Tüv report 2018: Quality at Porsche

The Tüv Report 2018 is based on the results of the general vehicle inspection in Germany. During the investigation period between July 2016 and June 2017, the results of almost nine million vehicles were evaluated. Among the six- to seven-year-old, eight to nine-year-old and ten to eleven-year-old cars, the Porsche 911 always comes out on top.

To achieve excellent results like that, everyone at the company contributes with their work to the creation of the perfect sports car. The quality process is applied to each vehicle throughout all phases – from the initial design concept to the finished vehicle driven by the customer. Frank Moser, Head of Corporate Quality at Porsche AG, gives insights:

How would you describe Porsche quality attributes?

Top quality is an essential component of our brand identity at Porsche and it's something our customers expect from us as well. Porsche quality is the result of intensive work that is marked in all project phases and in all areas by extreme meticulousness and the passion to build the perfect sports car. When addressing issues relevant to quality, we examine even the tiniest details – that's what sets Porsche apart from the rest. We want to know and understand everything precisely, and we never slow down. We also work hand-in-hand with our experts for the various model lines, and with the corporate departments, to ensure we can achieve our ambitious quality targets.

Do you need to overcome any special challenges in order to reach the top in terms of quality?

We have already achieved a very high level of quality at Porsche. The difficult challenge here is to not only maintain this high level, despite the rapid pace of technological change and the significantly increasing complexity of our products, but to also improve upon it in our new-generation model series. The fact that we have repeatedly been able to do this is demonstrated by the numerous domestic and international awards that we regularly receive for the quality of our vehicles. These awards make us proud and also serve as a source of further motivation. Nevertheless, the biggest praise for us comes in the form of happy and satisfied customers.

What is the foundation for the legendary quality at Porsche?

Porsche quality is the result of the expertise of our employees and the passion they feel for their job, the brand and its products. Add to this a clear quality strategy, efficient methods and processes and transparent data. The foundation here is what we refer to as "the four-pillar model of quality": emotional quality, functional quality, image quality and service quality – each of these points involves individual interaction between the customer and the brand. The pillars also include numerous sub-aspects at the next level, and it is only after this complex matrix as a whole meets all of our high standards, and thus corresponds to the required degree of perfection, that we can say we have achieved the quality we desire.

Porsche is continually raising the bar; what is it that drives you here?

The will to continuously optimise, whereby every instance of customer feedback is tremendously important to us. The Tüv Report 2018 demonstrates that our iconic 911 series displays outstanding long-term quality.

Are there any other secrets in terms of the day-to-day business?

For one thing, whatever we achieve is never enough for us – and if not for this type of internal motivation, our products wouldn't be as outstanding as they are in every respect. Another key to our success involves the fact that our quality process is carried out both centrally and in a decentralised manner in the individual departments and business units. This safeguards operating quality in a credible manner and also ensures that each department or unit is highly motivated to achieve the best possible quality.

What role do the quality and analysis centres play here?

The quality and analysis centres in Zuffenhausen and Leipzig make a major contribution to the quality of our vehicles. For example, they ensure image quality in the production launch phase through the meticulous application of quality assurance methods such as cubing and master jig.

Will digitalisation be presenting you with new challenges in future?

The future has long since begun at Porsche. Perfectly integrating new technologies for things like digitalisation, smart mobility and electric mobility into the vehicles while at the same time further enhancing product quality is a highly complex task. Creating colourful display screens for the cars isn't enough here, as we need to ensure a high level of concept quality. The challenge is to "rethink quality", so to speak. In this regard as well, Porsche aims to achieve the highest degree of perfection, particularly in terms of the customer experience.

Do you have your own personal Porsche quality highlight?

My personal highlight in the quality process and method chain is our ability to clearly show customers the type of high quality we offer them. All the figures and data add up to an objective statement on just how good our company-wide and networked quality management activities are at Porsche. The figures from recent years also show us we're on the right track, which in turn means we know that our consistent efforts and hard work are paying off.