Research the German Car Industry †BMW Essay

Within this dossier I am sacking to research the German railway gondola Industry, firstly I am deprivation to make a little background level to Ger umpteen, so Berlin where the individual entrust be based to decease for BMW. Then finally I will enounce the soulfulness about BMW, their history and his/hers piece in state of state of wardly the fraternity.I have decided to use a 50/50 approach to this dossier by this I mean 50% will be on the country i.e. Germany and Berlin and 50% will be on the company. I have chosen this because I feel, and will explain throughout this spell of move that it is very all important(p) to k straight off the ways and the customs of a country as well as the industry in which you ar going to work. I will try through this piece of work to help the person settle in quicker and be thriving of his/her surroundings. If some peerless feels happy in his/her surroundings then this should spread into his/hers work invigoration and by focusing to a greater extent on the country I feel this could incur quicker than usual.About GermanyPopulation82,057,000Size357,021 kmAdjacent countriesAustria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, SwitzerlandHighest pointZugspitze (2,962 m) 31% of the country is covered with forestscoastal line2,389 kmLife expectancy77 years (Men 73 years Women 80 years)System of governmentThe Federal Republic of Germany is a democracy with a liberal free-market economy, freedom of religion and freedom of the press. Germany is a member of the European Union (EU).CapitalBerlin (3.47 billion inhabitants)16 States in the Federal RepublicBaden-Wrttemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg- westbo undern Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, ThuringiaRailway system43,966 kmFreeways and roads633,000 kmBicycle tracks40,000 kmFederal and national waterw ays10,000 kmSea water routes23,000 kmTime zoneIn Germany, fil aree are set to Central European time. From the finale of March to the end of October (summertime) they are put forward one hour.(Source German tourist office) miserlinessOverviewAfter the fall of the Berlin Wall, progress towards economic integration between eastern and western Germany is cl first visible, yet the eastern region almost for certain will remain dependent on subsidies funded by western Germany until many years to come. The staggering $390 one thousand thousand in western German assist that the eastern states have original since 1990 40 propagation the amount in real terms of US Marshall Fund aid send to West Germany afterwards land War II is just anatomy 1 to have an impact on the eastern German standard of living, which plummeted after unification. Assistance to the east continues to run at roughly $100 billion annually. Although the growth rate in the east was much greater than in the west, it will take 10-15 years for the eastern states to match western Germanys living standards.The economic recovery in the east is led by the construction industries which vizor for one-third of industrial output, with growth increasingly back up by the service sectors and light manufacturing industries. Eastern Germanys economy is changing from one anchored on manufacturing to a more service-oriented economy. Western Germany, with three times the per capita output of the eastern states, has an advanced market economy and is a realness leader in exports.The strong recovery in 1994 from recession began in the export sector and spread to the investment and consumption sectors in chemical reaction to falling interest rates. Western Germany has a highly urbanized and experient population that enjoys excellent living standards, abundant leisure time, and comprehensive social welfare benefits. It is relatively poor in natural resources, coal creation the most important mineral. Wes tern Germanys introduction-class companies manufacture technologically advanced rights. The regions economy is mature services and manufacturing account for the dominant share of economic activities, and raw materials and semi manufactured goods wee-wee a large portion of imports.Read more Swot abstract of BMWCurrent Issues in Germanyshortly, Germany is facing post reunification economic problems caused by a number of factors including the flow of refugees into Germany, the flow of East Germans leaving to West Germany, and the poor economic conditions left in East Germany by the Communists. In the East, the unemployment rate remains at about 18%, despite efforts to commence it. Within the political arena Germany remain to be one of the fieriest opponents to the war on Iraq and diplomatic relations between themselves and the regular army and Britain and have whip a low point, but given time and talking these issues will be resolved.Germany has changed a lot since the end of th e Second World War. This is a country that lay in ruins, the majority of its infrastructure was destroyed, millions of its citizens were killed and its economy was in tatters. However nowadays nearly 60 years after the war Germany brought itself back into world economics.Germany remains to be one of the main players in global economics, its many industries i.e. the railroad car industry have lifted it from the depths of recession to become a strong economy.About BerlinLocated in the northeastern United States of Germany and with a population of 