Brostek: What we're talking about is a major conversion in the way we do business including a complete makeover of the way Chrysler manufactures cars. That conversion has been partially enabled by materials handling. Belvedere was critical because it was the initial plant to move to a lean manufacturing profile.

Modern: Since you're now using an integrated logistics center away from the plant to organize and deliver parts, did you significantly reduce storage at the plant?

Brostek: Yes, we did. We used to keep two days worth of parts at the plant. That meant maybe 500,000 square feet of storage space. In addition, we had a bullpen of 85 to 140 trailers full of parts waiting to be unloaded in the yard. Now, we keep about 2 hours worth of parts at the line. All of that storage space is devoted to manufacturing.

Modern: What are some of the most important changes for you from a materials handling perspective?

Brostek: The biggest change is that if we're going to add floor space to the plant, we're going to use that space to produce cars. We're not going to invest in storage space. That means the size of our workstations is smaller even though we're producing more vehicles than in the past, and our design staff wants more complexity in those vehicles, with more options and permutations per vehicle. In addition, we have a fixed material budget that we must spend wisely because it's not infinite, yet there's an increased demand for materials handling equipment. This was, and still is, our perfect storm.