BMW to offer used cars in India – the “BMW Premium Selection” will include used BMW cars bought in India since its introduction in 2006.
As luxury car owners in India are likely to change their model every 5 years – 2011 will be the right time to offer the first BMW owners in India a chance to replace their car with a new model. At the same time this will open up a new segment which is not having the purchasing power for a brand new luxury car, but can shell out some Rs.20 lakh (32.000 Euro) for a used BMW, which will be checked by BMW engineers and comes with a warranty.
In the long run, BMW pre owned car sales in India should contribute up to 30% to their overall revenues in the country. BMW will start to offer the used cars by April this year in all major cities, starting with Chennai in the South of India and followed by Gurgaon in the North. BMW India President, Mr. Peter Kronschnable said “the new used car venture in India will add re-sell value for the BMW brands and make the entire business value and philosophy more transparent”.
During 2010 the new car segment of BMW should cross the 4,000 unit mark. Since car sales in Europe are stagnating or even declining, luxury car makers like BMW and Mercedes are focusing more on Asia, especially on China and India. BMW is also trying to find ways to increasing their revenue, be it by promoting their financial products (BWM financial services) or by offering their used BMW cars targeting a new section of customers. At the moment BMW is leading the luxury car segment just ahead of Mercedes, but who will take the bigger share in the long run?
Designers Particia Urquiola and Giulio Ridolfo are collaborating with BMW and Kvadrat on an installation called Dwelling Lab for the Milan 2010 Design week. It explores the interior and exterior of the new BMW 5 series gran turismo. ‘The dwelling lab’ will be on show at the kvadrat showroom, corso monforte 15, milan from april 14th – 19th, 2010. Via Notcot
55K on the odo, Dinan chip and suspension. Would you?
It looks perfectly sorted. Wheels are perfect. Ride height is perfect. To our untrained eyes, looks like it doesn’t need a single thing. On that basis, we’d be tempted, awfully tempted. What a looker.
Welcome to the fourth part in this series. As with the last part, we will continue looking at the whole world rather than a focus on one area, but this time we will focus more on the actual cars than the industry. We’ll be having a look at how companies have revived some classic nameplates, such as the Fiat 500 pictured above.
Revival of Old Nameplates
Plenty of old, abandoned nameplates were revived in the last decade. Chevrolet actually revived the Camaro in the same decade it killed it off. The fourth-generation Camaro ended the Camaro legacy in 2002, and then the fifth-generation revived the nameplate in 2006 with a concept car, eventually reaching production in 2009. The latest Ford Mustangs look much more like the original Mustang as well. Ford also briefly revived the Thunderbird from 2002 to 2005. Then there’s the Dodge Challenger, probably the closest car to its predecessor among the whole lot. It has essentially the same design, just larger and with a more modern feeling. Chrysler Group has revived a few more nameplates in the last decade actually, including the Dodge Magnum (Not a very worthy successor though), Dodge Charger (Not a particularly good successor either) and Chrysler 300C (Successor to the 300 letter series and not that bad a car actually).
It’s not all the Americans though. Fiat revived their 500. It’s undoubtedly a brilliant successor, a cheap, practical, fun car. Fiat Group also revived the Alfa Romeo Giulietta name for Alfa’s 147 successor. This happens to be quite a good car as well. Unlike the MiTo, it managed to take up Alfa’s new design very nicely, although I still prefer the 159/Brera design. The most important revival however, comes, oddly, from Germany. BMW took over a British company and it has reinvented an icon: the Mini. This car walks out of the showrooms, it has been a complete success. It was also released in about 3 million different forms: as a convertible, as a hot hatchback and soon as a coupe and 4×4.
Then there’s Aston Martin, who revived the old V8 Vantage name on their new 911 competitor in 2005. This is an amazing car and the old V8 Vantage must be proud to have such a successor. The new Rapide takes its name from the old Lagonda Rapide, and Aston Martin unveiled a concept at the 2009 International Geneva Motor Show, under which it will try to revive the Lagonda nameplate. As well, the new DBS succeeds the old DBS from the seventies, and the DBR9 and DBR1-2 race cars uses the Aston Martin DBR race car naming scheme from the 50s. That is a hell of a lot of old cars rising from the dead, and we’re glad to see most of them.
BMW is really a German centered vehicle, engine and motorcycle manufacturing corporation. BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke) was set up inside year 1916 and is popularly known for its luxury and overall performance. BMW is the parent organization of Rolls-Royce Motor Vehicles. The tail light source is that a part of vehicle that is important from every respect Tail easy is known as a lighting method that’s an important section of the automobile that is connected in the rear last part with the automobile and normally arrive in pairs (left conclusion and appropriate last part from the car). These group of lights on 1 mounting is consists of unique lights with unique shapes and colour. The move lights break lights and signal lights and, reverse lights would be the part of tail lights. Park easy is an additional part of the tail brightness program it truly is supposed for being the biggest tail gentle within the assembly which instantly gets turned on anytime the break is hit or headlight is turned on through the driver. It truly is also useful in the rainy or foggy weather. BMW tail lights is 1 within the important elements in the car.
