In the past, it took months of gathering data. And it paid off quickly. Engineers no longer wait for drawings to regenerate. With more iterations and more choices up front, the products improve. Part life has increased while maintenance for the trucker has decreased.
Engineers work faster.
Even design systems changed. The T2000, Kenworth's latest design, went through eight times the durability testing done on earlier cabs. And time to market is quicker. Then there was the cost aspect. The most direct route to a better product, Farmer believes, is having customer information delivered right to the Kenworth engineer.