Daimler AG Research Articles

THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN DIFFERENCE OF TWO MANUFACTURER’S BRAND VALUE

Brands are becoming more and more important for enterprises that spend significant amounts on building strong ones. Howewer, the value of brands and the way it should be represented in financial reports is still controversial. Our general objective is to present a calculation method able to estimate brand value that we establish for the calculation method of Interbrand corporation and results of our own survey research. Our specific objective in the course of analysis is to determine Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz’s and Nestlé cereal’s brand value based on data of 2022. Firstly we calculated the so-called Economic Value of researched enterprises by analysing their financial reports. Applying the results from our survey research we determined the role of brand plays in gaining EVA, which is Brand Income. Finally we calculated a ratio using WACC which we discounted the Brand Income with we obtained the Brand Value. Our survey research is assembled according to Keller’s Brand Equity Model. During our research we have confirmed our hypothesis that people filling the survey consider brand to be a more important purchasing aspect in case of Mercedes-Benz than Nestlé cereals; purchasing Nestlé cereals respondents consider brand as the most important purchasing aspect out of the given list; respondents choose analysed brands contra unknown ones which has the same features and price. Final results show that Mercedes-Benz and Nestlé cereals have strong brand knowledge, the Mercedes brand value was several times higher, while the difference between these brand values caused by not the different financial performance but rather the devation of brand power and strength of the analysed manifacture companies.

The Road Ahead for Liability in Damages Actions: Case C-882/19 Sumal

Judgment of 6 October 2021, Sumal SL v Commission, C-882/19, ECLI:EU:C:2021:800. The Court of Justice of the EU ruled that a subsidiary company of an addressee of a Commission cartel decision was part of the undertaking that infringed competition law and could therefore be held liable for damages. On 6 October 2021, the CJEU ruled on preliminary questions referred to it by the Provincial Court of Barcelona in a trucks cartel damages case filed by the transport company Sumal. The preliminary reference concerned the relevance and scope of the concept of ‘undertaking’ under Article 101 TFEU for purposes of establishing liability in follow-on damages litigation before national courts. Between 1996 and 1999, Sumal purchased two trucks from Mercedes Benz Trucks España SL, a Spanish subsidiary of Daimler AG. In 2016, Daimler AG was an addressee of a Commission Settlement Decision establishing that Daimler AG participated in a cartel among European truck manufacturers. Sumal filed a damages claim against Mercedes Benz Trucks España SL despite the fact that the subsidiary was not itself an addressee of the Settlement Decision. Sumal claimed to have paid overcharges for the trucks it purchased because of the cartel.

Remanufacturing of multi-component systems with product substitution

Motivated by the remanufacturing systems at Daimler AG and other automobile, aerospace and heavy machinery parts dealers/manufacturers, we develop a hybrid manufacturing/remanufacturing system with controlled two-way substitution between new and remanufactured products. We develop Markov decision processes for management on product-level as well as on component-level. We show that the optimal policy on product-level has the switching-curve structure under the assumption that the lost sales costs for new and remanufactured products are identical. Based on this structural result, we develop an efficient, close-to-optimal heuristic for the general product-level model and for the component-level model. Our numerical experiments indicate that two-way substitution on component level significantly reduces total cost. We also extend our model to strategic cost that includes environmental aspects in the objective function. For this model, we find that substitution appears to be a phenomenon primarily beneficial for profit-oriented firms. Sustainability-oriented firms require significantly less frequent product substitution.

DEVELOPMENT OF LEAN PROCESS MANAGEMENT AT ENTERPRISES OF SOCIAL SPHERE

The article describes the logic of the development of the Lean Manufacturing concept at Russian enterprises: from a focus on the main process to projects in office activities. An approach to the implementation of projects using lean production methods in social organizations is described. The directions of activity of foreign managers in projects to improve office processes are given on the example of Daimler AG. The tasks for each of the described areas and means for their implementation are considered. The basic requirements for organizing group work and holding meetings in the “ShopFloor Management” (SFM) format are listed. An example of an integrated system of indicators in the areas of “Safety”, “Quality”, “Cost”, “Delivery”, “Motivation”, “Ecology” contains typical requirements for indicators. An approach to changing the role of a manager in relation to employees, through changing his model of behavior and organizing group work at an information stand, is described. Examples of the design of some sections of the infoboard are presented and the principles of working with them are described. An example of the design of individual task cards is given. The author compares the approach to lean management proposed by him with the methods proposed by McKinsey for the implementation of continuous improvement activities in public sector organizations.

