Porsche 2011 Annual Report Download - page 122

Dependence on fleet customer business
The fleet customer business continues to be
marked by increasing concentration and internation-
alization. Thanks to its broad product portfolio, the
group is well positioned in view of the growing impor-
tance of the issue of CO2 and the trend toward down-
sizing. No default risk concentrations exist for indi-
vidual corporate customers.
Quality risk
Sustained high demand in the Volkswagen
group’s key markets poses new challenges for quality
assurance. Particularly in the growing automotive
markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China, for which
dedicated vehicles are developed and which have
local manufacturing operations and suppliers, quality
assurance is of fundamental importance. Volkswagen
analyzes the conditions specific to each market and
thus ensures growth in these regions. In cooperation
with the central quality assurance function, knowledge
of local risks is continuously translated into effective
measures, thereby minimizing the possible risks
arising from quality defects from the outset.
As production volumes grow and vehicles be-
come increasingly complex, including in light of new
drive technologies, demand for high-grade supplier
components of impeccable quality is rising rapidly. To
ensure production and thus fulfill customer expecta-
tions, it is extremely important that our own plants
and our suppliers deliver on time. The introduction of
an internally-tested risk management system at the
suppliers’ end is an important step toward ensuring
long-term quality and supply capability right from the
beginning of the supply chain. Quality assurance thus
helps to fulfill customer expectations and conse-
quently boost the company’s reputation, sales figures
and earnings.
Personnel risk
The individual skills and technical expertise of
employees are a major factor contributing to the
Volkswagen group’s success. The aim of becoming
top employer in the automotive industry improves
Volkswagen’s chances of recruiting and retaining the
most talented employees.
The strategic, end-to-end personnel develop-
ment gives all employees attractive training and de-
velopment opportunities, with particular emphasis
placed on increasing technical expertise in the com-
pany’s different vocational groups. As a result of
continuously expanding its recruitment tools and
increasing training programs, particularly at interna-
tional locations, the Volkswagen group is able to
adequately address the challenges posed by growth
on the human resources side too.
In addition to the standard twin-track voca-
tional training, programs such as the StIP integrated
degree and traineeship scheme ensure the advance-
ment of highly qualified and motivated employees.
Volkswagen counters the risk that knowledge will be
lost as a result of employee fluctuation and retirement
with intensive, department-specific training. Volks-
wagen has also expanded its base of senior experts
in the group to ensure that the valuable knowledge of
specialists retiring from Volkswagen is transferred to
other employees.
IT risk
At Volkswagen, a global company geared
toward further growth, the information technology (IT)
used in all divisions group-wide is assuming an in-
creasingly important role. IT risks include unauthor-
ized access to sensitive electronic corporate data
and information as well as limited availability as a
consequence of systems failure or natural disasters.
The Volkswagen group addresses the risk of unau-
thorized access to corporate data by using virus
scanners and firewall and intrusion prevention sys-
tems. In addition, protection is increased by restrict-
ing the allocation of access rights to systems and
information and by keeping backup copies of critical
data resources. For this, the Volkswagen group uses
technical resources that have been tried and tested
in the market, adhering to standards applicable
throughout the company. By implementing redundant
IT infrastructures, the Volkswagen group protects
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