The BMW Contributed tail lights is created implementing one of the most sophisticated technological know-how and are greatest to modify BMW automobiles, the tail lights of BMW is globe popular and proffered most by people as in comparison to other tail lights. The manufacturer BMW gives you a highly broad range of tail lights for instance, Crystal Apparent Tail lights, Smoke tail lights and Led tail lights. BMW tail lights are famous because of 1 further fact that these tail lights give an ordinary automobile, sporty plus a catchy glimpse. BMW gives their product cost-effectiveness that is most demanded.
BMW tail lights makes use of Lightning Manage Module which can be extremely state-of-the-art also it controls every one of the lights. The performance within the LCM would be to indicate the driver concerning the faulty lights. Most within the individuals opine beneficial concerning the BMW tail mild for the reason that it offers an appealing and sleek appear.
BMW tail lights have their personal seem giving it an appealing glossy and shiny search making it appearance unique than another manufacturers since it has its personal name from the auto sector offering finest items to the customers including its tail lights. Brought about lights of BMW are rather bright, shinny and advantageous it lasts longer than the everyday lights. As it’s always situated in the rear end belonging to the automobile it makes effortless for your driver to view it from a far array at the same time. With out making use of the tail brightness it would grow to be not possible to communicate about our actions on the drivers behind us so it should be quite soothing or else the vehicle is that passes by would encounter issues. The BMW tail lights is created utilizing a high and advanced technology producing it further efficient than another brand’s tail lights.Meaning of Brought about is “Light Emitting Diodes” and it is actually replacing stock lights. It isn’t only put to use for night time but also is utilized for this daytime illumine. The Brought about tail mild is advantageous through tail brightness because of its illumination speed and that is quite high as compared to other brand too, At present a lot more than 14 products of BMW are around the road with its different tail lights with countless options and at lowest cost. The Led tail lights lasts lengthier than any other everyday lights saving cash and power producing BMW numerous than other tail lights supplying a excellent and higher range of visibility on street avoiding any accidents. The Directed lights during the auto might be bent producing beneath the physique lighting so rather easy building it luxurious and obtainable enhancing its appears and offering the ultimate pleasure towards the buyer whilst driving it.
Every brand has an anthem. Or at least thats what we in agency-land like to tell the clients that manage them. In every category, there exists an “ownable” territory that is worth a manifesto of empty thoughts all linked by a common theme. These anthems became useful in establishing what Adam Morgan (he of the “Eatbigfish” phenomenon) called a ‘Lighthouse Identity’ – essentially, the idea that a brand can espouse values that consumers can live by, rather than brands whose values are informed by their intended audience. In this school of thinking, you could think of the more common brand-value associations: Coke and Happiness, Apple and Creativity, Nike and whatever you’re meant to take out of Just Do It.
Values are important to the brand and the organisation behind it. But if you don’t have tangible, solid proof of what these values offer as a point of difference you risk creating the sort of work that improves brand likeability scores but doesn’t work in selling a product or service.
Don’t get me wrong — I love the “art” part of the weird art/science mix that marketing is. And I admire its ability to create irrational response from an audience. But what I do get confused about is the reason for marketers to debut new “anthem” efforts in market in order to “refresh” what the market thinks about it.
Take Volkswagen USA. Having dumped creative hotshop Crispin Porter Bogusky for Deutsch LA, it landed during the Superbowl with “PunchDub”.
They continued with the “Das Auto” strapline, but what you have here is a cute device (Punch Dub!) that tells you absolutely nothing new about VW. So, there are 13 vehicles from VW: including the New Beetle from 2002? At least Apple’s “Think Different” manifesto in 1997 heralded the introduction of the then-revolutionary iMac.
For me, the brand anthem, brand manifesto – whatever you want to call it – is an important tool for Agencies and Brands. Here you have a rallying cry to bring together the many internal audiences on the Client side. Where it goes wrong, of course, is when the tidy slides you put together for the manifesto end up becoming the public-facing idea for the brand. “BMW doesn’t create cars, they create Joy?“. “Diesel is about Stupidity?“. Lets remember that consumers weren’t part of the offsites, the brand strategy workshops, the many steps involved in developing manifestos that are meant to inspire work afterwards.
But while the strategist always feels good that the manifesto was sold, the strategist should always work to actually figure out what the consumer should hear, not JUST what the brand manager was looking for in the assignment.
Here’s the rub: every brand has an anthem, but not every anthem should be sung in public. If you have a new product, service, innovation – SOMETHING – then you have every right to proudly stand and hit the high notes through a major campaign. If you don’t, then you should leave the pithy slides, the slick video edit and the beautiful script to the dealer or franchisee meeting.
Most brands would love to sing about themselves, but smart brands know that its better to write songs that people actually want to hear. But maybe I’m just being, er, stupid.
