Quote:
Originally Posted by 402Bowtie
3) Pretend I have two build sheets. One is sequence number 17647 (w/ s/n 2Z120845) and the other is sequence number 17699 (w/ imaginary s/n 2Z120897) and they both show a 11/12/71 build date. I think you are saying that is 100% safe to assume that sequence numbers in between those two were built on 11/12/71. However, at some point along the way, one of the sequence numbers could have been assigned a serial number outside the range of 2Z120845 and 2Z120897, or at least in a non-consecutive manner. Is that correct?
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At the risk of overdoing let me try a different approach.
We are talking about the relationship, or lack thereof, between the build sequence number and the VIN/serial number.
Vehicle orders are sent from Central Office to the plant in a strange six character code (see below). The order number is the tracking mechanism until the PVI, or Primary Vehicle Indicator, is established. The PVI is pulled in a sequence and are used to identify the vehicle until the VIN is established. The serial portion of the VIN is also pulled in sequence.
These can be broadcast to cab shop at the start of build and maintain pretty much this order. However, here is where the fun starts:
The vehicle/VINs can get shuffled after cab shop before paint, and again after paint but before trim
but the build sequence number still counts up one by one.
In other words - there is a unique cab shop sequence counting up one by one, and then a unique paint shop sequence counting up one by one, and then comes the final line (General Assembly) sequence number counting up one by one - the one everybody cares about.
I didn't want you to think that the GA build sequence number is jumping around. It is not (barring some catastrophe where a vehicle needs to be pulled completely from the system and reinserted later).
The best analogy I can think of is writing checks: you write the checks in sequential order - pretty much always - but they do not necessarily clear the bank in that order.
The PVI and corresponding VIN/Serial numbers are pulled sequentially - but they do not necessarily clear the end of the line in that order.
K