BMW Group judged the "most innovative company in Germany" - Award presentation under the patronage of German Minister Wolfgang Clement

Munich. The BMW Group is Germany's "most innovative company".
On 28th June in Berlin, the BMW Group is due to be presented with the
Best Innovator Award 2004. This award, under the patronage of Federal
Minister Wolfgang Clement, is conferred by a high-calibre panel of
judges on the initiation of the publication Wirtschaftswoche and
management consultants A.T. Kearney. Wolfgang Clement: "The BMW
Group, as one of the world's most innovative companies, shows that
Germany still leads the global field as a centre of innovation."
The cornerstone of the BMW Group's success is its strategic focus on
developing customer-friendly innovations, coupled with an approach to
innovations management that is unique within the motor industry.
"Leading innovations are the best form of copy protection for our
products and a guarantor of the global success of BMW, MINI and
Rolls-Royce. Innovations 'made in Germany' are still setting
standards," says Professor Burkhard Göschel, BMW Board Member
responsible for Development and Purchasing. The judges of the Best
Innovator Award have selected the BMW Group for this accolade in
recognition of its innovative products such as Active Steering, but
also for "making professional innovative processes a key strategic
and cultural constituent of every area of the company". Winning
the Best Innovator Award is no flash in the pan. In 2002, the BMW Group
was the first European company to receive the Outstanding Corporate
Innovator (OCI) Award in the USA. This innovations management
"Oscar" honours companies that have distinguished themselves
by "outstanding innovative strength and growth through successful
products". For its Active Steering system, the BMW Group was
awarded the Innovationspreis der deutschen Wirtschaft (Innovation Award
of German Industry) in early 2004. The customer in mind - focusing
on "real-life" innovations The focus of innovations
management at the BMW Group is not on individual technical components
such as the engine or chassis, as previously, but on vehicle functions
which are viewed holistically within various fields of innovation. Thus
the innovation area of "driving experience", for example,
comprises the interaction of the engine, chassis, steering, transmission
and brakes. "This approach involves looking at the overall package
at an early stage through the customer's eyes," says Professor
Göschel. Innovations management, with representatives from the
marketing, development, purchasing and production divisions,
prioritizes the numerous technical innovations according to this
principle. Ultimately, only those innovations which promise clear
customer benefit and a strengthening of the brand character go into
production. Three stages to success - innovations management at the BMW
Group The BMW Group is the only automotive company in the world whose
innovations management covers all the areas of development. The
advantage is that new ideas can be fed into the development process
quickly and directly. It starts with the "impulse" phase.
Here, employees in a worldwide network - including suppliers,
universities and research establishments - identify forward-looking
innovations. The crucial factor is the focus on ideas not only from the
world of motoring but also from other areas such as the electronics or
software sectors. In a world first for the motoring industry, this
stage implements the Virtual Innovation Agency (VIA): at
www.bmwgroup.com/via even small and medium-sized companies, for
example, can submit innovative ideas and suggestions to the BMW Group.
These are examined and, if deemed suitable, are taken further in
consultation with the "inventor". The second stage is
"innovation control", when the innovations are analysed for
their suitability for vehicles and developed up to a certain level.
"Innovation transfer", finally, ensures that the selected
innovations are channelled into volume production and thus a concrete
product. Innovation is people - scope for new ideas Innovative
processes define the working method not only of the development
division but of every other department as well: all employees and
managerial staff promote innovative thinking on a company-wide basis as
a basic mindset. "The living fascination of innovation makes the
BMW Group one of the most popular employers in the world," says
Professor Göschel. In this way the company promotes the ideal
interaction between lateral thinkers, freethinkers and creative,
inspirational staff with people who apply reason, logic and precision
to translating such novel ideas into soundly established processes.