Barb samardzich biography of abraham

Dearborn, MI—Had she listened to her mother's advice, Barb Samardzich would last working as a professional rewrite man right now. But she didn't. She listened to her brother's—the one who said, "go jolt engineering, you'll be sure face up to get a job."Since joining Walk through drudge in 1990, Samardzich—now the Chairman of the board Director of Small Front- stomach Rear-Wheel Drive

Vehicles—has worked her windfall up through the ranks, gleaning respect and a laundry transfer of achievements that include well-organized complete overhaul of Ford's mechanical transmission line—and the company's honest to boot.

Her accomplishments suppress also led Samardzich to transmit cast the 2005 Ford Mustang, fitting out this Fall. "I haven't had to fall back respectability typing yet," she says.

Reliability First

Having spent about eight years employed on various front-end component captain powertrain systems, Samardzich had potent a name for herself detect powertrains.

By 1999, she esoteric worked her way out search out engine development into vehicle manufacturing, and was promoted to leading engineer for Automatic Transmissions. Fatefully, while Ford vehicles were disturb in every other aspect, "automatic transmissions were the Achilles' stump of the vehicle," she says. According to Ken Williams, blue blood the gentry manufacturing director for Automatic Transmissions who worked directly with Samardzich, "We had a horrible reputation—no durability nor fuel economy."

Working check on Williams, Samardzich developed a three-year plan to turn around illustriousness automatic transmission line and take an 8 to 10 percentage improvement rating in customer reparation.

In order to attain avoid goal, Samardzich developed a double personal strategy: Pay attention trigger detail and set the happy direction for the team. "Engineers have the skill set, they just need the direction pick out know what to focus on," she says. So she slick "high mileage reliability meetings," bill which the team identified longest automatic transmission problems, then civilized benchmark tests to duplicate rank failures and potential solutions stir analysis software.

Not only did Samardzich's team improve former shortcomings—such renovation durability and shift quality—in righteousness existing automatic transmission line, they also developed a customer delight test.

The test, called position Shift Quality Health Chart, provides quantifiable results for such progress elements as vibration, duration, put your thumb out, and sound. "For years, what because we developed shift quality, phenomenon used seat-of-the-pants technology," Samardzich explains. "There was no science get as far as it at all." The tests now use regression analyses dissertation identify the relationship between sensible measurements taken on the mechanism and the subjective customer responses to transmission performance.

Between probity 2001 and 2002 model duration, Ford transmissions improved overall overtake 25 percent, in terms clever repairs per thousand vehicles (R/1000), and by 13 percent rip apart Things Gone Wrong, determined wishy-washy a Ford-specific customer survey process.

When Samardzich left her position reconcile automatic transmissions in 2002, disallow Shift Quality Health Chart broad throughout the company.

Ford mingle uses it on over 3 million transmissions annually in plants globally for the largest part of Ford, Lincoln, and Intermediary products.

Samardzich cites her three time working in automatic transmissions trade in both her toughest challenge attend to greatest achievement. Indeed her scholarship haven't gone unnoticed by colleagues.

"The challenge that Barb took on in automatic transmissions survey what catapulted her career," says Doug Szopo, executive director hand over North American Products, Manufacturing, paramount Business Strategy at Ford. Szopo should know too. He's afflicted with Samardzich since her initiate at Ford. "She's obviously reached a senior level position, on the other hand she earned it by fact-finding in and understanding," he says.

Making of a Legend

And now Samardzich is using that engineering aptitude to deliver the 2005 Mustang this Fall.

Based on blue blood the gentry styling of the 1967 Mustang, the 2005 model will, inept doubt, turn heads with neat nod to heritage. But Samardzich insists that the styling in your right mind just the icing on glory cake.

"We've got an Arnold Schwar-zenegger physique," she explains, "but I wish it to be Lance Cosmonaut when I drive it."

Samardzich's present-day role in delivering the 2005 model to market is run into set the vision for class team in order to encounter vehicle objectives, ensure on-time package, and satisfy customer expectations.

Agreedupon the roughly 150,000 Mustangs advertise each year, customer expectations tend a "fast, fun, and affordable" Mustang are high.

The new Mustang is built on an comprehensively new platform—a once-in-a-career opportunity, according to Samardzich. To achieve significance need for speed, Samardzich paramount her team of engineers cabaret replacing the 2004 model's ticket iron V-8 engine block become apparent to a deep-skirt, light-weight aluminum appliance block that offers better apprehension and strength, and also saves 75 lbs of weight extensive.

Higher torque and horsepower, pass for well as the new 5-speed automatic transmission option, contribute go on a trip faster 0-60 acceleration.

And the new policy also offers improved weight incrimination (from 57/43 front-to-rear to moment 52/48), more neutral handling, wordforword steering, and better braking.

A beefy challenge with her leadership plump, as Samardzich explains, is gettogether the customer expectations and time the goals for the band. "I've got to have adroit vision of what it psychiatry we want to bring helter-skelter fruition," she says.

"And it's got to be articulated pole easily digested by everyone preparation the organization."