One of the latest members of the BMW clan is the BMW X5. It first made its public debut in the US last December 1999. It’s been made as a sports activity vehicle, or SAV. Except for that, the BMW X5 has been marketed to target those folks that are pining and struggling for a vehicle that would be able to match their active lifestyles. This sports activity car has been designed and crafted so as to compete in the sports utility vehicle, or SUV, market. The BMW X5 combines the responsive and fantastic performance that only a BMW can boast of along with space and room, flexibility, and the all-weather capacity of a sports application auto.
Upon its introduction, the BMW X5 holds a 4.4 liter DOHC V8 engine with 32 valves. This engine has the ability to produce 282 hp. It can achieve 3,600 revs per minute with zero to sixty miles per hour in an acceleration time of 7.5 seconds. In 2001, the BMW X5 continues to exploit the tradition of the BMW autos in using inline 6 cylinder engine. With that, it also introduces a new powerplant which is the M54. This new source of power provides better fuel potency and lower emissions. The next year, the BMW X5 now featured a specially tuned engine that could provide and create an output of 340 horsepower along With 350 pound feet of torque.
The BMW X5 holds a number of options for its exterior colours. The non-metallic choice of colors includes alpine white and jet black. As for the metallic hues, the list contains titanium silver, sienna red, topaz blue, steel gray, pearl beige, oxford green, gray green, and black sapphire. The interior trims have leather color options like beige, pastel green, black, and gray. The leatherette feature comes in 2 color selections – beige and black.
The BMW X5 also offers packages for those people who would like to upgrade and spruce up their sport activity vehicles. The sport wheel, a sport suspension, door handles that are painted in the vehicle’s exterior paint color, upgraded 18 inch Wheels made of alloy, anthracite headliner, white indicator lenses, a shadowline trim, a black chrome exhaust, and a titanium-colored grill. The cold weather package features a ski bag, heated front seats, and headlight washers. For the rear climate package, the list of the features includes rear door sunblinds, rear climate controls, and a privacy glass. The premium package, meanwhile, adds up body colored door handles, a power glass moonroof, light wood trim, power front seats, back seat back adjustments, a rain sensor, an automated air conditioning, an on-board computer, and leather upholstery.
Same Day Vehicle Parts manufactures and sells O.E.M performance parts and accessories for BMW vehicles. Same Day Car Parts tries to be the final source for the auto parts and accessories for most BMW cars. This online store’s product line up for BMW parts include accessories, body kits, body parts, engines, floor mats, wheels, and a variety of additional upgrades that would spruce up your BMW.
For more reviews about sports cars, visit thesupercars.org and while you are at it, you might also want to have a look at used cars BMW 3 Series.
Yamaha has announced the ‘on-line orders only’ XT1200Z Super Tenere will cost £13,500 for UK buyers. Wait don’t leave in disgust just yet! A fully tricked out BMW GS 1200 is just over a £1000 less than that and it gives the bike a comparable spec to that of the ‘First Edition’ Super Tenere. Now if, if, the Super Tenere outperforms the GS in road tests and shows itself to be the ultimate adventure bike, Yamaha might, might, justify this price point, as eye-watering as it is.
I should point out that the spate of ATM robberies here in Ireland isn’t me getting ready to make an on-line down payment for this bike! : )
The brand new BMW M3 will be the only high performance vehicle on the market to have Auto Start-Stop technology as a standard feature. The addition of Auto Start-Stop will result in a hefty drop in CO2 emissions and improve fuel consumption. The technology will be available on both six-speed manual and M DCT transmission. BMW’s contribution to the environment, there far too kind.
One the best researched books on the Toyota icon giving an indispensable inside look into the important principles and philosophies that had been painstakingly crafted by the founders of Toyota, these are valuable gems of ideals which all owners and employees need to have on hand when undertaking sales, repairs and discussions on all vehicles made by one of the most well known brands, reputedly a former leading giant in the automotive industry in the universe.
It describes the way Toyota uses operational excellence as a strategic weapon, the Toyoda family’s culture and Toyota’s extensive and indepth production system which emphasises elimination of waste, how the Lexus was developed with ‘no compromises’, development of the Prius for the new century, the priority given to long term philosophy at the expense of short term financial goals, its use of right process to produce right results, adding value to the company by developing partners and people and its continuous improvement learning (Kaizen) which involves relentless reflection (Hansei). Some of the more interesting excerpts :
The Toyota Way can be briefly summarized through the two pillars that supports it : “continuous improvement” and “respect for people”.
Much of Toyota’s success comes from its astounding quality reputation. Consumers know that they can count on their Toyota vehicle to work right the first time and keep on working, while most U.S. and European automotive companies produce vehicles that may work when new but almost certainly will spend time in the shop in a year or so (emphasis on numbers excluded).
What is secret of Toyota’s success? The incredible consistency of Toyota’s performance is the direct result of operational excellence. …. Its success is ultimately based on its ability to cultivate leadership, teams, and culture, to devise strategy, to build supplier relationships and to maintain a learning organization.
Toyota’s focus in the 1940s and ’50s on eliminating wasted time and material from every step of the production process – from raw material to finished goods – was designed to address the same conditions most companies faced today; the need for fast, flexible processes that give customers what they want, when they want it, at the highest quality and affordable cost. A focus on “flow” has continued to be a foundation for Toyota’s success globally in the 21st century.
