Today was our last company visit, and it might have been my favorite one yet. We had already done the presentation and Q&A with the Audi employee last week, so today was focused entirely on the factory tour and a walk through the museum. We arrived a little early, so we took some time to stop by the gift shop before the tour started. I ended up getting a white hat for my dad and a simple black T-shirt for myself. After that, we headed over to meet our tour guide for the factory tour. It’s hard to compare it to the BMW tour because today felt much more relaxed and informational compared to our quick BMW tour. Our guide walked us through every major step of the production process, from shaping large sheets of metal into car parts to installing seats, steering wheels, and other interior components. We also got to see the final inspection and safety testing areas. One thing that really stood out to me was how much emphasis Audi places on quality control. There were multiple checkpoints throughout the process to make sure every vehicle met their standards before leaving the factory. One of the most impressive parts was a section of robots that carefully measured each car to ensure it was perfectly symmetrical. We also learned that once a vehicle is completed, any test drive must stay under a specific mileage limit or it can no longer be sold as a brand new car. After the tour, we went to the cafeteria area for lunch. I got chicken with a side salad and fruit, and it was delicious.
To finish our visit, we spent some time walking through the museum and taking pictures of the cars on display. My favorite was a gray convertible that had a really clean and sweet look. That officially wrapped up all of our company visits. They exceeded my expectations and gave me experiences I know I will remember for a long time. While I was disappointed that we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the factories, I think it made the tours feel more special and encouraged me to live in the moment more. We then took another bus ride back to Augsburg. Now that the company visits are over, all that is left for our industry analysis portion of the trip is finishing and presenting our final presentations tomorrow, which I’m definitely looking forward to getting behind me.