3.5million, one third is covered by woodland, set and waterways.Despite efforts to become a city of the future, Berlin has also made both effort to preserve its history. Berlin is home to the largest construction project Europe has seen since World War II, the city is redefining itself.The construction of the Berlin Wall on Aug 13, 1961 set the revenue stamp on the citys division and separated its people.The city celebrate on Nov 9, 198 9 when the Berlin Wall was torn down. After the reunification in 1990 Berlin became antechamber of the Federal Government, which held its first plenary session in the redesigned Reichstag on Apr 19, 1999. The Reichstag with its sm craft glass dome became an attraction for both(prenominal) Berliners and tourists from all over the world. The spic-and-span millennium was celebrated with a magnificent party at the Brandenburg Tor. A lot has changed in Berlin since then. And Berlin will keep changing.MuseumsBerlins museums present art working of international appreciation. More than 170 museums invite to see collections of the world culture such as the Pergamonaltar or the bust of Nofretete, painting works from Giotto and Breughel over Caspar David Friedrich and Picasso to contemporary artists. Spectacular new buildings equal the Filmmuseum or the Jewish Museum and the reopening of great museums like the Old National Gallery enhance the absorbing range of Berlins museums.Nightlife Night owls with stamina locoweed also give their undivided attention to the interesting range of pubs roughly Savignyplatz in Charlottenburg. The firmament consists of a great number of restaurants and bars where everyone can meet the stars of television or Berlins culture and political scene. Here is the melting set that combines symbolically the former west and the new centre to a benevolent construction.Especially the younger crowd is attracted to the Pariser Strae. At this location you will decree taverns, bars, American diners, Mexican restaurants and very modern and stylish discos. During the summer life concentrates on the street in form of many chairs and tables that invite us to rest. In the middle of this street the well-maintained Ludwigkirchplatz with its rich areas of green providing a restful shadow is located.For someone who is going to live in a funny country it is important if they make themselves aware of certain customs at heart that country or a certain part of the country i.e. headping in a restaurant the bill you receive at a hotel, restaurant, coffeehouse or bar often take ons a service charge already. A tip is an indication of your satisfaction 5% is average, whereas 10% indicates exceptional service. Tip taxi drivers about 5%, and porters and others who assist you with baggage one Euro per item.Berlin is one of the liveliest capitals in the world it has huge volumes of history attached to itGerman gondola car IndustryGermany is the birthplace of the automobile in 1887 Karl Benz designed a mold fitted with an internal combustion engine, and the modern car was born. In 1901 Germany was already producing 900 cars a year today the total is as high as 10 million. The industry employs about 1.26 million people, and over half of all the cars produced in Germany are exported. Today Daimler-Chrysler, the result of the merger between Daimler-Benz, Germanys largest manufacturing businesss of cars, and the American Chrysler Corpora tion, is the third largest car manufacturer in the world.The names of the car companies tell interesting, often personal stories. For example, when August Horch designed his first car, other car manufacturer operated under Horchs name, so he was forced to figure a new name for his company. He selected the Latinised version of the German intelligence information Horch, listen, and came up with Audi. Mercedes was originally the name of an early Daimler sports car it was named after a clients daughter.The car industry has remained one of the pillars of the German economy. Currently about 1.26 million people are employed in the car industry. In 1998 5.73 million cars were produced and 3.27 million of these were exported. Daimler-Benz is the largest of the three major players, Volkswagen being the endorsement and BMW the third.The car industry is, however, facing the biggest changes since the introduction of mass action. With ever changing markets and fluctuate economies mass deed in the old sense may be on its way out. railcars that are not interchange chop-chop turn into huge losses for their company. This may be avoided by introducing more flexible production systems. The idea is to produce cars according to guests wishes and, more importantly, when they want to buy them. This idea is based on BTO (reinforced-to-order) systems.In Germany about 60% of cars are built according to orders placed at present or indirectly with the factory. The next step, mass customisation, would suit both customer and manufacturer. The problem is to develop a production system that can set quickly to a changing demand and supply at a lower cost. Together with American and Japanese car makers Volkswagen is involved in the so-called 3DayCar project which tries to apply the mass customisation homunculus initiated by the data put to workor manufacturer DELL to the car industry. Considering the size of German car manufacturers like Volkswagen and Daimler-Benz, these new pr oduction methods may mean major changes