Product Management - Analysis of Toyota processes and application to LCV models in Europe

The automotive global scenario is nowadays under constant evolution: electrified powertrains, new competitors, connected cars, and autonomous driving are redefining the concept of mobility and peoples’ view of cars. Inside this challenging although fascinating world, one of the key aspects of the automotive industry that remains still is the car itself: the concept of car as a Product that is sold in a marketplace to a customer that is willing to pay to have a value in return. This simple concept defines the importance to see the car as a product, and remarks the relevance of product planning inside the automotive business. This is the reason why, at the end of my studies at Politecnico di Torino, I decided to move in Belgium to work in product planning as an intern for the biggest car manufacturer in the world: Toyota Motor Corporation. During this incredible experience in the European headquarter of the Japanese firm, I was assigned to the division that is managing all the LCV models actually sold in the European region. My role as an intern was to assist current product planners in all their product related tasks, and to manage on my own the key activities of a minor model, always under the guidance of expert colleagues. This intense period gave me the opportunity to really grasp the fundamental concepts of product planning in the automotive industry, and also instructed me on Toyota’s vision of the subject. For all these reasons, I decided to write a thesis that describes Toyota’s product management processes, and how these processes are applied to LCV models in Europe. The objective is to give an insight of product planning in Toyota and show differences, criticalities, and opportunities of the LCV segment; everything clarified by concrete examples coming from my experience in the product management department.