Toyota’s own internal Toyota Way document talks about the “spirit of challenge” and the acceptance of responsibility to meet the challenge. The document states:
We accept challenges with a creative spirit and the courage to realize our own dreams without losing drive or energy. We approach our work vigorously, with optimisim and a sincere belief in the value of our contribution.
We strive to decide our own fate. We act with self reliance, trusting in our own abilities. We accept responsibility for our conduct and for maintaining and improving the skills that enable us to produce added value.
Executive Summary of the 14 Toyota Way Principles :
Principle 1 – Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals.
Principle 2 – Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface.
Principle 3 – Use “pull” systems to avoid overproduction.
Principle 4 – Level out the workload (heijunka). (Work like the tortoise not the hare.)
Principle 5 – Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.
Principle 6 – Standardized tasks are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment.
Principle 7 – Use visual control so no problems are hidden.
Principle 8 – Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes.
Principle 9 – Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others.
Principle 10 – Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company’s philosophy.
Principle 11 – Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve.
Principle 12 – Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation (genchi genbutsu).
Principle 13 – Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options, implement decisions rapidly.
Principle 14 – Becoming a learning organization through relentless reflection and continuous improvement.
Further excerpts:
The purpose of Toyota is not to make a quality product that will sell well and make money for owners. That is a requirement in order to achieve that mission. The true mission, according to this statement, has three parts:
1. Contribute to the economic growth of the country in which it is located (external stakeholders).
2. Contribute to the stability and well being of team members (internal stakeholders).
3. Contribute to the overall growth of Toyota.
….Toyota’s guiding principles comes from the following internal document…revised after Toyota’s global expansion, to emphasize the company’s responsibility as a global citizen. The principles here accurately express Toyota’s feeling of responsibility to its business partners for stable, long-term growth, and mutual benefits.
Toyota’s guiding principles :
Honor the language and spirit of the law of every nation and undertake open and fair corporate activities to be a good corporate citizen of the world.
Respect the culture and custom of every nation and contribute to economic and social development through corporate activities in the communities.
Dedicate ourselves to providing clean and safe products and to enhancing the quality of life everywhere through all our activities.
Create and develop advanced technologies and provide outstanding products and services that fulfill the needs of customers worldwide.
Foster a corporate culture that enhances individual creativity and teamwork value, while honoring mutual trust and respect between labor and management.
Pursue growth in harmony with the global community through innovative management.
Work with business partners in research and creation to achieve stable, long-term growth and mutual benefits, while keeping ourselves open to new partnerships.
Yet, with these well thought out principles and philosophies, what does it really mean for a giant corporation that has never before faced as much criticisms of its products’ reliability and performance, ridicule of its service quality, accusations of irresponsibility in safety observance amongst other unrelenting brickbats. For a start, it should mean treating most, if not all owners of less prestigious older models with due respect, looking after their smallest of needs, not wants, so they feel respected and valued. It means not looking at former customers coming to Toyota service repairers with disdain and treating such customers as hassles compared to owners and potential buyers of newer models. It means treating all owners with equal urgency and care so such owners of older models do not feel like they are diminished in stature in comparison to owners of more expensive makes of Prius, Lexus or whatever newer models Toyota has in the pipeline. Toyota must never forget that its customers are also it partners in its ‘war’ to capture markets. Its customers are its eyes and ears even if they are not the equal in expertise when it comes to vehicular knowhow. Toyota’s employees cannot be tasked with looking out for all that is happening on the roads, across the regions and beyond Toyota’s luxurious markets.
Toyota needs to put the welfare of its existing customers as the top priority in its fight to regain respect and understanding from the world’s automotive market. Why is this the most important philosophy that Toyota must ingrain in the mind of EVERY single employee across every continent? Because everything will age and as newer models become relegated lower values who is to say that owners of prestigious models today will not face the same attitudes as owners of older makes face today. Toyota must remember good times like bad ones do not last forever. When sales were skyrocketing and its top executives were having the best times of their employment, Toyota was more focused on winning battles rather than capturing the hearts and minds of its partners, its existing customers. Granted the majority of the thousands of Toyota’s employees were truly honest and hardworking middle class people seeking a respectable living for themselves and their families.
However, when cost minimization and profit maximisation are coupled with other aggressive goals of being the world’s number one in sales and beating north American, European and other brands in recognition, the burden of shouldering increasing responsibility and work load with thousands of new vehicles being flooded into the markets monthly, most of the ’smaller people’ within Toyota were possibly shouldering increasing burden on servicing more load than they were maximally able to handle. It would be incredibly surprising if this aggressive phenomenon did not taken its toll on the quality of service, optimal delivery time and customer relationship at all. Even if an organisation owns the best technology amongst its peers, better psychological and capital advantages the outcomes of battles fought will ultimately depend on the resilience and morale of its troops.
