3 ms·

Worth reading - liked the comparison of approaches in the table. Edit : This was particularly interesting on the toyota side of the table. ( not something that

Worth reading - liked the comparison of approaches in the table. Edit : This was particularly interesting on the toyota side of the table. ( not something that would be immediately obvious to me when the subject is manufacturing) : 'Allowing workers to quickly tweak and improve processes. Toyota can in turn quickly change production schedule based on the latest sales trends." The 'latest trends' part seems to really take advantage of human flexibility relative to machines - love this. Corollary : I've always wondered to myself: if there are such delays in model 3s, and I ordered one 3 years ago based on a design I liked then, when its finally delivered I've got a brand new 3 year old car. How does Tesla deal with that stale factor?

rtkwe 8y ago
> Corollary : I've always wondered to myself: if there are such delays in model 3s, and I ordered one 3 years ago based on a design I liked then, when its finally delivered I've got a brand new 3 year old car. How does Tesla deal with that stale factor? How much have car designs actually changed in the last 3 years though? Most brands have a few different models but the changes inside a particular model line don't happen that often.
- andyidsinga 8y ago
  This is true - models will go for several years. The question is what are the affects of incremental updates that could affect manufacturing. Similarly, what does one approach vs the other (toyota vs tesla) have on the boundaries on when large changes in models can be made. If the company must do pre-orders, as the post claims are required for Tesla, it seems that will affect the boundaries for new models vs what is required to fill existing orders. (I assume Tesla wouldn't just ship a user a new model when their previously ordered old model is still in the pipeline)
- craftyguy 8y ago
  The Mazda mx-5 from 3 years ago is a very different car when compared to the one you buy new now. Same can be said for BMW M3/5. They periodically make major updates to the models, where a year N-1 car is different than a year N car.
greglindahl 8y ago
Tesla's reservation system isn't an order. When they get to the point where they're going to actually make your car, they ask you to make a real order. You can get a full refund up to that point, and your price isn't locked in. If they refresh Model 3 before they get to your reservation in the queue, you'll get the new one.
- andyidsinga 8y ago
  thats interesting -- seems like it could be an opportunity to loose a customer.
  - greglindahl 8y ago
    Yes. When you take a deposit for an expensive thing, it's extremely important to offer as easy of a refund as possible for as long as possible. That means you'll lose customers. Tesla did the same thing for Model S and Model X preorders, and their customers were happy with it.
  - bisby 8y ago
    Not offering the refund at all is the a great opportunity to never have the chance with the customer to begin with. If you view it as a "return", there are plenty of studies that show that having a more open return policy is just in general all around better for customer happiness (even if it doesnt increase return rates)

rtkwe 8y ago

> Corollary : I've always wondered to myself: if there are such delays in model 3s, and I ordered one 3 years ago based on a design I liked then, when its finally delivered I've got a brand new 3 year old car. How does Tesla deal with that stale factor? How much have car designs actually changed in the last 3 years though? Most brands have a few different models but the changes inside a particular model line don't happen that often.

andyidsinga 8y ago
This is true - models will go for several years. The question is what are the affects of incremental updates that could affect manufacturing. Similarly, what does one approach vs the other (toyota vs tesla) have on the boundaries on when large changes in models can be made. If the company must do pre-orders, as the post claims are required for Tesla, it seems that will affect the boundaries for new models vs what is required to fill existing orders. (I assume Tesla wouldn't just ship a user a new model when their previously ordered old model is still in the pipeline)
craftyguy 8y ago
The Mazda mx-5 from 3 years ago is a very different car when compared to the one you buy new now. Same can be said for BMW M3/5. They periodically make major updates to the models, where a year N-1 car is different than a year N car.

greglindahl 8y ago

Tesla's reservation system isn't an order. When they get to the point where they're going to actually make your car, they ask you to make a real order. You can get a full refund up to that point, and your price isn't locked in. If they refresh Model 3 before they get to your reservation in the queue, you'll get the new one.

andyidsinga 8y ago
thats interesting -- seems like it could be an opportunity to loose a customer.
- greglindahl 8y ago
  Yes. When you take a deposit for an expensive thing, it's extremely important to offer as easy of a refund as possible for as long as possible. That means you'll lose customers. Tesla did the same thing for Model S and Model X preorders, and their customers were happy with it.
- bisby 8y ago
  Not offering the refund at all is the a great opportunity to never have the chance with the customer to begin with. If you view it as a "return", there are plenty of studies that show that having a more open return policy is just in general all around better for customer happiness (even if it doesnt increase return rates)