This is how cars are built. The Porsche plant in Leipzig produces the new Macan, the Cayenne and the Panamera. The greatest depth of production of these three model series – i.e. the share of the creation process of a car – is attained by the Macan in Leipzig. Because unlike the Cayenne and Panamera, the body of the Macan is also manufactured and painted at the latest comprehensive plant of the sports car producer. As a result, the new Macan illustrates very well just how a new Porsche car is manufactured in Leipzig.

How the new Macan is produced

Perfect interplay in the value creation chain. Anyone who observes production in Leipzig – and the creation process for the Macan – experiences the nearly playful ease with which the processes are intermeshed. This impression is repeated like a common thread throughout the entire production chain. In Leipzig, this chain begins with delivery of vehicle parts to the two supply centres (body shop and assembly shop supply centres), then it extends to the body shop, paint shop and assembly shop until the final check of the finished car.

Porsche production system networks car engineering with production. The Porsche production system is a decisive factor in the precise production that appears to flow with such ease. Dr. Oliver Blume, Board Member for Production and Logistics: “The crucial aspect of the Porsche production system is the fact that we examine everything thoroughly, from the beginning to the end. Therefore, the Porsche production system not only relates to how an advanced production system is laid out – rather it is much more important systematically to engineer and design the car for production in very early product phases.” Porsche sets very special standards here relating to how perfectly and easily a complex, innovative and high-quality automobile should be built. An example is the headlight – just two screws are used to mount an entire headlight within seconds or to change it out later at a service shop in case of damage. This technical innovation relates directly to the design of the headlight itself and the engineering solution of how it is installed. That is because Porsche engineers not only focus on the technical performance and design of this headlight when they engineer it, rather they also focus on how an employee in production or service personnel at a Porsche centre can later work with this headlight. Dr. Oliver Blume: “The Porsche production system is always designed for people. Not the other way around. The all-decisive aspect is where value is created. After all, that is what our customers pay money for. They do not pay for the method by which the part is installed in the car; they pay for the quality which is ultimately integrated in the car; they pay to own an uncompromisingly high quality product. The process – how the part is installed – must operate as perfectly, easily and quickly as possible. And that can only succeed if production employees can handle the part easily – including from an ergonomic perspective. Therefore, the person who installs the individual parts in a car is the centre of focus at Porsche. We design the Porsche production system around this person – and management is a classic service provider in this context.”