BMW Motorrad | Nicole Rosenstrauch

From the moment we walked into the BMW common area, it was very clear that this was going to be an upbeat and interesting tour at the BMW Motorrad production plant in Berlin. It began with coffee and modeling for photos with the motorcycles on display, we even got to sit on some motorcycles. Before walking through the factory floor, we were given a brief introduction to the company. The most interesting fact that I learned was that the reason there is a propeller on their logo is because BMW originally made aircraft engines. This tour was my personal favorite, so far, because the production line appeared to be extremely efficient and ergonomically proactive through the integration between people and machines. The group was able to watch an employee test drive a motorcycle on a treadmill type floor reaching speeds up to 120 km/hr. My favorite quote from our tour guide was “the best ideas come from the people that work here.” She continued to reference the many implemented ideas have come from their technicians themselves. The employees seemed to be happy and well taken care of. They can only work for two continual hours before having to take a short break. There were two types of breakrooms at the factory which were active and rest rooms. The active break room included ping pong and foosball, and the one for resting had couches. After the tour we walked over to a restaurant to eat as a group and, as usual, many laughs were shared around the table, as well as lots of water.