Supply Chain by the Numbers
   
 

-March 4 , 2010
   
 

This Week’s Supply Chain by the Numbers for March 4, 2010

   
 

BMW Polls the Assembly Line Oldies; Siemens Making Emerging Market Strategy Work; 3M CEO Tells his Supply Chains to Move Faster; Here Comes Walmart to Improve Your Carbon Emissons

   
 
 
 

70

The number of ergonomic and physical improvements suggested by manufacturing line workers at BMW and ultimately implemented by the German car manufacturer, at a cost of just $40,000 euros. The suggestions, such as use of orthopedic footwear and adjustable-height work tables, came as a result of a management efforts to improve the physical toll on its rapidly aging blue collar workforce.

 
 
 



 

50%

The sales growth in emerging markets for German industrial giant Siemens over the last 4 years, to a total of now more than $30 billion annually, the successful result of a high profile program to meet emerging market needs, including building lower cost products specifically for these markets.

 
 
400%

The improvement in line speed and manufacturing efficiency 3M CEO George Buckley said this week he demanded last year of managers responsible for the company’s new ultra-low-cost respirator mask, saying supply chain cost innovation opportunities are often overlooked.
 
 
 
 
$60 million

The percent reduction in what would have been the growth in the greenhouse gas emissions from Walmart’s extended supply chain that the retail giant expects to achieve by 2015 from a new initiative in which Walmart will work directly with suppliers to reduce GHG emissions in their own supply chains.  See Walmart Ups Greenhouse Gas Goals, but Numbers Show Challenge of Making Impact on Total CO2.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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