Value co-creation and co-destruction in service ecosystems: The case of the Reach Now app

In recent years, a change in business logic from goods-dominant (G-D) to service-dominant (S-D) logic can be observed widely. For instance, in the case of the mobility sector, companies such as Daimler AG and the BMW Group are shifting from solely producing cars to also providing mobility services. One fruit of their efforts is the Reach Now app, which supports users by combining multiple mobility services. Although such an app can contribute significantly to achieving smart mobility and thereby making the use of the private car less predominant, only a relatively small number of people use it. In this article, we adopt the S-D logic perspective to analyze the link between value formation (i.e., value co-creation and co-destruction) in customer-to-business relationships and business-to-business relationships in the service ecosystem of the Reach Now app based on an analysis of customer reviews of the Reach Now app in the Android Google Play Store between 2016 and 2019. We complement this analysis with interviews with representatives from six German public transport organizations and the Moovel Group GmbH, the app provider. Based on our analysis, we develop an interactional phase-based perspective on value formations in the tripartite relationship between app users, the Moovel Group GmbH, and public transport organizations. Our work complements previous S-D logic studies that (1) do not focus on information technology-enabled value formation, (2) neglect the concept of value co-destruction, (3) analyze only single dyadic actor-to-actor relationships, and/or (4) examine an established service ecosystem.

Hydrogen Power Focus Shifts from Cars to Heavy Vehicles

Hydrogen has been hailed as a promising energy carrier for decades. But compared to the thriving success of hybrid and plug-in electric cars, the prospects for cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells have recently diminished, mostly due to challenges in bringing down the costs of fuel cells and developing a broad network of fuelling stations.Beginning in March 2020, three major auto manufacturers—Daimler AG], Volkswagen, and General Motors (GM)]—followed the April 2019 move by Honda to back out of the hydrogen-powered passenger car market. Instead, these companies and others are looking to develop the technology as an emission-free solution to power heavy commercial and military vehicles, with refuelling taking place at centralized locations.

Powertrain technology transfer between F1 and the automotive industry based on Mercedes-Benz

The paper presents evolution of the Formula One powertrain systems and its synergies with the Automotive industry. The article emphasises the influence of trends in the Automotive industry and general environmental awareness on the Formula One development. The technical regulations introduced by the FIA in 2006 made a first steps to align Formula One technology progress with course of automotive world. Improvements of the regulations in 2009 and 2014, gradually introduced hybrid systems to the Formula One and made its technology more relevant to the current production vehicles. On the other hand, paper also shows the examples of the automotive projects which utilised Formula One technology features and qualities. This review analyses technology transfer based on Mercedes-Benz and other companies dependent on Daimler AG.

Ambitious Goals

Jochen Hermann, vice president for eDrive development at Daimler AG, has already set the wheels in motion for the company to achieve its bold target of a carbon-neutral fleet by 2039, but there's still a long way to go and a relatively short time to get there

Friction modelling in sheet metal forming simulations for aluminium body parts at Daimler AG

Tribology plays a key role in the production of high-quality car body parts. In forming simulations, often a constant value for the friction coefficient is used, which limits the overall simulation accuracy. In reality, friction depends on the pressure distribution, forming velocity, interface temperature, plastic strain, type/amount of lubrication and the surface topography of both the sheet and the tooling. The simulation accuracy, and therefore the prediction of the formability of complex geometries, can be improved significantly by taking all these parameters into account. This paper presents a selection of results for 2 aluminium cases: 1 scientific part conducted at the IFU Stuttgart and 1 complex body part from Daimler AG. Simulation results have been validated by experimental results to show the influence of friction on e.g. part quality, draw-in and spring-back. Results show that friction modelling becomes increasingly important in the stamping process of aluminium parts, and that the overall simulation accuracy increases when accounting for the actual tribological conditions in stamping.

The Continuing Relevance of Private International Law and Its Challenges: Judicial Jurisdiction and Forum Access—The Search for Predictable Rules

In this paper for a 2018 NYU Conference on “The Continuing Relevance of Private International Law and Its Challenges”, Professor Silberman surveys recent developments in judicial jurisdiction in the United States. Her overall thesis is that the Supreme Court is striving to develop predictable rules on judicial jurisdiction. To that end, she highlights the dramatic change in U.S. general jurisdiction resulting from the Supreme Court’s 2014 decision in Daimler AG v. Bauman. Professor Silberman also discusses the Court’s later 2017 decision in Bristol-Myers Squibb v. Superior Court, which put certain limitations on assertions of specific jurisdiction, and draws attention to the potential impact of Bristol-Myers on nationwide class action litigation as that issue continues to develop in the lower courts. Professor Silberman also offers her views as to how the 2014 Supreme Court decision in Walden v. Fiore may affect jurisdiction in internet-defamation cases, and adds a comparative perspective with discussions of the recent ECJ decision in Bolagsupplysningen OU v. Svensk Handel AB and the recent Canadian Supreme Court decision in Haaretz.com v. Goldhar.

