Ford rehired 350 engineers to catch design problems before production
Business
Ford just rehired 350 experienced engineers, including some who used to work there and a few supplier professionals, after realizing their automated quality control was not cutting it.
These specialists are now focused on catching design problems early, before cars even hit the production line.
Ford blends engineers with AI tools
Instead of ditching tech, Ford is blending its veteran engineers' experience with AI tools.
Charles Poon, vice president of vehicle hardware engineering, admitted they had leaned too much on automation alone.
This new combo is already showing results: Ford expects to save $1 billion this year and has just topped the JD Power Initial Quality Survey among mainstream brands: proof that humans plus smart tech can make a real difference.