Bmw Series
BMW: THE 7-SERIES
PROJECT
mary lou
Brief History of Bayerische Motoren Werke:
BMW, a German company is a producer of automobiles and motorcycles. Designed as an aircraft manufacturer and originally founded in 1913 by Karl Fredrich Rapp, the company was commissioned to build the V-12 engine for Austria-Hungary. In need of extra financing, Rapp reconstructed the company as the Bayerische Motoren Werke. In 1917, Rapp left the company and it was taken over by Austrian Franz Josef Popp who later named it BMW. BMW continued their endeavors in producing for the German panzer (airplane) and the motorized division of the German airforce.
It was not until after the World War that BMW was banned from manufacturing for three years. In 1952, they began manufacturing automobiles. In 1959 BMW found themselves in a tough financial situation, as they almost had to sell their interests to Daimler-Benz, the number one auto producer as well as their number one competitor. However, with the opposition of the workforce and labor unions as well as an individual named Herbert Quandt, shares were increased by 50% and the company did a turn-a-round. As recently as 2004, revenues for BMW were $44 billion dollars with an employee base of 105,972 (HBR 2004). Today, BMW accounts for 10% of the market share with 70% of their sales from Europe and 30% of sales from United States and Japan. These figures equate to the success of BMW and have helped them gain brand recognition as the "Ultimate Driving Machine."
1. What are the causes and consequences of BMW's quality problems with newly launched products? What should be done to improve "launch quality"?
The development and launch of a completely new or redesigned model line was a complex, time-consuming, and expensive undertaking for BMW. Stylists in BMW's design studios began exploring various alternatives for the car's exterior appearance six years before the scheduled introduction. BMW typically spent two years in
PROJECT
mary lou
Brief History of Bayerische Motoren Werke:
BMW, a German company is a producer of automobiles and motorcycles. Designed as an aircraft manufacturer and originally founded in 1913 by Karl Fredrich Rapp, the company was commissioned to build the V-12 engine for Austria-Hungary. In need of extra financing, Rapp reconstructed the company as the Bayerische Motoren Werke. In 1917, Rapp left the company and it was taken over by Austrian Franz Josef Popp who later named it BMW. BMW continued their endeavors in producing for the German panzer (airplane) and the motorized division of the German airforce.
It was not until after the World War that BMW was banned from manufacturing for three years. In 1952, they began manufacturing automobiles. In 1959 BMW found themselves in a tough financial situation, as they almost had to sell their interests to Daimler-Benz, the number one auto producer as well as their number one competitor. However, with the opposition of the workforce and labor unions as well as an individual named Herbert Quandt, shares were increased by 50% and the company did a turn-a-round. As recently as 2004, revenues for BMW were $44 billion dollars with an employee base of 105,972 (HBR 2004). Today, BMW accounts for 10% of the market share with 70% of their sales from Europe and 30% of sales from United States and Japan. These figures equate to the success of BMW and have helped them gain brand recognition as the "Ultimate Driving Machine."
1. What are the causes and consequences of BMW's quality problems with newly launched products? What should be done to improve "launch quality"?
The development and launch of a completely new or redesigned model line was a complex, time-consuming, and expensive undertaking for BMW. Stylists in BMW's design studios began exploring various alternatives for the car's exterior appearance six years before the scheduled introduction. BMW typically spent two years in