Daimler Taps the Chinese Panda Bond Market

Preparing for a potential interview, an MBA graduate reads extensively about Daimler AG. She learns about company's longtime presence in China manufacturing luxury automobiles and its continued investment in manufacturing and R&D capacity in that country. She also learns that the company financed part of its operations and growth in China by issuing bonds in both China and Hong Kong and wonders whether the company would return to those bond markets. Excerpt UVA-C-2417 May 9, 2019 Daimler Taps the Chinese Panda Bond Market It was spring 2019, and Michelle Preston eagerly anticipated the possibility of interviewing for a position in the office of the CFO at Daimler AG (Daimler). She had invested much time and energy getting her master's of business administration (MBA) from a top European business school and wanted to work where she could combine her love of fine cars with her newly acquired business skills. Riding in a Fine Car Preston fondly recalled the many times she had sat in the back seat of her grandfather's Mercedes-Benz sedan as a child. That car offered such a comfortable and smooth ride that Preston always slept soundly during the eight-hour drive from her hometown to her grandparents' farm. Her grandfather owned an S-Class sedan and had driven nothing else since the model was introduced in the 1970s. Ever since, Preston had dreamed of owning a Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe. The coupe was a sportier version than the S-Class sedan, and Preston felt it would better suit her own needs. Its twin turbo V8 engine brought so much power that Preston was certain the car could go from 0 to 60 in less than five seconds. The car handled like no other she had ever driven, and the interior was nothing but comfort and class. Still Preston was nowhere near being able to afford the sticker price, which started at €110,000. The closest she had been able to get was in her role as a sales representative at a large Mercedes-Benz dealership, a job she took after graduating with her undergraduate degree. After two years in that job, Preston had started graduate school to study for her MBA. . . .

34‐2: The Benefit of Extensive Testing for the Development of Automotive Display and Head‐up Display Components

In this work we demonstrate that extensive testing is irreplaceable for quality improvement of automotive components and the validation of the degree of technical maturity. Measurement results of various development samples from Daimler AG are used to show uncovered deficiencies and thus improvements of the components.

Customer Experience Management to Leverage Customer Loyalty in the Automotive Industry

Abstract This paper presents an investigation on the current market conditions in sales based in the automotive industry and a new approache triggered by the digitization in this industry. Various studies prove that the behavior of the customers has changed drastically. By this customer experience, management becomes a central strategy in the digital age to reach long-term customer loyalty and enterprise growth. It is therefore necessary to adapt the function of the car dealers and, in general, innovative sales formats and technologies for communication with the customer. This paper describes how Daimler AG is reacting to these market changes with the concept of “Mercedes Me”.

Personal Jurisdiction and Aliens

The increasing prevalence of noncitizens in U.S. civil litigation raises a funda-mental question for the doctrine of personal jurisdiction: How should the alienage status of a defendant affect personal jurisdiction? This fundamental question comes at a time of increasing Supreme Court focus on personal juris-diction, in cases like Bristol–Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court, Daimler AG v. Bauman, and J. McIntyre Machinery, Ltd. v. Nicastro. We aim to answer that question by offering a theory of personal jurisdiction over aliens. Under this theory, alienage status broadens the geographic range for mini-mum contacts from a single state to the whole nation. This national-contacts test applies to personal jurisdiction over an alien defendant whether the cause of action arises under federal or state law and whether the case is heard in federal or state court. We show that the test is both consistent with the Consti-tution and consonant with the practical realities of modern transnational liti-gation. We also explore the moderating influence of other doctrines, such as reasonableness, venue transfer, and forum non conveniens, on the expanded reach of our national-contacts test. In the end, we hope to articulate a more sensible and coherent doctrine of personal jurisdiction over alien defendants that will resonate with the Supreme Court.

