On the trail of management systems

After a long wait, the time had finally come: Students in the bachelor’s program in“Ecology and Environmental Protection”and the Master's degree programmes in“integrated management systems”and“integrated management”set off for Leipzig on a field trip. Upon arriving in Leipzig, the students were treated to an engaging presentation on the work of the environmental management officer at the Leipzig Zoo. This work ranges from species conservation through participation in more than 80 international breeding programs, to species protection projects in other countries, and to coordinating the zoo’s environmental management system in accordance with the demanding European EMAS standard. The environmental management officer explained examples of energy and water savings, as well as areas where there is still room for improvement. One of the most important buildings in this context is Gondwanaland, where the smart use of materials in the building’s construction ensures that no additional lighting is needed, rainwater can be utilized, and an intelligent ventilation system operates efficiently. An expert guided tour of the zoo, during which participants could see the practical implementation of environmental and sustainability management firsthand, rounded out this informative visit.

The next morning, a tour of BMW was also on the schedule. The huge parking lot alone suggests that many employees work at the Leipzig plant. What’s your guess? How many employees produce how many cars? The answer will be revealed a little later in this article, but first, let’s take a brief virtual tour of the plant.

The entrance hall reveals the building’s distinctive architecture of sloping planes, which was awarded the 2005 German Architecture Prize. The central building, with its open-plan offices, is connected to the production halls by small bridges. There, the students encountered many machines and robots working in tight synchronization to manufacture or cut parts for the vehicles. In the next hall, car bodies are glued together; later in the process, employees will install wiring harnesses and other components. Finally, the finished car undergoes a thorough inspection by the quality assurance team.

Despite the extensive technology in use at this plant, 5,500 people work at this location (for comparison, this is the population of the island of Borkum). They produce approximately 183 electric cars and over 1,000 conventionally produced vehicles per day on a 229-hectare site (equivalent to about 321 soccer fields). In addition to the buildings, four wind turbines stand out on the grounds. These wind turbines provide the electricity needed to manufacture the electric cars. Furthermore, used electric car batteries store the energy surges generated by the wind turbines so that the energy can be used during periods of lower wind speeds. In the subsequent presentation, the officer—a former graduate of the HSZG—summarizes the company’s environmental and occupational safety management system and provides examples of its practical implementation.

On the ride home, the participants reflect together on the two days of the excursion, which were packed with knowledge, and on the companies—both of which have environmental management systems but could not have been more different in terms of their focus. This also demonstrates the wide range of career paths open to our graduates.