Supply chains: Smart cars - for iPad/Mac/PC

Supply chains: Smart cars - for iPad/Mac/PC

What happens when you bring the best of two famous brands together? What sorts of innovations can emerge, and how is a brand image created for the new product? The Smart car came about as a result of a collaboration between car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz and Swatch, the Swiss watch maker. This album examines the innovations behind the Smart car, its supply chain, and its assembly line in Hambach, France, where a finished car is produced every 96 seconds. With its major suppliers situated on the same site, Smart can rapidly assemble a good value customisable car which is both pioneering and appealing. This material forms part of The Open University Course T882 Supply chain innovation, strategy and management.

Episodes

December 5, 2009 1 min
A short introduction to this album
Mark as Played
Introducing the funky customisable Smart car, the result of a partnership between Mercedes and Swatch watches
Mark as Played
December 5, 2009 8 mins
How the innovations continue at Smart's factory, and how the brand image is built
Mark as Played
December 5, 2009 11 mins
The radical re-thinking of the car assembly process and its supply chain, along with 12 on site component suppliers
Mark as Played
December 5, 2009 3 mins
The servicing and selling of Smart cars to customers is also revolutionised, combining the best of Swatch and Mercedes' brand values
Mark as Played

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