text: evaluate a vehicle. Because it is time-intensive, we also 
  
  devised a short version of AVES that only takes an hour 
  
  and can be done at the factory. 
  
  The second major area of focus is logistics, which is 
  
  becoming more complicated. We send engine parts to the 
  
  U.S., and soon we will be shipping more parts from leading 
  
  competitive countries, or LCCs. During 2004, we 
  
  encountered cargo-handling problems on the U.S. West 
  
  Coast, which highlighted the need for a more sophisticated 
  
  tracking system. If we had had such a system in place, we 
  
  could have anticipated those problems and made the 
  
  necessary adjustments. 
  
  While Nissan’s productivity leads the world, we have 
  
  not stopped working to improve the process. One system 
  
  we have implemented is the Design Standard Time Ratio, 
  
  which allows us to calculate the ideal standard time for 
  
  every operation. By applying this globally, we have brought 
  
  all our branches around the world to nearly the same level. 
  
  This in turn illustrated that we can produce vehicles more 
  
  cheaply and with good productivity in the LCCs. Another 
  
  opportunity discovered for the LCCs was in low-cost jig 
  
  and die making. As a result, we have doubled the capacity 