on a huge scale.Another change is the increasing size of car manufacturers. The tailfin leading corporations worldwide are General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota and Volkswagen. The worldwide overproduction of cars and fluctuating markets has meant that all five have been involved in a number of acquisitions and mergers in order to consolidate their position as global players. DaimlerChrysler is now said to be interested in Mitsubishi Motors and Volkswagen in BMW.German Car Exports to IrelandIn the year 2000 about 25% of all new cars bought in Ireland were of a German brand. (55.160 vehicles). The largest number of imports, 37 700 cars, were by Volkswagen.BMWBMW, which stands for Bayerische Motoren-Werke, started off as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. After the First World War the production of these engines was forbidden by the Peace Treaty of Versailles. BMW therefore began to manufacture get cycles. Later on BMW bought a compa ny which was licensed to produce a car called Dixi. The cars sold very well despite the economic downturn of the late 1920s and when the licence expired BMW started designing their own models. The company began building six cylinder cars and sporting models. With every new model BMW introduced went a sporting model since taking part and winning races was the lift out publicity a car manufacturer could get.During the war the company received large orders to build aircraft engines. Because of its contribution to the arms industry of the 1930s and 40s the BMW figurets were out(p) from production for three years after the Second World War. ii of the companys plants, in Berlin and Eisenach, were in the Russian sector and posterior were nationalised by the East German government. The factory in Munich remained, but since it had and produced ride cycles car production did not start until 1951.For a temporary hookup the company tried to both mass-produce as well as develop prestigi ous models which put it under dish outable financial strain. In 1959 BMW nearly went bankrupt but managed to keep going. Between 1955 and 1962 the company produced Isetta cars under licence. This led BMW to work with Italian designers which proved to be very favored for the company. A major reorganisation of the company took place in the early Sixties under the auspices of major shareholder Herbert Quandt. The success of these changes allowed BMW to built bigger cars and offer a more comprehensive range in the following years.In todays competitive markets the quality of the marketing and advertising of a product is just as important as the quality of the product itself. An example of this is the latest advertising campaign by BMW in the US. Instead of TV and cinema ads BMW financed five short films which can be viewed on the internet.The films are made by internationally celebrated directors and are part of a series called The Hire. All films feature a chauffeur and his car, a B MW. Guy Ritchies film, the first of the series, stars Madonna and was an neighboring(a) success. Since the start of the US campaign three months ago (May 2001) six million people have viewed the films and BMW is now considering a similar project in Germany. Surveys showed that most potential customers are far more likely to crop the internet than to look at TV or magazine ads. The campaign, which is representative for so-called Image-Advertising, indicates that the perception of a car is nowadays as important as the actual product, if not more so. (www.goethe.de)BMW separate worldwide delegation statement isTo be the most successful premium manufacturer in the industry.What is BMW (GB) Ltds turnover?19961,239,00019971,400,00019981,478,00019991,580,00020001,511,00020011,966,00020022,350,000(Source www.bmw.com)BMW (Bavarian Motor Works) began life as a manufacturer of aircraft engines during World War I when it built a reputation of reliability and excellence.In 1923, BMW built its first movecycle and in 1928, its first elevator car a version of the Austin Seven built under licence. deed Range.With a workforce of approximately 2,700 employees, the Berlin Plant builds up to 400 motorcycles of the R, K and F Series a day. Also manufacturing camshafts, brake discs and track ascendency arms for BMWs various car models, the Berlin Plant is an important provider for other locations within the BMW production network.Human resource policyThe gracious factor is the No. 1 criterion in determining a companys relative success. Accordingly, we see our thinks not as a cost factor, but instead as an essential performance factor. This is especially true because any gentlemans gentleman resources policy that is not oriented towards the associate will always lead to negative cost effects in the long run, thus proving uneconomical.As a future-oriented company, we seek to pursue an exemplary, fictive and associate-oriented human resources policy, making significant co ntributions to business success through our human resources activities. The human resources policy of the BMW Group is an integral feature of our overall corporal policy in both strategic and operative decisions.What are the BMW Group brands?BMWThe BMW brand stands for one thing sheer driving pleasure. Sporting and dynamical performance combined with superb design and exclusive qualityminiThe MINI brand wins hearts and turns heads. MINI is part of a life-style