BMW 2007 Annual Report Download - page 42

40 Group Management Report
10 Group Management Report
10 A Review of the Financial Year
13 General Economic Environment
17 Review of Operations
41 BMW Stock and Bonds
44 Disclosures relating to Takeover
Regulations and Explanatory Report
47 Financial Analysis
47 – Internal Management System
49 – Earnings Performance
51 – Financial Position
52 – Net Assets Position
55 – Subsequent Events Report
55 – Value Added Statement
57 – Key Performance Figures
58 – Comments on BMW AG
62 Risk Management
68 Outlook
The infrastructure and quality of the dealer
organisation in China, where there are currently well
over 100 dealerships, was further improved. The
dealer network is also being expanded in India, a
new market for the BMW Group.
Worldwide, more than 3,000 dealerships sell
BMW brand cars. The MINI brand is sold at approxi-
mately 1,500 locations. In total, the dealerships which
work with the BMW Group have some 100,000 em-
ployees worldwide. In addition, the BMW Group has
its own branches at 37 locations in 14 countries.
Rolls-Royce cars are currently sold in 30 coun-
tries. The sales network for this brand has been ex-
panded to 80 dealerships, including four in China.
Future plans of BMW Group’s sales organisation
are currently focused on the following:
– improving the infrastructure and quality of the
dealer organisation in anticipation of further volume
and model expansion,
– increasing marketing activities in the area of used
car business,
–
systematically developing relationships with cus-
tomers and potential customers in all aspects.
Premium service also in customer services
Taking care of customers’ needs throughout the whole
of the product life-cycle is one of the BMW Group’s
main priorities. The objective is to provide premium
quality services – not just to meet customers’ expec-
tations, but to exceed them. The quality of processes
and structures in place in service reception areas
and workshops is constantly under scrutiny.
Using its unique BMW TeleServices system,
BMW is able to guarantee customers the highest
levels of comfort and safety. Where necessary, a
vehicle’s details can be transmitted directly via a
data link to the BMW service partner, for example to
a dealership prior to a forthcoming inspection or
to a mobile services unit in the case of a malfunction.
This automated link between vehicle and BMW
service partner reduces the length of time a custom-
er’s car needs to be kept at the service point and, in
the event of a malfunction, allows immediate and
expert help to be given on the spot.
The new BMW TeleServices system has been
available since September 2007 in a number of
markets (Germany, Austria and France) for all new
BMW 1, 3, 5, 6 and X5 series vehicles.
Training centre network further expanded
The global initiative to improve skills within the BMW
Group was successfully continued in 2007 as part
of the premium service strategy. One of the tasks
is to pass on knowledge quickly and directly to the
markets. In 2007, for example, a train-the-trainer
conference, attended by 160 trainers from 68 coun-
tries, was held in this vein for the new BMW 3 Series
Convertible and the new BMW X5.
Training courses for dealers took place in San
Diego, Newbury and Kyoto ahead of the launch of
the Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupé.
In 2007 the BMW Group opened up new training
centres in India, South Korea, Portugal, Denmark,
Japan and Greece to ensure optimal training condi-
tions for people working in the dealer organisations.
Internationalisation of distribution centres
continued
The distribution centre in Krefeld was expanded and
now supplies the markets in Belgium, the Nether-
lands and Luxembourg. In September 2007, the
second of three planned regional distribution centres
in China commenced operations in Shanghai. Parts
are supplied directly from the centralised parts distri-
bution centre in Dingolfing. Plans to supply parts to
the new sales company and dealerships in India via
the regional distribution centre in Mumbai are taking
shape.