Smart companies like Magna know quality and risk management go hand-in-hand – and start with dedicatedpeople.
Lina Bucci, Magna’s vice president of quality, scoured the globe and came up with dozens of examples of Magnaemployees who are so committed to quality that nothing escapes their notice. She’ll introduce you to some ofthem from Magna’s Dortec division.
You’ll also meet Caiping Zhao, one of Magna’s best production operators in China, who safeguards the company’sreputation with her approach to quality.
Another must-read: Peter Elliot, Magna’s cybersecurity guru, explains how “little steps” can reduce or eliminateattacks at home and at work.
Cybersecurity and RiskManagement Lessons
Cybersecurity and risk management start athome for Peter Elliot, where regular dinner-table conversations with his kids, Alexandra,14, and Carter, 12, involve ways to stay safeand thwart attacks.
“My kids know about my job, and they expectme to talk about this,” said Elliot, Magna’sglobal information security officer. “They areincreasingly savvy about cybersecurity.They’ve had friends who have had issues, soit’s not just me being overprotective. I tellthem the same things I tell Magnaemployees. There are very simple things anindividual can do to protect themselves.”
Elliot’s “little steps” to bolster defensesinclude:
-Don’t use the same password acrossmultiple sites or applications
-Consider using “password manager,”software that will store and protectpasswords
-When creating a password, use a longphrase that means something to you, butisn’t easy to guess
-Use multifactor authentication
-Keep devices up to date; don’t ignoresecurity updates
-Never trust who is on the other end of amessage
-Assume the whole world will view whatyou post on social media, regardless of thenumber of connections or friends youhave on these platforms
-Be aware of what is visible in thebackground when you share video
“You can’t change the fact there is risk, butyou can limit it to a reasonable level,” he said.
Cybersecurity bythe Numbers
66%
Educating employees about cybersecurityawareness and providing them with the skillsto reduce or eliminate attacks are toppriorities for Peter Elliot, Magna’s globalinformation security officer.
Manufacturing has become a key target forattackers, he notes.
“Years ago, a hacker was the nerd in thebasement playing in the digital sandbox,” hesaid. “Today, cyberattacks have morphed intoa multi-billion-dollar business. It’s importantfor our employees to understand the scopeof our vulnerability.”
To Elliot, the 2021 Verizon Data BreachInvestigation Report is a wake-up call forcorporations:
of attacks involve personal informationabout employees and customers
of malware-associated breaches in manufacturingare caused by Ransomware, or locking up acompany’s data until a ransom is paid
61.2%
“
82%
involve employee credentialsand/or user names andpasswords
of breaches originate fromoutside the company
42%
While we have a layered defense atMagna, and prevent many attacks, wecan’t just rely on technology to protect us,”he said. “There is always a humancomponent.”
of motives for attacks are financial, asopposed to state-sponsored espionage orthe work of a disgruntled employee
92%
A MaternalApproach to Quality
Caiping Zhao is one of the bestproduction operators at Magna’sChangzhou division in China because ofher quality focus and determination tonever settle for less than the best.
“Every month, we select our division’s QualityExcellence Employee, and Caiping has wonthree times this year,” said Sunny Wang, theplant’s quality manager. “We post her photoand story on the bulletin board and in themeeting room, so she can inspire others.”
Zhao’s impressive quality record isn’t limitedto 2021. She has been named QualityExcellence Employee three times in 2020. In2019, she won one of the plant’s annualquality prizes that recognize top performers.
Her secret is simple: “I treat every part on theassembly line the way I would treat my sonChen Ke,” she said. “Like a child, each partrequires care. So I always pay greatattention.”
Zhao is responsible for checking 600 to 700transmission parts per day for the BMW X3,BMW X5 and Ford Focus. The BMW SUVs areexported to Germany and the Focus isproduced for the China market.
In September, Zhao stopped the linebecause she noticed a problem with the one-way clutch for the Focus after rotating a partand seeing a misalignment. She realized thiscould lead to a problem putting the car intoreverse, so she immediately notified herteam leader, and the problem was swiftlycorrected. Her quick thinking preventedlarger issues, ranging from customercomplaints to a vehicle recall or crash.
“I go beyond the written instructions and thephotographs of what to look for,” Zhaoexplained. “I rely on my senses, especiallysight and touch. I’m the last person makingthe quality check, so what I do is critical forour reputation.”
She credits the Magna culture for instilling adedication to quality and risk management inevery employee.
“I worked in the electronics industry beforecoming to Magna in 2014,” Zhao said. “Theatmosphere is different here. Our teamleaders set a great example, and we arerewarded for maintaining the quality of theproduct. That makes us care about what wedo. It’s why we are passionate about quality.”