Impact of Microporous Layer Properties for High Current Density Operation

A microporous layer (MPL) is conventionally applied to the gas diffusion layer (GDL) in order to improve liquid water transport and to provide a smooth contact between GDL and electrode. It typically consists of carbon components (e.g., carbon black, graphite) and a hydrophobic binder (e.g., PTFE).1 The small hydrophobic pores prevent condensed water from accumulating inside the layer or at the interface between MPL and electrode, which allows an efficient oxygen transport to the cathode.2,3 Figure 1 shows polarization curves at standard and humid conditions for 3 different GDL materials. At standard conditions (full symbols) where little amounts of liquid water are expected inside the MEA and GDL, the fuel cell performances of the GDL substrate without MPL and with different MPLs are very similar. On the other hand, the polarization curves at humid conditions (open symbols) are very different: the substrate without MPL reveals an early voltage drop at 2.5 A cm-2 caused by flooding of the cathode/GDL interface, while the addition of an MPL clearly improves the performance, with the MPL based on carbon fibers exhibiting the highest current densities. To characterize the oxygen transport, we determine the total oxygen transport resistance (R T,O2) from limiting current density measurements with diluted oxygen.4 The bar graph in Figure 1 illustrates R T,O2 at the two conditions. While all materials behave very similar at standard conditions, at humid conditions the application of the carbon fiber MPL decreases R T,O2 by 50%. This shows that MPL structural differences as indicated by the SEM images significantly impact the liquid water transport. In our study we will show to how MPL properties influence the oxygen transport for (1) various operating conditions, (2) various oxygen concentrations, and (3) different GDL substrates. With this work, we aim to illustrate under which operating conditions and for which materials (e.g., type of GDL substrate, fuel cell operating strategy) advanced MPLs help to improve the overall fuel cell performance at high current densities. Literature M. F. Mathias, J. Roth, J. Fleming and W. Lehnert, in Handbook of Fuel Cells, W. Vielstich, H. A. Gasteiger and A. Lamm (Editors), John Wiley and Sons, Ltd (2010).J. T. Gostick, M. A. Ioannidis, M. W. Fowler and M. D. Pritzker, Electrochem. Commun., 11, 576 (2009).J. P. Owejan, J. E. Owejan, W. B. Gu, T. A. Trabold, T. W. Tighe and M. F. Mathias, J. Electrochem. Soc., 157, B1456 (2010).D. A. Caulk and D. R. Baker, J. Electrochem. Soc., 157, B1237 (2010). Acknowledgments The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), Freudenberg Performance Materials SE & Co. KG, and Daimler AG under agreement number 03ET6015E (“Optigaa 2” project). Figure 1 : Polarization curves for three different GDL materials on the cathode (also see SEM images in the figure): GDL substrate (Freudenberg H1410 I4) without MPL (green symbols), with carbon black based MPL (blue symbols), and with carbon fiber based MPL (red symbols). Measurements are performed with differential gas flow rates (2 nlm H2 and 5 nlm air for active area of 5 cm²) at standard conditions (full symbols; T cell = 80 °C, p abs = 170 kPa, RH = 100%) and at humid conditions (open symbols; T cell = 50 °C, p abs = 300 kPa, RH = 120%). The bar graph in the figure illustrates the total oxygen transport resistance (R T,O2) at standard and humid conditions determined from the limiting current density at a dry oxygen content of 2%. Figure 1

Expanding General Personal Jurisdiction Over Transnational Corporations for Federal Causes of Action

This article advocates for expanding general personal jurisdiction over transnational corporations so that where Congress has provided for a cause of action for extraterritorial violations of law, such as in the area of human rights and terrorism, victims have an opportunity to obtain a remedy. The article discusses the history of general personal jurisdiction over corporations, the recent decisions of Goodyear Dunlop Tires Operations, S.A. v. Brown, and Daimler AG v. Bauman and their impact on victims’ ability to obtain a remedy for extraterritorial business-related human rights violations, and recommends that Congress enact a statute requiring that transnational corporations doing business in the United States consent to the general personal jurisdiction of U.S. courts in those instances where Congress has provided a cause of action for claims that arise extraterritorially.

Brief of Professor Stephen E. Sachs as Amicus Curiae, BNSF Railway Co. v. Tyrrell

