Mercedes-Benz: Strategic Approach to Product Quality and TQM, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Production and Operations Management

Download Mercedes-Benz: Strategic Approach to Product Quality and TQM and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Production and Operations Management in PDF only on Docsity! UNIVERSITA TELEMATICA INTERNAZIONALE UNINETTUNO BERLIN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & INNOVATION MA in Logistics Essay Title: Quality Management Name: Date: Statement of compliance with academic ethics and the avoidance of plagiarism I honestly declare that this essay is entirely my own work and none of its part has been copied from printed or electronic sources, translated from foreign sources and reproduced from essays of other researchers or students. Wherever I have been based on ideas or other people texts I clearly declare it through the good use of references following academic ethics. (In the case that is proved that part of the essay does not constitute an original work, but a copy of an already published essay or from another source, the student will be expelled permanently from the postgraduate program). Name and Surname (Capital letters): ....................................................................................................................................... Date: ........................./........../......... 2 Chapter 1: Development of Strategy Mercedes-Benz has maintained its own level of reputation for excellence, particularly in the context of high-performance products or vehicles like the Mercedes-AMG series. The development of strategies to manage and enhance the quality of these cars is very important. It has been found to include a multiple approach, by combining the values of innovation, along with accurate engineering, and customer-centricity values that are taken care of. The strategy of MBG lies in having a commitment to have all types of quality control measures throughout the entire lifecycle of the product (Mercedes-Benz, 2023). This also ranges from checking with the initial concept and design phases to manufacturing, testing, and post- production. In all these aspects, proper attention is paid to every detail. For high-performance vehicles like the Mercedes-AMG series, this process is given more attention, by mainly focusing not just on performance but also on maintaining safety, luxury, and the overall driving experience of the people who love the product (Järvinen, 2021). Fig 1: Logo of Mercedes Benz Cars Source: (Mercedes-Benz, 2023) 5 Strategically, Mercedes-Benz also uses cutting-edge technology, by having the measurement of constant evolution to meet and check industry standards (Wen, 2022). The incorporation of all kinds of advanced materials, innovative engineering techniques, and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes helps ensure the fact that each Mercedes-AMG vehicle is not just a car but a part of automotive excellence. One another aspect of their strategy includes having continuous research and development. Mercedes-Benz has also been found to invest a lot of amounts in R&D and with the approach of exploring new technologies, materials, and design elements. This type of innovation is also aimed to push all kinds of new boundaries, and it helps in setting some of the new standards in high-performance automotive engineering. For the Mercedes-AMG line, this also helps to have all kinds of advancements in powertrains, aerodynamics, and performance systems (Dias, and Júnior, 2022). In strategy development, the engagement of Mercedes-Benz with its customer base extends beyond having just feedback collection. It is also known to have a sense of co-creation. By checking through all kinds of customer insights, the company checks not just only about the immediate concerns but also understands all kinds of future demands. This customer-centric approach includes the concern of aligning preferences with technological advancements, as it also helps in ensuring that the Mercedes-AMG series reflects not only by presenting desires but also it adapting to all kinds of evolving trends. Furthermore, the company as well as its stakeholders have their levels of dedication to sustainability and it goes beyond token gestures. Mercedes-Benz actively incorporates the choice of eco-friendly practices into its manufacturing processes, thus aiming to reduce its environmental emissions (Duff, 2023). By having some kinds of recyclable materials and exploring renewable energy sources, the brand not only gets itself aligned with global sustainability goals but also sets a new standard within the automotive industry. Thus, it can be stated here that by connecting the aspects of customer-centric innovation, stringent quality control, and sustainable manufacturing practices, Mercedes-Benz not only delivers exceptional high-performance vehicles but also sets a new benchmark for all its competitors within the automobile industry. 6 Chapter 2: TQM within the organisation Total Quality Management (TQM) has been defined to be an important pillar bone of Mercedes-Benz's operational facts. This has also been found in the process of aligning with their commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction. In the first check, TQM at Mercedes-Benz has been considered to take the transformation into a comprehensive strategy by having continuous improvement across all kinds of organizational facts (Li and Wang, 2021). The integration of TQM within the Mercedes Benz group also includes a kind of important approach, by checking on the quality not just as a singular aspect but as a kind of interconnected web of elements. These are important for both consumers and the organization. The types of gains in terms of efficiency and cost reductions are by-products of their TQM implementation, which in turn, allows Mercedes-Benz to optimize the values of productivity without compromising on the particular levels of quality standards by going through with their name. More than that, Mercedes-Benz's TQM methodology has been found to go beyond the production floor (Ferreira, 2022). It helps in checking the structural pillars of the organization, by including a unified approach to quality. The integration of global in-house services into some of the other shared functions also helps in highlighting their commitment to