The effect of agile methods on production management in the automotive industry: An exploratory case study of Stellantis Knitra, Morocco

The automotive industry is currently facing profound transformations driven by market volatility, technological complexity, and increasing customization requirements. In this context, manufacturing firms are required to enhance flexibility while preserving operational efficiency. This study examines the effect of agile methods on production management through an exploratory case study conducted at the Stellantis plant in Kénitra, Morocco. The primary objective is to assess how agile practices contribute to improving coordination, responsiveness, and overall production performance in a highly standardized industrial environment. A qualitative research design was adopted, based on semi-structured interviews with two key operational actors, a production unit manager and a team leader, supplemented by direct observations and internal organizational documents. The collected data were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. The findings indicate that agile practices, particularly Kanban and selected Scrum-inspired routines, enhance task visibility, inter-team coordination, and responsiveness to operational disruptions. However, the study also identifies several challenges, including partial adoption of agile frameworks, documentation constraints linked to automotive quality standards, and limitations in scalability. This research contributes to the emerging literature on agile manufacturing by providing empirical insights from a developing industrial context. From a managerial perspective, the findings highlight the importance of contextualized and incremental implementation of agile methods to strengthen production management and organizational adaptability. Key words: Agility, production management, automotive industry, stellantis, kanban, scrum, dynamic capabilities, Morocco.