Henry Ford is credited with the following quote: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." It comes from a time that has not yet been documented by YouTube videos or LinkedIn posts. But it fits with the pioneer in the automotive industry who made his contribution to the mobility revolution as a whole. The Ford Motor Company once perfected assembly line production, setting new standards for the entire industry. At about the same time, the principles of scientific management established in modern factories, which the engineer Frederick Winslow Taylor had designed for the precise control of work processes. Fordism and Taylorism became the paradigms of the early 20th century and set the industrial pace. Who did not conformwas punished by competition.

Sven Astheimer

Editor responsible for corporate reporting.

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The early recognition of market developments and the timely adaptation of business models to these trends has always been one of the core tasks of modern managers.

The task is all the more difficult as it is not only about assessing mere consumer behavior, but also about how the political and legal framework conditions are changing.

It is often difficult to distinguish what is a long-term market trend and what is perhaps just a short-term trend.

Some supposedly ingenious management coups later turned out to be a big mistake.

Often, however, the big switchmen are no longer in office.

Stabilization after the "wedding in heaven"

The automotive industry is currently experiencing similarly serious upheavals as in the time of Henry Ford. Electrification, digitization, ever stricter regulation in the wake of climate change, plus the current lack of chips and tense supply chains as well as an increasingly diffuse global political situation. Against this background, German manufacturers have so far been doing well. In this environment, the long-established Daimler Group in particular has recently regularly presented strong figures. The brand with the star shines around the globe. Donald Trump, as US President, also failed to noticeably reduce the number of German premium cars on Fifth Avenue. The Chinese still love the status symbols from Swabian. If Ola Källenius, the CEO of Daimler, had asked his employeeswhat they expect from the future, the answer would have been: horses! Why change something that is going well?

In May 2019, Källenius succeeded Dieter Zetsche at the helm of Daimler. It was thanks to him that after the “wedding in heaven” with Chrysler, which ended in ruins, we stabilized the company and brought it back on the path to success. The Swede initially appeared extremely controlled and calm. Little did you guess which way he wanted to go. All the louder, therefore, when he announced the division into an automobile and a commercial vehicle group at the beginning of this year. For Källenius the only way to make both parts significantly more competitive. Undoubtedly a brave step, as it ends with 125 years of shared history under one roof. In an interview with the FAZ, the manager spoke of breaking up a shared apartment. The market is changing so incredibly quickly at the moment,that speed is of great importance to both sides. Shortly before the end of the year, the two brands were relocated: Now the cars continue to operate under the name Mercedes-Benz, while the commercial vehicles operate under the name of Daimler Truck. The trucks then went public in mid-December.