If necessity is the mother of invention, then 2008 was indeed a
mother of a year in the auto industry. The 26-year low in North
American sales has given rise to new levels of cost reduction
efforts in one of the world’s toughest and most competitive
industries.
But the fact is that we have been cutting costs and reducing expenses for years. This past holiday season was an example of that continuous effort.
For several years, Chrysler has closed its headquarters during the holiday season, giving our employees a chance to spend time with their families. It also gives us a chance to save some money on operations.
During the recent holidays, Chrysler saved nearly a quarter of a million dollars by shutting down headquarters from Christmas to New Year's Day.
How did we do it?
- Limited facility services were provided during this time, including maintenance, housekeeping, telephone services, and movers.
- Snow removal was reduced, although we kept a parking deck open for those employees who needed to work on site during the holidays.
- Car washes and fuel islands -- that support our vehicle test programs - and shipping & receiving were closed.
- Lighting was operated according to the reduced weekend schedule.
- Escalators were shut down, although we kept some elevators operating in our 15-story headquarters building.
In total, more than $230,000 was saved due to energy reductions, employee work reductions and reduced purchase services during the holiday shutdown.
Now that we're back to work, we will keep looking for ways to be
more efficient everyday.
- William Wolf, Director -- Paint, Pilot and Facility Operations
