The BMW iFACTORY is a visionary master plan that will permanently change how the BMW Group makes cars. It is a compelling answer to the automotive industry's shift toward electric mobility challenges.
The BMW Group is redefining the future orientation of its plants with the global execution of the BMW iFACTORY. Innovative manufacturing technologies also push climate protection and competitiveness to new heights. By 2025, an all-electric model will be rolling off the assembly line at a new plant in Debrecen, Hungary.
According to BMW AG's Member of the Board of Management for Production, Milan Nedeljkovi, "This is our master plan for future production," he says of the BMW iFACTORY's DNA, which can be found in all of the company's facilities. The goal is clear: to reshape the automobile manufacturing industry. "Electric car manufacturing of the future requires a new, holistic way of thinking," says Milan Nedeljkovi. "We're leading the way and setting new benchmarks in flexibility, efficiency, sustainability, and digitalization with our BMW iFACTORY. "
It's all about LEAN. GREEN. DIGITAL. for the BMW Group. Together, they show the strategic goal of an international production network integrated and scalable to meet future challenges.
LEAN is defining a new driving force in the production system of the BMW Group. LEAN is an acronym for lean manufacturing, which aims to increase the integration and variability of all processes, such as producing various drivetrains and vehicle models on a single assembly line. The result is a more agile, leaner, and more competitive structure that is more responsive.
With BMW iFACTORY, the BMW Group aims for even more environmentally friendly production. Every BMW Group location in the world now uses only green electricity and produces it following the circular economy principles. "We are designing our plant in Debrecen to be the world's first electric car manufacturing plant that completely removes the use of fossil fuels in its production processes," says Milan Nedeljkovi. "It will be our first CO2-free automobile production plant. We are taking the next step towards a sustainable future."
Digitalization is also supported by the BMW iFACTORY, which allows the BMW Group to keep up with the times in this area. Furthermore, innovative virtualization, artificial intelligence, and data science technologies from the BMW Group enable it to connect all relevant aspects of automotive production in a novel way and achieve maximum data transparency. As a result, a highly effective digital process design method was developed.
"The BMW iFACTORY, which ensures data consistency across our value chains and processes, is leading the charge. Because strategy and creation go hand in hand, we use digital innovations to create compelling use cases in production, " emphasizes Milan Nedeljkovi.
The human designer is at the heart of the BMW iFACTORY. Employees of the BMW Group use e-learning to design their learning processes to implement the entire transformation process in a forward-looking, long-term, and expert manner. At every level, BMW iFACTORY and electric mobility are getting better thanks to extensive training programs and the expansion of existing skills.
The BMW iFACTORY represents a bold new step in the BMW Group's response to global climate change with a comprehensive, environmentally friendly, and future-oriented approach to drive electric vehicle success even further. As a result, Milan Nedeljkovi has a rare opportunity: "The BMW iFACTORY shows BMW's commitment to environmental protection and sustainability as a member of the community. It also helps meet the growing demand for electric cars. We're doing it digitally, and we're doing it while still being fiercely competitive." @via electrive.