As officers, Toyota’s top executives were too busy scanning the battle fields for positions of its competitors, seeking to gain grounds by destroying the markets of as many competing brands and models as possible, forgeting that as grounds are won they can soon be lost if hearts and minds are not aligned with the conqueror’s visions as many failed military expeditions have shown. In the near term, the question Toyota needs to ask is not whether it will EVER be number one again but whether it can regain the trust of existing customers on not only on the safety, versatility and performance of its vehicles, models but how it can provide the best solutions to customers, richer or the less rich when it comes difficulties faced on the roads.
Toyota employees must endeavor to treat its customers as partners in its quest to redeem itself of mistakes whether perceived or real. Toyota needs to instill on its ALL its employees to provide its assistance to all owners of its makes rather than let them flounder in a sea of unscrupulous contract vehicle repairers most which are unsupervised in quality of service and lack the professionalism that is synonymous with past Toyota philosophies. In this small but meaningful way, Toyota employees wherever they are when answering quickly cries for help will be able to build fast the critical rapport that is crucial to Toyota’s survival as a reliable and friendly car maker whose focus is not restricted only to profits as it grows but to lifelong partnerships.
In that regard, Toyota can gain a fast headway in improving its dire position today by engaging all its global centres in community and welfare projects to improve not only society’s perception of its brand which would indirectly impact on its sales in time. With increased participation in any society which Toyota will become an organisation seen to be not only reaping the fruits of profits but sowing the seeds of friendship, becoming a truly important player in shaping the social landscape of any market where it operates, improving the lives of not only its workers but also the less fortunate. Toyota’s officers need to remember when the fortress is captured and the riches seized, the most valuable thing conquered peasants can offer is their loyalty.
We all participate in weaving the social fabric; we should therefore all participate in patching the fabric when it develops holes. ~Anne C. Weisberg
One the best researched books on the Toyota icon giving an indispensable inside look into the important principles and philosophies that had been painstakingly crafted by the founders of Toyota, these are valuable gems of ideals which all owners and employees need to have on hand when undertaking sales, repairs and discussions on all vehicles made by one of the most well known brands, reputedly a former leading giant in the automotive industry in the universe.
It describes the way Toyota uses operational excellence as a strategic weapon, the Toyoda family’s culture and Toyota’s extensive and indepth production system which emphasises elimination of waste, how the Lexus was developed with ‘no compromises’, development of the Prius for the new century, the priority given to long term philosophy at the expense of short term financial goals, its use of right process to produce right results, adding value to the company by developing partners and people and its continuous improvement learning (Kaizen) which involves relentless reflection (Hansei). Some of the more interesting excerpts :
The Toyota Way can be briefly summarized through the two pillars that supports it : “continuous improvement” and “respect for people”.
Much of Toyota’s success comes from its astounding quality reputation. Consumers know that they can count on their Toyota vehicle to work right the first time and keep on working, while most U.S. and European automotive companies produce vehicles that may work when new but almost certainly will spend time in the shop in a year or so (emphasis on numbers excluded).
What is secret of Toyota’s success? The incredible consistency of Toyota’s performance is the direct result of operational excellence. …. Its success is ultimately based on its ability to cultivate leadership, teams, and culture, to devise strategy, to build supplier relationships and to maintain a learning organization.
Toyota’s focus in the 1940s and ’50s on eliminating wasted time and material from every step of the production process – from raw material to finished goods – was designed to address the same conditions most companies faced today; the need for fast, flexible processes that give customers what they want, when they want it, at the highest quality and affordable cost. A focus on “flow” has continued to be a foundation for Toyota’s success globally in the 21st century.
Toyota’s own internal Toyota Way document talks about the “spirit of challenge” and the acceptance of responsibility to meet the challenge. The document states:
We accept challenges with a creative spirit and the courage to realize our own dreams without losing drive or energy. We approach our work vigorously, with optimisim and a sincere belief in the value of our contribution.
We strive to decide our own fate. We act with self reliance, trusting in our own abilities. We accept responsibility for our conduct and for maintaining and improving the skills that enable us to produce added value.
Executive Summary of the 14 Toyota Way Principles :
Principle 1 – Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals.
Principle 2 – Create continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface.
Principle 3 – Use “pull” systems to avoid overproduction.
Principle 4 – Level out the workload (heijunka). (Work like the tortoise not the hare.)
Principle 5 – Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.
Principle 6 – Standardized tasks are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment.
Principle 7 – Use visual control so no problems are hidden.
Principle 8 – Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes.
Principle 9 – Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others.
Principle 10 – Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company’s philosophy.
Principle 11 – Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve.
Principle 12 – Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation (genchi genbutsu).
Principle 13 – Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options, implement decisions rapidly.
Principle 14 – Becoming a learning organization through relentless reflection and continuous improvement.
Further excerpts:
The purpose of Toyota is not to make a quality product that will sell well and make money for owners. That is a requirement in order to achieve that mission. The true mission, according to this statement, has three parts:
1. Contribute to the economic growth of the country in which it is located (external stakeholders).
2. Contribute to the stability and well being of team members (internal stakeholders).
3. Contribute to the overall growth of Toyota.
….Toyota’s guiding principles comes from the following internal document…revised after Toyota’s global expansion, to emphasize the company’s responsibility as a global citizen. The principles here accurately express Toyota’s feeling of responsibility to its business partners for stable, long-term growth, and mutual benefits.
