Aufgabe Vorschlag C - Aufgabe 2 · Abitur Hessen Wirtschaftslehre LK · bilingual Englisch 2021

Material 1

Rolls Royce Motor Cars Ltd. and the automotive industry in the United Kingdom

In January 2016 Rolls Royce Motor Cars Ltd. opened its new Technology and Logistics Centre (TLC) located close to its Goodwood plant which serves as headquarters, design, manufacturing and assembly center. The TLC provides logistics support to the manufacturing plant for current and future models. The company invested heavily to increase productivity and upgrade its facilities. This was to help prepare for the launch of future models, such as the Cullinan. Rolls Royce Motor Cars installed an inbound warehouse for production parts, a distribution center including an inbound body shop 3 and a finished car store. The TLC allows for further future expansions. A spokesman for Rolls Royce said that news of the investment was good for all the Rolls Royce workers, the UK automobile industry and the wider economy. It showed what could happen when industry and government worked together to build a better business environment. As part of its expansion, Rolls Royce created more than a hundred new jobs at its Goodwood plant and at its TLC. To create a lean production strategy, Rolls Royce streamlined its production methods, operations and processes. This enabled it to compete globally, retain quality and increase profit. For example, ‘just in time’ was introduced to improve efficiency, reshaping workshops 4 where many parts had been in stock. Workers could then call for additional spares when needed, rather than having parts on hand if required. To assist with the change to just in-time ordering and ensure that lean production ideas were implemented smoothly with suppliers and cut costs, the company introduced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.

The UK automobile industry has historically been a leader in the adoption of lean process techniques, but is now facing global consumer demand for greater personalization and shorter lead times combined with increased competition from low cost countries. Just like the global automobile industry, the UK automobile industry is about to implement ‘digitalization’, the application of digital technologies in the manufacturing sector. The CEO of the Goodwood plant uses digitalization to better plan plant maintenance using sensors on machinery to predict future usage, reduce unplanned machine downtime and reduce plant maintenance costs. Unlike Germany (Industrie 4.0), the USA and Japan, the UK lacks a fully coordinated, government-led digital strategy at present and suppliers have a far lower adoption of digital technologies than vehicle manufacturers. Consequently, the UK wants to place digitalization right at the heart of its government’s new industrial strategy to position itself as progressive, innovative and competitive on the global market.

adapted and abridged from: https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/uk/pdf/2016/11/SMMT-KPMG-digitalisation-automotive-industry-report.pdf; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodwood_plant (abgerufen am 4. Januar 2021).

3 body shop: Autokarosseriewerkstatt

4 workshops: Betriebswerkstätten

2 The automobile industry is a crucial part of the UK economy. The United Kingdom is the second largest car market and fourth largest car manufacturer in Europe.

2.1

In Material 1, lines 7-9, a spokesman for Rolls Royce Motor Cars Ltd. said that news of the investment had been good for all the Rolls Royce workers, the UK automobile industry and the wider economy. Examine three benefits from the investments to the UK’s economy. (9 BE)

2.2

The United Kingdom has quite similar economic policy objectives to those set out in the German Law for Stability and Growth of 1967. Identify these objectives and their target values. Examine the impact of the automobile industry’s investments on two objectives of your choice. (10 BE)

2.3

Describe three fiscal measures by which the UK government could promote the digitalization of its industry in general. (6 BE)