A very revealing article bmw drives germany by peter gumbel was published  in 2007 by TIME.com and thoroughly highlighted the technological  advancements of BMW. The article brings attentions to the European Automaker and the flexibility it is implementing throughout the company.  This dexterity can be seen in everything from the assembly line, working hours of the staff to the cooperation between BMW, the unions and key suppliers it depends on. 

BMW has become not only the innovator but a mastery manufacturer of what they call mass customization.  This simply means that BMW factories can now execute a model changeover without enduring any work stoppage and the result is that no two cars, on any given day, will come off the assembly line exactly the same.  This is possible because Beemer has negotiated deals with its unions that give them the ability to operate its factories pretty much as demand dictates.

The newest example of this is the BMW plant in Leipzig, Germany which is where the BMW 3 series and 1 series are being built. The factory has been designed in such a way that allows new production methods to be incorporated into the assembly process without slowing things down.  To help achieve this a handful of key suppliers were centralized on the Leipzig plant grounds, which cut the amount of inventory needed on hand and improved speed and reliability throughout the assembly.

Now what this means for the customer is more choices and the ability to change your mind after the paper work has been signed.  As long as a buyer notifies the BMW dealer within six days prior to his/her car going into production, a change to the car can be made. An incredible marketing tool that allows BMW to cater to the fickle consumer who is willing to pay the price in order to get that custom feel.