高级综合商务英语1 Unit 7 Mass customization 彭青龙

UnitSevenMassCustomization1.Lead-in2.TextA:BMWDrivesGermany3.TextB:HowMassCustomizationIsChangingOurWorldCaseStudyMyMuesli,themanufacturerofcerealfood,enablestheuserstocustomizeafoodproductthroughonlineinteraction.Q1.Whatis“customization”?DoyoulikeMyMuesli’scustomizingitscerealfood?Whyorwhynot?However,thecompanyneglectedrobustprocessesofmasscustomization.Wheneverareportoncustomers’favorwaspublished,themanufacturingcapacitywasinsufficient.Forlackofhumanlabormixingmueslifromabout65differentcategoriesofoptionsbyhand,thecompanyhadtoturndownprospectivecustomersbysettingadailyorderlimit.Q2:Isthereanysolutiontothisproblem?Q3:Whatlessonsofpotentialrisksofcustomizationcanbelearntfromthiscase?Q4:Inyouropinion,whatproductsaremoresuitableformasscustomization?StructuralAnalysisPara.MainTopicsPara.1-4BMW’smasscustomizationusedasamarketingdeviceandaneffectivemeansofinjectingflexibilityintoBMW.Para.5-8BMWsymbolicofGermaneconomyPara.9-11BMW’shighlyautomatedLeipzigplantconducivetomasscustomizationPara.12-18BMW’sattempttohandlethekeyissuesofmasscustomization:workforceflexibility,productioncapacityexpansion,product-lineexpansion.PartIQuestionsaboutPartIQ1.What’sthemainideaofPartI(Para.1-4)?BMWusedmasscustomizationtopromoteitssalesasahandymarketingdeviceandtoinjectflexibilityintoalmosteveryaspectofthecompany,particularly,manifestedbyitsabilitytocaterforficklecustomerdesiresanditsrhythmofwork.Q2.Whatdoes“heavilyunionizedworkforce”mean?WhatchangeshavebeenbroughtaboutbythedealsBMWstruckwithitsworkforce?1)Aunionisagroupofworkerswhohavecometogethertomakecollectivedecisionsabouttheirworkandtheirworkingconditions.Heavilyunionizedworkforcemeansthatarelativelyhighproportionofemployeesbelongtoaunion.2)Anumberofchallengescanariseforacompanytomanageaheavilyunionizedworkforce,especiallybecauseoflackofflexibility.Unionworkersoftenworksethours,andtheymusttakeacertainnumberofbreaksduringtheday,nomatterhowheavyorhowlighttheworkload.DealsBMWstruckwithitsworkforceenabledittobringinnewwaysofworkingandmanageitsworkforcemoreorlessinaccordancewithproductiondemands.PartISentenceInterpretation1.YourBMWdealerwillbehappytoobligewithasmanychangesasyoucaretomake,untilacutoffpoint:sixdaysbeforeyourparticularcargoesintoproduction.(Line7,Para.1)YourBMWdealerwillbehappytodoafavorbymakingasmanychangesasyoucareto,untilapointoftermination...2.BMWdoesnotbreakoutdetailsoftheadditionalrevenue,butgiventheprofitmarginsonmanyadd-ons,“it’slikeabigdollopofcreamonthecake”,saysPeterSchmidt,aBritish-basedauto-industryconsultant.(Line6,Para.2)BMWdoesnotcategorizespecificinformationoftheadditionalrevenuesgeneratedbyitsmanyadd-ons,butontheconditionoftheirprofitmargins,it’sjustlikeaddingabigdollopofcreamontothecake.“Abigdollopofcreamonthecake”isslightlyadaptedfrom“icingonthecake”,whichmeans“asecondgreatthingthathappensinadditiontothefirst”.PartIWordsandExpressionsfickle(Para.3)adj.characterizedbyerraticchangeablenessorinstability,especiallywithregardtoaffectionsorattachmentssynonym:capriciousexample:Thecompanymustfacethechallengeofmeetingficklemarketdemandsinanew,uncertaineconomy.juggle(Para.4)v.tokeep(severalsimultaneousactivities)inmotionorprogressatonetimeexample:Heisanexpertlyprojectmanagerwhocanjugglemultipleprojectsandstillmakeprogressoneach.PartINotesFineartsomethingrequiringhighlydevelopedtechniquesandskillsPartIIQuestionsaboutPartIIWhat’sthemainideaofPartII(Para.5-8)?BMWisinsomewayssymbolicofGermaneconomy,whichisresurgentfromeconomicstraitjacketbutstillhinderedbybothinternalandexternalcounter-forces.Q2:Whatareinternalandexternalcounter-forceswhichhinderGermaneconomy?Internal:Littlesignofsubstantivechangeinthesystemoflaborrelations,hinderingproductivitylevelExternal:Low-costcompetitionfromAsiaandEastEuropePartIISentenceInterpretation1.Facedwithlow-costcompetitionfromAsiaandEasternEurope,hesays,“manyGermanfirmsdidtheirhomework,andnowtheyarebenefitingfromit.”(Line1,Para.8)“Doone’shomework”isanidiomaticexpressionwhichmeans“tostudyasubjectorsituationcarefullysothatoneknowsalotaboutitandcandealwithitsuccessfully”.PartIIWordsandExpressionsformidable(Para.6)adj.difficulttoundertake,surmount,ordefeatsynonym:awesomeexample:Astheworkshopofworld,Chinahasbecomeaformidabletradingpowertobereckonedwith,causingothercountriestoviewitsmassivepotentialmarketwithhopeanditscheapproductswithfear.upswing(Para.7)n.anincrease,asinmovementorbusinessactivitysynonym:surgeexample:Thereisanupswingofpricesonthestockmarket.PartIINotesAleadingpremiumbrandApremiumbrandisabrandofexcellentqualityandvalue.Inorderforthecustomertoidentifyanyproductaspremium,heshouldbeconvincedabouttheexclusivityofthebrand.Thebrandingstrategyofmostofthepremiumbrandsisbasedonaligningtheirbrandpropositiontotheself-imageoftheconsumer.PartIIIQuestionsaboutPartIIIQ1.What’sthemainideaofPartIII(Para.9-11)?BMW’shighlyautomatedassemblyline,sophisticatedlogisticsandeffectivecommunicationwithkeysuppliersinLeipzigplantenableBMWtomanufacturecustomizedcarswithimpressivelyhighefficiencyandreliability