The working methods adopted by STOLA exploit:

• Simultaneous engineering;
  
• Problem solving techniques;
  
• A multidisciplinary and interfunctional approach;
  
• Support management;
  
• Preventive analysis methodologies.

These methods are sustained by a systematic use of control tools and auditing techniques designed to support management's decision-making criteria and to improve the "in progress" evolution of working processes, both at the stage of product development and during production.

The ability to assist a Customer over a vehicle's entire development cycle, from new product feasibility analysis to industrialisation and production, including all engineering stages, enhances synergies in terms of skills, working systems and tools.

Ongoing feed-back between the production plants and the engineering teams he heightens the effects of "Simultaneous engineering" on product development, and makes it possible to provide effective support, on a timely basis, to the people in charge of production start-up, product maintenance and product improvement.

The virtuous circle of continuous improvement based on PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) techniques thus find a concrete possibility of application.

The measurement, classification and analysis of technical data and Performance Indicators concerning design, process and product make it possible to monitor company processes and to build up and enrich a database which allows to:

• improve product quality;
  
• consolidate know-how as a function of new project/process methods;
  
• support decision making processes;
  
• favour employee involvement, motivation and professional growth.

The success of these activities is testified by the ability to generate:

• Company Business Plans;
  
• Development programs and Improvements Plans;
  
• "Best practice" principles and concepts (definition of company best practices or methods);
  
• Working programs for process re-engineering;
  
• Technical specifications regarding design / product / process quality.