that is cosmopolitan and confident, ready for everything.Rolls-RoyceUncompromising concentration on quality is a matter of course. The Rolls-Royce fascinates through unique solutions in detailBMW Ltd applies plectron processes for both internal and external applicants which ensure the conflict of the highest quality module.Special selection events are designed to give applicants every opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities in a variety of relevant activities and to find as much as they can about the organ isation and the role they are applying for.BMW Ltd actively encourages its employees in the development of their careersGenerally, vacancies will be advertised internally and wherever possible a current member of staff will be recruited into a position. Only if an internal appointment is not possible will BMW consider external recruitment.BMW Ltd operates an equal opportunity policyBMW Ltd offers all employees (Head Office and school principal Network) the practical support, advice and schooling opportunities to encourage personal development, aligned to the achievement of in incorporatedd objectives.The BMW Centre for Development team helps employees to select and undergo the most countenance training programme for their needs. Requirement is assessed annually during the appraisal processManagers are expected to interact regularly with their team and this process is formalised through Portfolio where managers and employees review performance together every November cover vers ion the following areas* canvass of performance against agreed objectives* Establishing objectives for the forthcoming 12 months* Identification of individual training and development needsPlanning actions to build on strengths address weaknesses and plan career development.BMW offer an extensive induction programme which includes one or two days where the person is allowed to talk to fellow workmates on an on the loose(p) basis. New workers are put into groups and set a task i.e. finding certain places within the factory. They are also assigned a instruct for 12 months this is so if they have any problems they can go to this person and hopefully they can sort it out, usually the new worker doesnt use the mentor for 12 months its normally for the first month or so.BMW Ltd applies selection processes for both internal and external applicants which ensure the appointment of the highest quality staff.Special selection events are designed to give applicants every opportunity to demo nstrate their skills and abilities in a variety of relevant activities and to learn as much as they can about the organisation and the role they are applying for.BMW Ltd actively encourages its employees in the development of their careersBMW Ltd offers all employees (Head Office and lead Network) the practical support, advice and training opportunities to encourage personal development, aligned to the achievement of corporate objectives.The BMW Centre for Development team helps employees to select and undergo the most tolerate training programme for their needs. Requirement is assessed annually during the appraisal process.Courses available to staff includeManagementSalesAfter salesTechnical head teacher ServiceManagers are expected to interact regularly with their team and this process is formalised through Portfolio where managers and employees review performance together every November covering the following areasToday BMW has various production plants in Germany, Austria, Sou th Africa and the USA as well as sales offices in Asia and Mexico. Apart from cars and motor cycles the group is involved in the production of aircraft engines. Cars, however, account for nearly 75% of the companys sales. Companys operations also include software (softlab GmbH).Due to recent changes in the car industry there has been speculation about a possible merger between BMW and another car manufacturer, but the Quandt family who owns about half of the BMW shares has downplayed such speculation. In the startle of 1994 BMW bought 80% of the shares in the Rover Group. The company later on sold Land Rover to Ford and Rover Cars to Phoenix Consortium. BMW is known for its production of passenger and Formula 1 cars as well as motor cycles. In the year 2000, BMW sold 830 000 cars, 74 000 motor cycles and employed 93 000 people.BMW are and will continue to be one of the largest car manufactures in the world, producing top of the range vehicles for years to come and being a course c redit to Germany is what BMW is all about.Bibliographywww.goethe.deexcellent site provides very good history on the car industry within germany and also that of bmwwww.btm.deAnother very good website, very helpful, will post out brochures to you about germany and getting around Berlin. Would be very good to a person who has never visited germanywww.germanytouristoffice.deA good site offering details on accomdation within Germany, although does insufficiency in the fact that it could be more helpful with regards to providing maps etc of germanywww.guardian.co.ukProvides good history articles on various car manufacteurs in germanywww.geographic.orgProvides excellent maps first of Germany then of Berlin, its different regions etc.www.aboutgermany.orgGood website providing information on different festivals that happen in Berlin, also features tips on how to live to in GermanyDossier German Car Industry