GM selects Manufacturing Transformation with HP and Apriso at Chevrolet Volt Battery Assembly Operations

New Solution to Provide Flexibility for Continuous Improvement Across Battery Assembly Operations, Pioneering New Processes for All of GM.

PALO ALTO, Calif — HP Enterprise Services and Apriso® today announced General Motors has selected HP (NYSE: HPQ) to implement an Apriso solution to expand visibility into and control over battery manufacturing and supply chain operations.

This advanced technology will help GM expand control of production and product quality at its new Chevrolet Volt battery assembly plant.

GM selected HP to implement Apriso’s manufacturing and quality solutions as a key part of its next-generation manufacturing processes. This implementation is designed to drive continuous improvement and provide flexibility for innovation in product design changes and marketplace responsiveness.

“Given the new technologies and the breadth of supplier relationships that are integral components of the Chevrolet Volt, we needed a fundamentally different approach to manufacturing operations,” said Kevin Mixer, director, Quality Systems, General Motors. “With market demands shifting, technologies evolving and new production processes across a distributed manufacturing network, partners like Apriso and HP aided us in adapting quickly.”

“Now more than ever, manufacturers have a critical need for real-time quality issue notification and visualization of problems,” said Mark Collins, vice president, General Motors business, HP Enterprise Services. “With industry-leading expertise in manufacturing operations, HP can employ modular, scalable solutions to increase flexibility, making global manufacturers like GM more nimble.”

HP also has successfully implemented Apriso’s FlexNet at other GM manufacturing plants in the United States and China, with further implementations planned over the next 24 months.

“Our customers and partners increasingly view Apriso as a trusted advisor to improve global manufacturing operations – a challenge we have consistently met,” said Jim Henderson, president and chief executive officer, Apriso. “Apriso has a deep understanding of the unique issues facing the automotive industry, which can benefit GM by incorporating the industry’s best practices for quality, continuous improvement and manufacturing operations excellence.”

GM’s new battery production facility is located in Brownstown Township, Mich. The Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric passenger car is currently scheduled for production this year.