By making processes and products globally common. Ford intended to eliminate organizational and process redundancies and realize huge economies of scale in manufacturing and purchasing. 1) ongoing forecasting of customer demand from dealers; 2) a minimum of 15 days of vehicles in each assembly plant's order bank increase manufacturing stability; gaps in the order bank are filled with"suggested" dealer orders based on historical buying patterns; 3) regional "mixing centers" that optimize schedules and deliveries of finished vehicles via rail transportation; 4) a robust order amendment process to allow vehicles to be ameded for minor color and trim variations without having to submit new orders.