1-98 (March 1998) Consulting by Bernd-Ruediger Heinisch Germany

Following New Avenues

The approaching Daimler-Benz (DB) product offensive has given the impetus to a new step forward known as "Star Information & Services". The DB service literature factory has also introduced the TANDEM philosophy, which has been already put into action by DB’s development and production divisions. An important aspect of this new method of cooperation is that it allows DB to integrate the suppliers into the system much sooner than previously.

Another aspect of applying the TANDEM principle to the production of service literature is that it improves efficiency and quality, and achieves safe processes even under extreme time pressure and shortage of personnel.

Until recently a multitude of suppliers with very different levels of specialization more or less cooperated with DB’s technical authors: Sometimes there were up to four suppliers for only one kind of information, which resulted in considerable expense in coordination, maintaining quality, and product control. Production of a new Cabriolet gave the starting signal for a new way of cooperation.

The TANDEM partner for development and production, Messrs Karmann of Osnabrück, has been involved from a very early stage. As a Cabariolet specialist, they played a prominent role in the preparation and production of the folder control literature.

The technical authors of Karman, once they were introduced to the DB documentation system, produced the diagnosis manuscripts, the wiring and hydraulic diagrams, and the functional and repair descriptions. They adapted the vehicle-specific customers’ literature and introductory manuals according to a guide and, based on a division of labor, they prepared the service literature together with an integrated TANDEM partner, following the DB documentation system.

Thus the partner was responsible for the system range on the expert level, and the DB coordination has been reduced to a minimum (just quality control and controlling).

The mutual understanding of the TANDEM philosophy has enabled the partners to implement close and efficient project handling. The experience they have gained will point the way ahead for future projects.  

"transline Deutschland - Übersetzungsdienst für technische Übersetzung"