that manufactures anything generally has a shutdown. There are some essential jobs that just can't happen during production and are too long or require too much preparation to be done over a weekend. Good planning and logistics will get around periods of non-production. Saying that, there won't be many places that take a whole 4 weeks off.

[Bill_the_Bear]

Yes.  And no.

My own line of work is high tech manufacturing.  The two businesses I've worked for effectively do not have any shutdown, yet are working to tolerances and complexities many many times what VW are doing (we're talkng about nm, not µm  EDIT: actually even µm is probably a couple orders of magnitute smaller than VW look at ).

Now we tend to have a shutdown at Christmas, but this isn't really a shutdown, its just that too many people want holiday its better to close the whole plant than try to operate at 25% efficiency for 5 days.  In terms of actual shutdown operations, these are either done on weekends, last thing on friday... or most often in parallel with normal operations.

What I'm saying is I don't think any of VW suppliers will have a shutdown like VW do.  Probably not even 1 week.  In rare cases they might close production for a day, but having a scheduled annual shutdown, I don't think so.  But if anyone knows for sure it would be interesting.  The one case I'm not so sure about is the DSG supplier.

[GtG]

My order has just changed to 'Build week confirmed' on the tracker. Was 27, then pushed to 32... (6 weeks away?) Going to call the dealer and see if they can see any change in build date (fingers crossed!)

[monkeyhanger]

My order has just changed to 'Build week confirmed' on the tracker. Was 27, then pushed to 32... (6 weeks away?) Going to call the dealer and see if they can see any change in build date (fingers crossed!)

Had to check mine. "Still processing". 

[mjh_056]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/sns-rt-us-volkswagen-wolfsburg-golfbre95n0iz-20130624,0,1542421.story Looks like VW want to at least partially still produce during shutdown though imagine there is areas of essential maintenance that this time is set aside for