My OpenLearn Profile
- Personalise your OpenLearn profile
- Save your favourite content
- Get recognition for your learning
This page was published over five years ago. Please be aware that due to the passage of time, the information provided on this page may be out of date or otherwise inaccurate, and any views or opinions expressed may no longer be relevant. Some technical elements such as audio-visual and interactive media may no longer work. For more detail, see our Archive and Deletion Policy.
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.
- Duration 35 mins
- Updated Saturday 5th December 2009
- Posted under Engineering & Technology
Track 1: Supply chains: Smart cars
A short introduction to this album
© The Open University 2009
- Read a transcript of this track - you'll need a PDF viewer, such as Adobe's free Adobe Reader
- Download this track from iTunes U - you'll need Apple's free iTunes software
- See details of the Open University course this album comes from
- Discover more from The Open University and iTunesU at open.edu/itunes
Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Supply chains: Smart cars | A short introduction to this album Play now Supply chains: Smart cars |
| 2 | Smart thinking | Introducing the funky customisable Smart car, the result of a partnership between Mercedes and Swatch watches Play now Smart thinking |
| 3 | Smartville | How the innovations continue at Smart's factory, and how the brand image is built Play now Smartville |
| 4 | Behind the brand | The radical re-thinking of the car assembly process and its supply chain, along with 12 on site component suppliers Play now Behind the brand |
| 5 | Innovating the aftermarket | The servicing and selling of Smart cars to customers is also revolutionised, combining the best of Swatch and Mercedes' brand values Play now Innovating the aftermarket |
About the author
Tags, Ratings and Social Bookmarking
Other content you may like
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
The thorny issue of ‘driverless’ cars
How will the law accommodate changing technology for driverless cars? Who is responsible if the vehicle crashes?
video icon
Health, Sports & Psychology
Business Bursts: Supply chain
Business School academics look at different approaches to supply chain, exploring brands such as Mini and WH Smith
article icon
Science, Maths & Technology
OpenLearn Live: 22nd October 2015
A car which warns against innovating for the sake of it; the rise of Bernie Sanders; then more free learning through the day.
article icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Here's how we can save the car – and the planet at the same time
Alexandre Rodrigues discusses how we can balance saving our most popular form of transportation and the planet we live on at the same time.
article icon
Money & Business
Spyker's hand-crafted sports cars: a branding and marketing challenge
Passion and emotion are two brand qualities Spyker wants to convey. But does the brand have enough recognition compared to its rivals?
audio icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Supply chains: the supermarket
How does a large supermarket chain expand into new markets? How does it adapt to new cultural values and consumer preferences? This album tells the story of leading UK retailer Tesco, which has increasingly become an international player in markets such as South-East Asia and Eastern Europe. The company gains global reach by forming strategic partnerships and adapting to distinct cultural traditions and preferences. Examples from Korea, Hungary and Thailand illustrate how the management and impact of supply chains presents fundamental organisational challenges. This material forms part of The Open University course T882 Supply chain innovation, strategy and management.
article icon
TV, Radio & Events
OU on the BBC: Nation On Film - Selling Cars
A story of how film sold the car before the days of television advertising, part of the BBC/OU's series Nation on Film.
article icon
TV, Radio & Events
OU on the BBC: Caterham Super Sevens - Caterham - Survival of the Fastest
Director, Barnaby Peel, on a documentary that looked like it might never happen.
article icon
History & The Arts
Benjamin Zephaniah's Personal Passion: Classic cars
Benjamin Zephaniah talks about his passion for classic cars
©1999-2020. All rights reserved. The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302). The Open University is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to its secondary activity of credit broking.
We invite you to discuss this subject, but remember this is a public forum.
Please be polite, and avoid your passions turning into contempt for others. We may delete posts that are rude or aggressive, or edit posts containing contact details or links to other websites.