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Case study Nissan

In Nissan's pursuit of sustainable mobility and competitiveness in the automotive industry, the V-3P program, powered by Siemens PLM technology, has delivered outstanding results. This comprehensive initiative reduced the vehicle development cycle from 20 to 10.5 months, achieving impressive quality improvements with design changes dropping by 60% to 90% and post-release problems declining by 80%. Additionally, the program surpassed expected ROI.

Nissan's V-3P program not only streamlines development but also upholds quality, positions for technology leadership, and lays a foundation for future success in a rapidly evolving automotive landscape.

Nissan wheel
Nissan light

Business Challenges

From Nissan's standpoint, the global automotive industry is currently immersed in "one of the greatest engineering competitions in history." As articulated by Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's CEO and president, on the company's website, this race towards achieving environmentally sustainable mobility is poised to revolutionize nearly every facet of the car in the years to come, distinguishing the industry leaders from the rest.

To secure its position as one of the leaders, Nissan is building on the success of a program initiated by Ghosn in 2001. Termed V-3P (Value Up for Product, Process, and Program Innovation), this comprehensive plan strategically positions the company to confront the formidable challenges facing the auto industry. In addition to the imperative of developing more environmentally friendly vehicles, these challenges encompass ongoing time-to-market pressures, global markets, and global supply chains.

At the core of the V-3P program lies the utilization of product lifecycle management technology from Siemens PLM Software. Specifically, the company leverages I-deas™ and NX™ digital product development software, in conjunction with Teamcenter® digital lifecycle management software. Keigo Fukushi, the general manager and V-3P program director at Nissan, underscores the pivotal role of Siemens PLM software as the primary solution driving the V-3P innovation process. Ideas and NX constitute the foundational design system, while Teamcenter effectively governs and manages all critical data.

Keys to Success

The V-3P program, conceived by Ghosn, aimed to accelerate vehicle market introductions and enhance product quality. Siemens software, including NX and I-deas, underpins "Know-How CAD," enabling knowledge capture and sharing across the team, from engineers to suppliers.

This Know-How CAD encompasses process and product knowledge, facilitating streamlined processes, shortened timelines, and empowering younger engineers to match experienced counterparts. Digital data from I-deas and NX forms the basis for early virtual validation, identifying issues before physical prototypes, saving time and costs.

Teamcenter is essential, offering a centralized repository for accurate and current vehicle data, including CAD, digital validation, CAM, bills of materials, and process planning data. It ensures universal access to this information, benefiting all team members, including those not using technical applications.  

Nissan GTR
Nissan car

Results

The V-3P program has yielded remarkable success, reducing Nissan's vehicle development cycle from 20 to just 10.5 months. Quality improvements were significant, with design changes decreasing by 60% to 90%, depending on complexity.

Post-release problems were also reduced by an impressive 80%. Moreover, the program exceeded the expected return on investment. In a fiercely competitive automotive landscape, Nissan's V-3P program, supported by Siemens PLM technology, has streamlined development, upheld quality, and accelerated technology adoption, positioning it for future success.

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