[This brief was filed in support of the petitioner in No. 16-405 (U.S., cert. granted Jan. 13, 2017).] BNSF Railway Co. should win this case, but on statutory grounds alone. BNSF makes three arguments: 1) That Daimler AG v. Bauman forbids Montana’s exercise of general personal jurisdiction here; 2) That Congress has not sought to license the state’s exercise of jurisdiction; and 3) That such a license would be void under the Fourteenth Amendment. BNSF’s first two arguments are fully persuasive and decide the case. As a result, the Court should decline to reach the third argument. Not only is it unnecessary to decide, it has the further defect of being wrong. Respondents’ case hinges on whether Congress in 1910 affirmatively licensed state personal jurisdiction over railroads doing business within state lines. It did not. The 1910 Act specified which federal courts might hear certain actions under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. It did not say which state courts might do so—only *that* state courts might do so. Later discussions of doing-business jurisdiction in fact referred to a preexisting standard for state personal jurisdiction, established well before International Shoe. Respondents’ theory gets things backwards: Congress did not reshape state personal jurisdiction to fit the statutory rules for federal courts; rather, it shaped the statutory rules for federal courts to fit preexisting rules for state personal jurisdiction. While Congress in 1910 left state personal jurisdiction as it found it, this Court’s modern decisions have not. Respondents do not ask for Daimler to be overruled, nor do they deny that Daimler requires reversal in the absence of a statutory override. This is enough to end the case. That being so, the Court has no need to reach an important constitutional question. This Court has never squarely decided whether Congress may license the exercise of state personal jurisdiction that might otherwise be invalid. It should not do so in this case. “[N]ormally the Court will not decide a constitutional question if there is some other ground upon which to dispose of the case,” and here there are further reasons for reticence. The United States did not participate before the Montana courts, and limiting Congress’s power in this case may have the effect of striking down other federal statutes or may undermine ongoing legislative efforts and treaty negotiations. If the Court is going to restrict the power of Congress, it should wait for a case in which Congress has actually tried to use the power in question, and in which the United States has been available to defend it. The Court may be tempted to reach the issue regardless, simply because it seems easy—so easy, in fact, as to obviate any need for caution. Congress cannot license what the Constitution forbids, and the Constitution is widely thought to forbid particular types of personal jurisdiction. Yet that widespread belief is actually mistaken. When originally enacted, the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments did not themselves impose any fixed limits on personal jurisdiction. They required only that a court *have* jurisdiction, over the subject matter as well as the parties—with the substantive doctrines of personal jurisdiction supplied by separate bodies of general and international law. The Fourteenth Amendment, in particular, was correctly understood by this Court in Pennoyer v. Neff to create a federal question of what had been merely a matter of general law, outside the scope of Article III appellate review. Modern doctrine is correct to hold that federal courts can review state judgments for their compliance with jurisdictional standards. But it is wrong to suggest that those standards are supplied by the Constitution itself, and so may not be altered by treaty or by Congress’s enumerated power under Article IV. To be clear: this brief does not suggest that the Court conduct its own inquiry as to the original law of due process, or even discuss the issue in any way. The necessary arguments were not briefed at the certiorari stage; they were not raised in the Montana courts; and they have been overlooked by decades of contrary decisions. Yet if the Court now finds itself in a deep hole of incorrect precedent, the least it can do is to stop digging. It should reverse and remand this judgment on statutory grounds, and it should wait for an appropriate case in which to consider the powers of Congress.

Laser Applications in Gear Box Manufacturing at Mercedes‐Benz

AbstractIn the past years, the number of laser applications has risen worldwide. Along with that, the variety of the applications grew. The high‐power laser beam was first used in series production for cutting and welding. With decreasing prices and increasing quality of beam sources, applications that have been too expensive or technically not feasible in the past can be realized today. Mercedes‐Benz, the main brand of the Daimler AG, was one of the first users of lasers in series production and still expands the use of the laser beam as a wear‐free tool.

Established and Adapted Diagnostic Tools for Investigation of a Special Twin-Wire Arc Spraying Process

In the LDS® (Lichtbogendrahtspritzen) process, a twin-wire arc spraying (TWAS) process developed by Daimler AG, the gas injection and feed to the arc play a crucial role in separating the molten particles from the wire ends. This paper describes an investigation of the gas and particle behavior according to individual LDS® process parameters. Coating problems are not considered. The measurements are separated into two different parts: “cold” (without arc and particles) and “hot” (with arc and particles). The results provide the first detailed understanding of the effect of different LDS® process parameters. A correlation between the gas parameter settings and the particle beam properties was found. Using established and adapted diagnostic tools, as also applied for conventional TWAS processes, this special LDS® process was investigated and the results (gas and particle behavior) validated, thereby allowing explanation and comparison of the diagnostic methods, which is the main focus of this paper. Based on error analysis, individual instabilities, limits, and deviations during the gas determinations and particle measurements are explained in more detail. The paper concludes with presentation of the first particle-shadow diagnostic results and main statements regarding these investigations.

Decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in the Daimler AG v. Bauman Et Al Case: Closing the Golden Door

Following some preliminary observations related to its Kiobel background in Section I, this paper introduces the Daimler decision in Section II, in three epigraphs, respectively: History, Justice Ginsburg’s Opinion and Justice Sotomayor’s Opinion. Then it evaluates critically the decision in Section III, concluding these pages with some Final Reflections, Section IV, on what is now undoubtedly another key component for the comprehension of the system of the United States, and that in a general sense, beyond transnational human rights civil litigation.