On day three, we started off strong with a lesson with Dr. Jones over direct and indirect communication between cultures. It really made me realize that sometimes it is better to be direct with people and really let them know what you are feeling to build a stronger relationship. As well as to not misinterpret cues, as everyone expresses themselves differently. After that, we squeezed in a museum tour of Mercedes-Benz and a visit to the VfB Stuttgart stadium, which I really enjoyed as I like learning about technology and history, and I am also very passionate about football (soccer). In the afternoon, we took a trip up north where I was able to tour Porsche’s factory and see how their pull ordering system worked for constructing made to order vehicles and the personalization of each one to their customers’ desire. It was quite impressive, but I felt like it lacked a bit of more smart manufacturing principles in comparison to the Mercedes-Benz factory. They did, however, use lots of AGV’s within the facility. Following the Porsche tour, we made our way to Reutlingen where we were able to meet former and future Purdue students involved in Purdue and Reutlingen’s master’s exchange programs! They were very welcoming and gave great suggestions for dinner (Schnitzel). I hope to further strengthen our bond as they are very intelligent and well-versed individuals.