Toyota’s guiding principles :
Honor the language and spirit of the law of every nation and undertake open and fair corporate activities to be a good corporate citizen of the world.
Respect the culture and custom of every nation and contribute to economic and social development through corporate activities in the communities.
Dedicate ourselves to providing clean and safe products and to enhancing the quality of life everywhere through all our activities.
Create and develop advanced technologies and provide outstanding products and services that fulfill the needs of customers worldwide.
Foster a corporate culture that enhances individual creativity and teamwork value, while honoring mutual trust and respect between labor and management.
Pursue growth in harmony with the global community through innovative management.
Work with business partners in research and creation to achieve stable, long-term growth and mutual benefits, while keeping ourselves open to new partnerships.
Yet, with these well thought out principles and philosophies, what does it really mean for a giant corporation that has never before faced as much criticisms of its products’ reliability and performance, ridicule of its service quality, accusations of irresponsibility in safety observance amongst other unrelenting brickbats. For a start, it should mean treating most, if not all owners of less prestigious older models with due respect, looking after their smallest of needs, not wants, so they feel respected and valued. It means not looking at former customers coming to Toyota service repairers with disdain and treating such customers as hassles compared to owners and potential buyers of newer models. It means treating all owners with equal urgency and care so such owners of older models do not feel like they are diminished in stature in comparison to owners of more expensive makes of Prius, Lexus or whatever newer models Toyota has in the pipeline. Toyota must never forget that its customers are also it partners in its ‘war’ to capture markets. Its customers are its eyes and ears even if they are not the equal in expertise when it comes to vehicular knowhow. Toyota’s employees cannot be tasked with looking out for all that is happening on the roads, across the regions and beyond Toyota’s luxurious markets.
Toyota needs to put the welfare of its existing customers as the top priority in its fight to regain respect and understanding from the world’s automotive market. Why is this the most important philosophy that Toyota must ingrain in the mind of EVERY single employee across every continent? Because everything will age and as newer models become relegated lower values who is to say that owners of prestigious models today will not face the same attitudes as owners of older makes face today. Toyota must remember good times like bad ones do not last forever. When sales were skyrocketing and its top executives were having the best times of their employment, Toyota was more focused on winning battles rather than capturing the hearts and minds of its partners, its existing customers. Granted the majority of the thousands of Toyota’s employees were truly honest and hardworking middle class people seeking a respectable living for themselves and their families.
However, when cost minimization and profit maximisation are coupled with other aggressive goals of being the world’s number one in sales and beating north American, European and other brands in recognition, the burden of shouldering increasing responsibility and work load with thousands of new vehicles being flooded into the markets monthly, most of the ’smaller people’ within Toyota were possibly shouldering increasing burden on servicing more load than they were maximally able to handle. It would be incredibly surprising if this aggressive phenomenon did not taken its toll on the quality of service, optimal delivery time and customer relationship at all. Even if an organisation owns the best technology amongst its peers, better psychological and capital advantages the outcomes of battles fought will ultimately depend on the resilience and morale of its troops.
As officers, Toyota’s top executives were too busy scanning the battle fields for positions of its competitors, seeking to gain grounds by destroying the markets of as many competing brands and models as possible, forgeting that as grounds are won they can soon be lost if hearts and minds are not aligned with the conqueror’s visions as many failed military expeditions have shown. In the near term, the question Toyota needs to ask is not whether it will EVER be number one again but whether it can regain the trust of existing customers on not only on the safety, versatility and performance of its vehicles, models but how it can provide the best solutions to customers, richer or the less rich when it comes difficulties faced on the roads.
Toyota employees must endeavor to treat its customers as partners in its quest to redeem itself of mistakes whether perceived or real. Toyota needs to instill on its ALL its employees to provide its assistance to all owners of its makes rather than let them flounder in a sea of unscrupulous contract vehicle repairers most which are unsupervised in quality of service and lack the professionalism that is synonymous with past Toyota philosophies. In this small but meaningful way, Toyota employees wherever they are when answering quickly cries for help will be able to build fast the critical rapport that is crucial to Toyota’s survival as a reliable and friendly car maker whose focus is not restricted only to profits as it grows but to lifelong partnerships.
In that regard, Toyota can gain a fast headway in improving its dire position today by engaging all its global centres in community and welfare projects to improve not only society’s perception of its brand which would indirectly impact on its sales in time. With increased participation in any society which Toyota will become an organisation seen to be not only reaping the fruits of profits but sowing the seeds of friendship, becoming a truly important player in shaping the social landscape of any market where it operates, improving the lives of not only its workers but also the less fortunate. Toyota’s officers need to remember when the fortress is captured and the riches seized, the most valuable thing conquered peasants can offer is their loyalty.
