BMW Copes with Aging Workforce by Making Simple Changes on Assembly Line

[Bartek S.]

For about $50,000, BMW may have begun solving a problem that will be plaguing many automakers: an aging work force. It's not just automakers that will be facing this problem, however, as populations worldwide are getting older; by 2020, the number of people over 65-years old is expected to increase to 16% in America, 21.6% in Germany, and over 27% in Japan.
In order to counteract this, BMW has taken it upon itself to figure out how to make its workplaces easier to work in and more efficient for older workers.
Instead of solving the "old worker" problem by forcibly retiring its workers after a certain age, BMW has decided to help its workers help themselves. An experiment was performed by aging one assembly line to the point where the average worker's age was 47-years old. This is significant, because 47 is the projected age of BMW workers by 2017.

BMW Copes with Aging Workforce by Making Simple Changes on Assembly Line

 

[Giannis]

I saw that at CBS News. Fantastic move!

 

[KiwiRob]

Now they'll have hundreds of thousands of Syrians to pick from, should solve the ageing problem for a while. The real solution is to get Germans making babies again.

 

[Sayyaaf]

^ really ?

 

[SKY]

Jesus, this guy comes with the full package...

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Without even thinking I looked for a WTF rating to click.

 

[klier]

An almost 6 year old thread bumped for nothing. Pfff.

That F01 suddenly looks very old, btw. Damn.

 

[Mr Robert]

I'll call @admin right away and make him implement the "Necromancer" rating.

 

[KiwiRob]

^ really ?

If you didn't know Germany has one of the lowest birthrates in the world, Germany needs more immigrants, a lot of Syrians are well educated, many will find there way into industrial jobs with companies like BMW, the 800,000 or more (Germany needs millions of immigrants) will go someway to easing Germany's population problem.

Germany 'hits global birth rate low'

A study says Germany's birth rate has slumped to the lowest in the world, prompting fears labour market shortages will damage the economy.

Germany has dropped below Japan to have not just the lowest birth rate across Europe but also globally, according to the report by Germany-based analysts.

Its authors warned of the effects of a shrinking working-age population.

They said women's participation in the workforce would be key to the country's economic future.

In Germany, an average of 8.2 children were born per 1,000 inhabitants over the past five years, according to the study by German auditing firm BDO with the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).

It said Japan saw 8.4 children born per 1,000 inhabitants over the same time period.

 

[Giannis]

This is German Car Forum and we talk about cars here.

Please stick to that.

 

[KiwiRob]

This is German Car Forum and we talk about cars here.

Please stick to that.

Then delete the original post which was about Germany's ageing workforce and how it relates to BMW. It's the same issue, Germany doesn't have enough people, immigration will solve the problem, German products including cars will continue to be made in Germany. Which will keep the good folks of GCF happy.

 

[SDNR]

Now they'll have hundreds of thousands of Syrians to pick from, should solve the ageing problem for a while. The real solution is to get Germans making babies again.

you are right kiwirob.

Let's not be naive about this, Germany has a massive problem with its demographics .....they need a lot more young people. Merkel possibly wasn't just being compassionate .....she may have been thinking about Germany's economic future too.

 

[Giannis]

Then delete the original post which was about Germany's ageing workforce and how it relates to BMW. It's the same issue, Germany doesn't have enough people, immigration will solve the problem, German products including cars will continue to be made in Germany. Which will keep the good folks of GCF happy.

So you are dancing around with joy, happy because with all hell broken loose in Syria, Germany will solve it's workforce problem. You don't care about 8 million people being forced out of their homes due to work, but you care about the German automotive industry.

Congratulations.

 

[SDNR]

So you are dancing around with joy, happy because with all hell broken loose in Syria, Germany will solve it's workforce problem. You don't care about 8 million people being forced out of their homes due to work, but you care about the German automotive industry.

Congratulations.

With all due respect Giannis, I do not believe that was what KiwiRob was saying.

I don't want to appear to leap to his defence every time he irritates someone but this over-sensitivity to everything KiwiRob says is getting a little crazy.

I would agree that his comment did sound a little flippant but there may be some truth to it .......afterall, many people were surprised by Merkel's decision.

 

[Wunderkind]

So you are dancing around with joy, happy because with all hell broken loose in Syria, Germany will solve it's workforce problem. You don't care about 8 million people being forced out of their homes due to work, but you care about the German automotive industry.

Congratulations.

Bro, as Putin would say to Obama, "Why so Syrias?"

 

[Sayyaaf]

this is getting political guys. not cool.

 

[KiwiRob]

So you are dancing around with joy, happy because with all hell broken loose in Syria, Germany will solve it's workforce problem. You don't care about 8 million people being forced out of their homes due to work, but you care about the German automotive industry.

Congratulations.

Wow are you serious, that's one massive conclusion you've jumped to. I think it's terrible that all these people are now homeless, but Germany is offering many of them a silver lining to their dark cloud, giving these people a home, jobs and education for the younger ones will end up being a boon to Germany in years to come.

 

[sanpt7777]

I agree with KiwiRob, he's (from my perspective) not being ill intended with his comments.

Back on topic, I think this is great move from BMW, but I believe companies should make as much as possible to facilitate excersise, nutriologist services, and recreational activities for their employees. It's better to not have old people working in your company in the first place in my opinion. Invest in these things and employees will not need their work to be easier, they will make it easy for them by being healthy.

My dad has his own company and I work for him. We are very bad economically but as soon as things get together I want to promote this things, as well as raising salaries to as much as possible. A company is nothing without it's workforce, so I think this move by BMW should be greatly appreciated.