BMW Group Plant Regensburg recognised as “excellent organisation”

OREANDA-NEWS. BMW Group Plant Regensburg recognised as “excellent organisation”

The site’s outstanding performance has been confirmed by an international jury that named BMW Group Plant Regensburg winner of the EFQM Excellence Award 2015. The award recognises the continuous, collaborative efforts of both employees and managers, focusing not only on today’s production, but also on future challenges.

Regensburg. BMW Group Plant Regensburg is this year’s winner of the prestigious EFQM Excellence Award. At the award ceremony held on 22 October in Brussels, the plant was recognised as an “excellent organisation” in many areas. The jury found the flexibility, management culture and readiness to embrace change at the Regensburg location to be exemplary, as well as the integration of employees, partner companies and social groups from the surrounding areas. “In winning the EFQM Excellence Award, the Regensburg plant has proven its versatility and high level of innovation – both of which are important factors in maintaining the BMW Group’s competitiveness,” said Oliver Zipse, member of the Board of Management, responsible for Production at BMW AG.

Jury confirms quality standards after multi-day plant assessment

The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) presents the award each year, assessing the performance of companies from all different industries. The 16 companies from across Europe who competed for the award this year underwent a thorough evaluation. “In a multi-day assessment in Regensburg, the international EFQM jury came to the conclusion that at BMW Group Plant Regensburg ‘all processes and activities are geared towards the persistent pursuit of excellence’, as Marc Amblard, Chief Executive Officer of EFQM, stated in Brussels. Plant Director Dr. Andreas Wendt: “We are delighted with this objective confirmation that our plant is among the best. We are doing the right things – and we are doing things right.”

Improvements managed systematically

The excellent performance of BMW Group Plant Regensburg is based on its long-term strategy and clear mission statement. Employees and managers follow these guidelines to produce top-quality premium vehicles in a cost-efficient manner. This ensures that when and how processes are improved is never left to chance. Changes are managed systematically and their success measured. Thanks to the combined efforts of managers and staff, today’s tasks can be mastered in an efficient way that allows solutions to be developed for the future at the same time.

New models smoothly integrated into series production

The extraordinary flexibility that allows BMW Group Plant Regensburg to produce nine vehicle variants on a single production line proves that excellence is not an end in itself. New models are quickly and smoothly integrated into series production – most recently, the 2 Series Gran Tourer and the X1, which will be launched on 24 October. This “ramp-up expertise” impressed the EFQM jury, along with the sustainability and cost-efficiency of production in Regensburg. Dr. Andreas Wendt: “Our team has every reason to be proud. The EFQM Excellence Award provides valuable recognition. We will continue to acquire new skills and qualities in the future to inspire our customers with premium vehicles.”

BMW Group Plant Regensburg in figures 

 About EFQM

The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) is a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1988 with the support of the European Commission. EFQM comprises roughly 470 member companies and organisations in 55 countries. More than 30,000 companies worldwide operate in accordance with the principles of the EFQM management model. A long-term study over ten years found that companies’ economic performance (share price, revenues, profit, number of employees, etc.) improves when they work according to quality management models such as the EFQM model.

The EFQM Excellence Award has been presented since 1992 to the best companies in various categories. The aim of the EFQM Excellence Award is to identify organisations and companies in Europe that have been exceptionally successful in transforming strategies into measures and continuously improving their performance. All applicants are assessed by a team of independent specialists who spend an average of about 500 hours with each applicant.