We all participate in weaving the social fabric; we should therefore all participate in patching the fabric when it develops holes. ~Anne C. Weisberg
Vorsteiner is of course no stranger to the E92 M3. It’s done plenty of upgrades to it but it seems that the German tuner thought of one more. The new VRS Aero kit adds these upgrades tot he list: A large hood vent, front lip spoiler, new side skirts, a front lip spoiler and a rear diffuser. The vehicle is equipped with new CS-01 1-Piece cast wheels that come in 19×8.5 inch and 19×9.5 inch for the front and rear.
When it comes to the rims you’ve got a choice of a Matte Shadow Silver or Matte Black color. I’d go for the Matte Black in a heart beat! Either way you’ll also be getting an anodized aluminum center cap.
Two years before even the original Macintosh was introduced, Apple’s then-and-current CEO was pictured for a National Geographic Magazine feature on Silicon Valley, riding a 1966 BMW motorcycle.
Twenty-seven years old, sporting long hair, fancy tan boots and no black turtleneck, Jobs is very much a sidebar in Moira Johnston’s piece “High Tech, High Risk, and High Life in Silicon Valley”, published in the October 1982 issue of the magazine, which focuses on the cultural changes the machines then still called microcomputers would bring on the world in general and Silicon Valley in particular. [Via Jalopnik]
Back then, much like the more humble motorcycle you found him riding (even though he also owned a Mercedes), his goals were to produce a computer that every family could own – the “Volkswagen of the computer industry” as described by Johnston. Definitely can dig his original goals, but…Macs definitely still can’t be considered the VW of the industry, no? If that’s the case, maybe VW should raise their prices because Macs aren’t cheap!
If you have ten minutes of your life to give away, watch this Transformers music video courtesy of BEP:
The beginning skit was a little weak, calling acting coaches for the next video. Does this mean that everything they do from now on will be futuristic?
This video was a whole lot of stuff going on and not so subtle product placements (Beats Headphones, BMW bike + car, Tuborg beer, HP screen). The dancing robot/transformer floors me with those MJ moves and the fashion on the dancers was good too.
I want to know if that’s how they really came up with the video, one of them (or the director) got hit in the head?
Have you ever seen an advert and wonder if it was written specifically with you in mind? Two adverts on the London underground have caught my eye this week.
The first is an advert for Alexander McCall Smith’s new book Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, the latest in his No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. (I quite liked the first of these books, but I must say that I prefer the 44 Scotland Street series.) Anyway, it struck me as another example of people using happiness as a marketing tool. Advertisers do it again and again – it’s a clever idea to associate your brand with making people happy. Another recent example of this is the current BMW campaign Expressions of Joy.
The other advert to catch my eye is for Hot Chip’s new album One Life Stand. The album art features a giant head of the Roman emperor Hadrian, found at Sargalassos in south-west Turkey. It was discovered in 2007 while we were working on the content development for an exhibition about Hadrian at the British Museum. We managed to secure a loan of the head to the BM for the display, less than a year from when it came out of the ground. It was pretty big news and I remember seeing this image over and over at the time, so it was a real bolt for me to see it again on a tube poster.
In the waves of New cars a new Wave has arrived…..name BMW X1, an elegant four wheeler that really suits your style. A car which is cost efficient and provides u luxury.
BMW X1
This stylish product will be unveiled in next quarter of 2010. Its price range is 25 lacs (ex-showroom New Delhi). This wonderful SUV(SPORTS UTILITY VEHICLE) is going to launch with five variants. All five variants will be available with both manual and automatic transmission option. They will be equipped with the diesel powered engine. BMW X1 will be launched in as a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) unit.
BMW X1 has more power to give you more speed on drive as its two variants are equipped with powerful 1995cc, 4-Cylinder, 16-Valve, diesel engine that produces 143bhp of maximum power at 4000rpm with 320Nm of maximum torque at 1750~2500rpm. Another two variants of BMW X1 have same capacity engine but it can produce 177bhp of maximum power at 4000rpm with 350Nm of maximum torque at 1750~3000rpm. New top end variant of BMW X1 is embedded with the same capacity engine but delivers higher level of power and torque as compared to last version. Really It can produce 204bhp of maximum power at 4400rpm with 400Nm of maximum torque at 2000~2250rpm so power is in your hands now.
BMW X1 surely gain popularity because of its advanced features.. quite enough to gaze you at! This Sports Utility Vehicle has all features to attract you. Its attractive exteriors include V-shaped alloy wheels, satin aluminum roof rails, chrome finished exhaust pipe, heated and automatic adjustable ORVMs (Outside Rear View Mirrors), chrome-line exterior trim and body colored door handles.Gifted with unique colours.
BMW X1
Comfortable interiors of BMW X1 is more stylish with velour floor mats, front armrest with sliding adjustment, , illuminated glove compartment, illuminated for vanity mirrors, satin silver interior trim and with its ambient lighting.
