Automotivegm skill

---
name: Automotivegm
description: Executive Vice President / General Manager expertise for automotive manufacturing plants. Covers P&L ownership, operational excellence, customer management, leadership, regulatory compliance, and crisis management. USE WHEN user says 'GM decision', 'plant P&L', 'site leadership', 'customer escalation', 'management review', 'business review', 'plant performance', 'GM role', or needs executive-level plant management guidance. Integrates with HoshinKanri, SupplyChain, AutomotiveManufacturing, and BusinessStrategy skills.
---

# Automotive General Manager - EVP Level

## When to Activate This Skill

- "How should I handle [customer escalation]?"
- "Prepare for monthly business review"
- "P&L analysis for [plant/product line]"
- "Leadership decision on [strategic issue]"
- "Site performance improvement"
- "Management team development"
- "Board presentation preparation"
- "Crisis management for [issue]"
- "GM perspective on [operational issue]"
- "Capital investment justification"

---

## The GM Decision Framework

### Priority Hierarchy (Inviolable)

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. SAFETY & COMPLIANCE                                      │
│     People first. Legal requirements. Non-negotiable.        │
│     If in doubt, stop production.                            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  2. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION                                    │
│     Quality, delivery, responsiveness.                       │
│     Protect the relationship above short-term cost.          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  3. OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE                                   │
│     Efficiency, productivity, cost control.                  │
│     Sustainable performance, not heroics.                    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  4. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE                                    │
│     P&L targets, margin, cash flow.                          │
│     Optimize after 1-3 are secured.                          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                            ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  5. GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT                                     │
│     New business, capability building, people development.   │
│     Invest for the future when fundamentals are solid.       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

---

## Core Competency Areas

### 1. Operational & Technical

| Domain | GM Must Know | GM Must Do |
|--------|--------------|------------|
| Manufacturing | Lean principles, constraints, capacity | Set targets, remove barriers, challenge waste |
| Quality | IATF 16949, APQP/PPAP, customer-specifics | Sign off launches, own quality culture |
| Engineering | Change management, process capability | Approve investments, prioritize resources |
| Supply Chain | Inventory dynamics, supplier risk | Strategic decisions, supplier relationships |
| Maintenance | TPM, OEE drivers, capital lifecycle | Capex decisions, reliability accountability |

### 2. Commercial & Strategic

| Domain | GM Must Know | GM Must Do |
|--------|--------------|------------|
| P&L | Full cost structure, margin drivers | Own results, explain variances, drive improvement |
| Customers | Key contacts, requirements, history | Executive relationships, escalation management |
| Contracts | Terms, pricing mechanisms, liabilities | Negotiate strategically, manage commitments |
| Growth | Market trends, competitive position | Win new business, develop capabilities |
| Investment | Hurdle rates, payback analysis | Justify and deliver capital projects |

### 3. Leadership & People

| Domain | GM Must Know | GM Must Do |
|--------|--------------|------------|
| Team Building | Strengths/weaknesses of leadership team | Hire, develop, coach, exit when necessary |
| Culture | What drives performance and engagement | Set expectations, model behaviors, reinforce |
| Communication | Audience needs, messaging | Town halls, skip levels, board presentations |
| Accountability | Clear metrics and ownership | Hold people accountable, have difficult conversations |
| Succession | Talent pipeline, development needs | Identify, develop, and retain key talent |

### 4. Regulatory & Compliance

| Domain | GM Must Know | GM Must Do |
|--------|--------------|------------|
| Health & Safety | Legal obligations, risk areas | Sign off safety systems, visible leadership |
| Environment | Permits, waste, emissions | Ensure compliance, lead sustainability |
| Employment | Basic employment law, policies | Fair treatment, proper processes |
| Governance | Corporate policies, ethics | Tone from the top, zero tolerance |
| Audit | Customer audit requirements | Ensure readiness, participate appropriately |

---

## Key Metrics Dashboard

### Daily Pulse (Exception-Based)

| Metric | Red Trigger | Action |
|--------|-------------|--------|
| Safety incidents | Any recordable | Immediate investigation, communication |
| Line stops (quality) | >30 min | Root cause, containment, customer notification |
| Delivery misses | Any critical customer | Escalate, expedite, customer call |
| Attendance | <95% | Production impact assessment |

### Weekly Review

| Category | Metrics | Target |
|----------|---------|--------|
| **Safety** | Incidents, near misses, observations | Zero injuries, proactive culture |
| **Quality** | PPM, scrap, customer complaints | <25 PPM, <2% scrap |
| **Delivery** | OTD, past due, WIP | >98% OTD |
| **Productivity** | OEE, labor efficiency, output | >85% OEE |
| **Cost** | Spend vs budget, variances | On plan |

### Monthly Business Review

| Section | Content |
|---------|---------|
| Safety & Compliance | YTD incidents, open actions, regulatory status |
| Quality | Customer PPM, internal PPM, warranty, audits |
| Delivery | OTD trend, inventory turns, past due aging |
| Financial | P&L vs budget, margin, cost drivers |
| Operations | OEE, productivity, major downtime |
| People | Headcount, turnover, engagement, training |
| Outlook | Risks, opportunities, forecast |

---

## Customer Management

### Escalation Response

**Level 1 - Operational (Production/Quality Manager)**
- Normal quality issues
- Standard delivery adjustments
- Routine communications

**Level 2 - Director**
- Repeat quality issues
- Delivery disruptions affecting schedules
- Commercial discussions

**Level 3 - GM (You)**
- Customer threat to pull business
- Systematic quality failures
- Launch delays/failures
- Any legal/safety issue
- Relationship repair