efficiency. This also aligns with the administrative processes, thus increasing overall operational quality. However, the automotive evolution in the last few years has posed some of the new challenges, from technological intricacies to other kinds of environmental mandates. Mercedes-Benz, in its context of elevating quality benchmarks, faces all these types of challenges. The ability of the brand to meet some of the urgent technical demands, be it the kinds of emissions regulations or safety standards. This also helps in highlighting a kind of dedication to not only maintaining but also going through some of the other established quality values (Scheub et al. 2021). The variations of investments in cutting-edge technologies and product innovations highlight their levels of commitment to TQM. These investments, though sometimes going through initial projections, help in focusing on the ability of Mercedes-Benz to quality enhancement. This also helps in acknowledging that exceeding planned volumes is very much needed in order to meet and exceed customer expectations. Thus, the evolutionary journey of MBG with TQM serves as a type aspect of their adaptability, resilience, and all kinds of dedication to delivering top-tier quality products. 7 This critical analysis helps in highlighting the fact that the influence of the department is attributed to having all kinds of post-production quality checks. It is a type of active participant that is helpful in shaping the technological landscape and it is also based on optimizing production efficiency. The important role here lies in aligning technological advancements with all kinds of quality parameters and its overall approach to engage people in the production processes. This makes it an indispensable type of product within Mercedes- Benz Group Company. The company also continues to maintain a reputation for excellence by certain all these kinds of efforts that are needed in the long run. 10 Chapter 5: Recommendations By increasing the quality of Mercedes-Benz's products, mostly its high-performance vehicles like the Mercedes-AMG series, recommendations can be given. This can also be guided through a strategic mixture of all kinds of innovation, customer-centricity, and operational excellence. Based on the type of analysis regarding the company’s quality management strategies, several recommendations for maintaining the quality standards are given here: Continuous Innovation Integration: Mercedes-Benz should continue to have its commitment to innovation by increasing more levels of research and development efforts. This involves the approach of having some of the emerging technologies like AI, sustainable materials, and electric drivetrains (Bettenmann et al. 2021). By doing so and also having cutting-edge innovations, the brand will be able to maintain its reputation as a leader in automotive technology and it will increase the performance and sustainability of its vehicles. Customer Co-Creation Platforms: Creating some interactive platforms that will help customers contribute to the design and development process can be helpful for the company. The company can also engage with some of the stakeholders as well as owners as these can help to give some invaluable insights into their preferences (Rangaswamy et al. 2020). It will also help in driving habits, and evolving needs, thereby making more products that are in relation to being more precise to customer expectations accordingly. Supplier Collaboration for Enhanced Quality: By maintaining and increasing all kinds of ties with suppliers through more levels of collaboration and support, a sense of trust along with smooth integration of components and materials can be achieved (Huang et al. 2020). More than that, allowing all patterns of knowledge exchange, providing technological support, and incentivizing quality adherence can also help to increase supplier commitment rates accordingly. Investment in Sustainable Manufacturing: As sustainability becoming an important consumer concern, implementing some of the eco-friendly manufacturing practices should be a priority. This will include having a deeper focus on utilizing recyclable materials, by decreasing the levels of carbon footprints in production. It will also help in having some of the energy-efficient processes to get themselves aligned with global sustainability objectives. Advanced Quality Assurance Technologies: By increasing some of the advanced technologies like machine learning, predictive analytics, and IoT (Internet of Things) in 11 quality assurance processes, the Mercedes Benz Group can bring new kinds of revolution in defect detection and prevention (Tambare et al. 2021). These technologies are recommended as these can help identify potential issues earlier, thereby having proactive interventions and this will also ensure to have all kinds of flawless production. Employee Training and Empowerment: Empowerment and continuous training of employees across all departments, especially those involved in quality management, are recommended in this aspect. This can be further facilitated by equipping them with the latest skills and having a quality-oriented mindset. It helps in ensuring that a consistent adherence to high-quality standards at every stage of production is maintained throughout the long process. Feedback-Driven Improvement Cycle: By creating a type of dynamic feedback loop from customers, internal departments, and suppliers, the facilitation of real-time adjustments and improvements can be made by the company. Incorporating agile methodologies for rapid iterations can also be done here as these are mostly based on feedback and it will also give faster response to changing market demands. Quality-Centric Metrics and KPIs: By having some comprehensive quality-centric Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across the organization, the company can provide clear benchmarks and goals for quality reach (Kumar et al. 2022). This will also help in enabling the fact regarding how continuous monitoring and improvement of quality standards can be done accordingly. 12 Li, Y. and Wang, Y., 2021, December. What Marketing Strategies Did Mercedes-Benz Use to Succeed in the US Market?. In 2021 3rd International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2021) (pp. 649-654). 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