To ensure your safety, BMW X1 is embedded with active and advanced active safety features like ABS (Antilock Braking System) with EBD (Electronic Brake-Force Distribution), dual front airbags and side ITS head airbags, exclusive front and rear anti roll bars, central locking, child lock, crash sensor, front and rear fog lamps, halogen headlamps, for your safety it has front and rear seat belts with pretensioner and belt force limiter, side impact protection and alarm system with remote control and engine immobilizer.
BMW X1
Sparkling BMW X1 has many more to offer you …….this time if you looking for a New car then BMWX1 is your only destination!
Check out the build quality of the BMW water pump (left) vs. the Meyle water pump (right). The BMW pump on the left is a used part, the meyle is brand new! Beware of the cheap stuff!
Yesterday I spoke with a friend of mine in America. She told me that since June 17, 2009 the Analog Television signal in the USA was switched off for digital TV. It’s over folks, if you do not call your cable company and turn off your digital cable right here right now, you will quickly lose your ability to make your own decisions and/or control your own life. Read on and please wake up.
This is an extremely timely and important essay. It overviews a secret Pentagon psychotronics technology known as Silent Sound Spread Spectrum (SSSS) that has been fully operational since the early 1990s. I first found out about the use of this technology from Al Bielek in a 1992 video he made with Vladimir Terziski. This technology was used against battle-hardened Iraqi troops fortified in deep underground bunkers in Kuwait and Iraq in the first Gulf War in January of 1991.
The physical, emotional, and psychological effects of this technology were so severe that hundreds of thousands of Iraqi troops surrended en masse without firing even a single shot against US led coalition forces. The numbers reported in the news were staggering: 75,000 and then annother 125,000 (or more) Iraqi troops would come out of their deep desert bunkers waving white flags and falling to their knees before approaching US troops and literally kiss their captor’s boots or hands if given the opportunity.
Why would eight year veterans of Middle Eastern warfare (with Iran 1980-1988) behave this way? Simple. They were subjected to a technology that was so extreme and incomprehensible that they were suddenly reduced to the level of compliant children and felt grateful to still be alive in the wake of their mind-wrenching experience.
This technology is about to be used, albeit in a more subtle fashion, against American citizens in a highly classified and covert operation to mind control and manipulate the entire population into ‘compliance’ with our New World order overlords. The technology will utilize a combination of HAARP transmitters, GWEN towers, microwave cell phone towers, and the soon-to-be-mandatory High Definition Digital TV that will enter your home via: a) cable, b) satellite, c) HD TVs, or d) those oh-so-easy-to-obtain “digital converter boxes” that the government is so anxious to help you obtain and underwrite most of the cost on your behalf.
But why is the government so anxious to help American citizens experience a clearer and more highly defined television picture? Does that make sense to you? Since when is the government so concerned about the visual quality of our televised entertainment that congress would pass an undebated statutory proclamation which mandated that the HD conversion take place on Feb. 17, 2009 and and then subsidze about 90% of the associated cost?
I’m only guessing, but if there are 200 million “regular” televisions in America to be converted into HD, then that $40 in government subsidy per TV x 200,000,000 = $8 billion. Why is the government so anxious to spend 8 billion dollars on her citizens to improve the clarity of a TV picture? Or is the recently touted “additional bandwidth” cover story that supposedly is to be gained with the HD technology the only and genuine reason for spending so much taxpayer dollars on HD conversion?
The second service that this author performs is to “out” two of our more deceptive CIA/Pentagon ‘assets’ masquerading under the rubric of natural health advocates. Their names are Rima Laibow and her husband, “former” Major General Albert Stubblebine. If your e-mail Inbox has been filling with warnings and articles in recent months about the coming Codex regulations and the “wonderful” job that Rima and her retired Army husband have been doing to try and stem the tide, then you know who I’m talking about.
Folks, is it time to wake up yet? Or should we just resume our slumber and wait for them to take us away in those spiffy Gunderson cattle cars that Phil Schneider warned us about in 1995 (you know, the ones with the built in shackles and manacles)?
One the best researched books on the Toyota icon giving an indispensable inside look into the important principles and philosophies that had been painstakingly crafted by the founders of Toyota, these are valuable gems of ideals which all owners and employees need to have on hand when undertaking sales, repairs and discussions on all vehicles made by one of the most well known brands, reputedly a former leading giant in the automotive industry in the universe.
The first is an advert for Alexander McCall Smith’s new book Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, the latest in his No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. (I quite liked the first of these books, but I must say that I prefer the 44 Scotland Street series.) Anyway, it struck me as another example of people using happiness as a marketing tool. Advertisers do it again and again – it’s a clever idea to associate your brand with making people happy. Another recent example of this is the current BMW campaign Expressions of Joy.
The other advert to catch my eye is for Hot Chip’s new album One Life Stand. The album art features a giant head of the Roman emperor Hadrian, found at Sargalassos in south-west Turkey. It was discovered in 2007 while we were working on the content development for an exhibition about Hadrian at the British Museum. We managed to secure a loan of the head to the BM for the display, less than a year from when it came out of the ground. It was pretty big news and I remember seeing this image over and over at the time, so it was a real bolt for me to see it again on a tube poster.