### Customer Visit Protocol

**Before:**
- Understand current status and issues
- Prepare management team briefing
- Clean and organized facility (but authentic)
- Ensure key people available

**During:**
- GM leads welcome and overview
- Honest about challenges, clear on countermeasures
- Listen more than talk
- Capture action items

**After:**
- Same-day follow-up communication
- Action item tracking to completion
- Internal debrief and lessons learned

---

## P&L Management

### Understanding Your Cost Structure

```
SALES REVENUE
    - Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
        • Direct Materials (typically 50-60%)
        • Direct Labor (typically 10-20%)
        • Manufacturing Overhead (typically 15-25%)
    ─────────────────────────────
    = GROSS MARGIN (target: 15-25%)

    - SG&A
        • Plant overhead
        • Engineering
        • Quality
        • Administration
    ─────────────────────────────
    = OPERATING INCOME (target: 5-12%)

    - Interest, taxes, depreciation
    ─────────────────────────────
    = NET INCOME
```

### Margin Levers (In Priority Order)

1. **Volume/Mix** - Higher volume, richer mix = better absorption
2. **Productivity** - Labor efficiency, OEE improvement
3. **Quality** - Reduce scrap, rework, warranty
4. **Material Cost** - Sourcing, VA/VE, specification review
5. **Overhead** - Indirect labor, utilities, consumables

### Financial Red Flags

- Margin erosion without corresponding actions
- Inventory growing faster than sales
- Capex overruns without explanation
- AR aging increasing
- Unexpected cost buckets appearing

---

## Crisis Management

### Crisis Categories

| Type | Examples | Immediate Priority |
|------|----------|-------------------|
| **Safety** | Serious injury, fatality | People, notification, investigation |
| **Quality** | Field failure, recall risk | Containment, customer notification |
| **Delivery** | Line-down at customer | Recovery plan, alternatives |
| **Financial** | Major overrun, fraud | Disclosure, investigation, controls |
| **People** | Strike, mass resignation | Continuity, communication |
| **External** | Fire, flood, pandemic | Safety, recovery, communication |

### Crisis Response Framework

**First 60 Minutes:**
1. Ensure immediate safety/containment
2. Assess scope and severity
3. Notify appropriate parties (corporate, customer, authorities)
4. Establish command structure

**First 24 Hours:**
1. Stabilize situation
2. Communicate to all stakeholders
3. Begin root cause investigation
4. Develop recovery plan

**First Week:**
1. Execute recovery
2. Complete investigation
3. Implement permanent fixes
4. Document lessons learned

### Communication During Crisis

**DO:**
- Be first to communicate (don't wait for questions)
- Be honest about what you know and don't know
- Show empathy and ownership
- Provide regular updates (even if "no change")
- Document everything

**DON'T:**
- Hide or minimize
- Blame others publicly
- Make promises you can't keep
- Go silent
- Speculate on causes before investigation complete

---

## Leadership Essentials

### The GM's Week

| Day | Focus |
|-----|-------|
| **Monday** | Weekly metrics review, set priorities |
| **Tuesday** | Operations focus - gemba walk, production meetings |
| **Wednesday** | Quality/Engineering - launches, issues, improvements |
| **Thursday** | People/Admin - 1:1s, HR matters, compliance |
| **Friday** | Customer/Commercial - calls, reviews, planning |

### Gemba Presence (Non-Negotiable)

**Daily:** 30-60 minutes on shop floor
- Safety observation
- Talk to operators
- See the work, not reports
- Remove barriers

### Difficult Conversations

**Performance Issues:**
1. Be direct and specific (facts, not feelings)
2. Focus on behavior/results, not personality
3. Listen to their perspective
4. Agree on expectations and timeline
5. Follow up consistently

**Terminations:**
1. Ensure proper process followed (HR involved)
2. Be respectful but clear
3. No negotiation on the decision
4. Practical next steps
5. Treat them with dignity

### Building Your Team

**Hire for:**
- Technical competence (baseline)
- Problem-solving ability
- Cultural fit
- Growth potential
- Complementary skills to existing team

**Develop by:**
- Stretch assignments
- Cross-functional exposure
- External benchmarking
- Mentoring relationships
- Formal training (selective)

---

## Integration with Other Skills

### HoshinKanri
- Cascade corporate objectives to plant level
- Monthly bowling chart reviews
- A3 problem solving for red items
- **Load:** `read ~/.claude/skills/HoshinKanri/SKILL.md`

### SupplyChain
- Strategic supplier decisions
- Make vs buy analysis
- Supply risk management
- **Load:** `read ~/.claude/skills/SupplyChain/SKILL.md`

### AutomotiveManufacturing
- Quality systems and documentation
- APQP/PPAP oversight
- Process improvement
- **Load:** `read ~/.claude/skills/AutomotiveManufacturing/SKILL.md`

### BusinessStrategy
- Market analysis
- Competitive positioning
- Financial modeling
- **Load:** `read ~/.claude/skills/BusinessStrategy/SKILL.md`

---

## Key Principles

1. **Safety First, Always** - No production target justifies injury
2. **Customer Obsession** - Their success is your success
3. **Own the P&L** - Understand every line, drive improvement
4. **Lead from the Front** - Be visible, be accountable, be consistent
5. **Develop People** - Your legacy is the team you build
6. **Facts and Data** - Decisions based on evidence, not opinion
7. **Calm Under Pressure** - Your team takes cues from you
8. **Long-Term Thinking** - Balance today's fires with tomorrow's success

---

## Extended Context

For comprehensive methodologies, case studies, and detailed frameworks:
`read ~/.claude/skills/Automotivegm/CLAUDE.md`

For templates:
`ls ~/.claude/skills/Automotivegm/templates/`