This week has really flown by as it is the final day before presentations and start of the program winding down. Audi was our final site visit and I was super eager to learn more about the production process after spending over a week researching the company for our presentation. We already had a guest speaker, Will teach us about Audi’s corporate strategy and future outlook, so this trip was short and only included the factory tour and museum visit. Upon arriving at Audi, we had time to get food and or visit the store before the tour started. Comparing Audi to BMW, the gift shop had a sleek and luxury retail feel with a limited selection of expensive clothing items and few miscellaneous souvenirs. I picked out the most affordable option: an Audi hat for my bald father. I have seriously slacked on getting gifts for my friends and family, so I’m glad we had a good amount of time to shop. Another perk of the Audi visit was having access to sit in a few models while waiting for the tour to start. I’ve never sat in an Audi before and I was seriously blown away by the comfort and detailed interior of all 3 of the cars we observed.
Once we split up into 2 groups the tour started. I’m not trying to be biased as a member of the Audi group, but this tour was by far my favorite of the entire trip. I appreciated touring the factory in smaller groups as it made the experience more pleasant and gave everyone an equal opportunity to view crucial spots of the tour, whereas in previous experiences I felt like my view was often blocked due to the size of the our group cramming into a small space. The first unique element of the tour was the use of smartphones to assist in the viewing experiences of the tour. Each of us received a smartphone to view detailed videos showing a specific production step as our tour guide narratorated the video. I appreciated the clear audio and visual elements of this tour that made it highly informative and easy to follow. I was intrigued by the lack of automation in the factory. While Audi used robots as all the previous companies we visited, in comparison to BMW, I noticed a higher ratio humans to robots. The production process also felt more streamlined as both humans and robots worked together on the same conveyor belt. It felt surreal to see the workers individually placing the parts on each vehicle. We also had the privilege of viewing the test car portion of the factory in which each car is tested on a track. Our tour guide explained the limitations of the car testing process to preserve the newness of each vehicle and to avoid over-using it before it is sold. For example, if the vehicle is driven above a specific speed is it no longer classified as “new”. These regulations when test driving the cars is a reflection how much detail Audi places into each vehicle from start to finish.
After the factory tour, we got lunch at the cafeteria and I was blown away by the selection. They had everything from fruit to deserts and fun drinks as well. I got a full course meal and it did not disappoint! I heard mixed reviews from others, but coming from someone who grew up going to Ikea just for the food with my bald dad, I think the food at Audi is on par with Ikea. I got a pork schnitzel with fries, fruit, a chocolate cake, and mint lemonade! I’m already full typing that out, but this was one of my favorite meals because it had the same comforting feel of Ikea food.
We initially planned on doing some well-needed shopping in Augsburg with a majority of the day free, but then we realized that we have a lot of work to do on our blogs and presentations. So for the sake of my wallet, I’m glad we spent the rest of the day working and finalizing presentations for tomorrow. I now feel prepared going into our presentation and I feel more caught up on blogs. I’m glad we all worked together and spent a good amount of time being productive! The Audi visit was a lovely positive note to close the site visits on and I’m looking forward to sharing our insights on the company with everyone tomorrow!
