A new BusinessWeek piece explains how BMW harnesses creativity from workers throughout its new factory. I learned this long ago from visiting the factory where my father worked in Newark, Victory Optical, and in my studies of Toyota and other Japanese transplants with Martin Kenney in the 1980s.
But BMW has taken this even a step further and created an ‘open’ workplace for all. From the piece,
“Just about everyone working for the Bavarian automaker — from the factory floor to the design studios to the marketing department — is encouraged to speak out. Ideas bubble up freely, and there is never a penalty for proposing a new way of doing things, no matter how outlandish… From the moment they set foot inside the company, workers are inculcated with a sense of place, history, and mission. Individuals from all strata of the corporation work elbow to elbow, creating informal networks where they can hatch even the most unorthodox ideas for making better Bimmers or bosting profits”
