Master List of Virtual Tours
Virtual Tour Sites for Russell/Taylor, Operations Management, 7e
This list contains 144 virtual tour sites, which are only some of the many virtual company tours available on the Internet. We have organized our list according to several different industries and business categories, and for each site we provide a brief description of what the company produces (if it’s not obvious), what kind of tour it is (i.e., video or photos, narrated, etc.), how long it is (if it’s a video tour), and any special features of the tour. Some of these tours are used specifically for the virtual tour question and answer modules for each chapter. Click on an industry or topic, or browse through the document.
Baldrige National Quality Program
2009 Quest for Excellence Conference (http://www.baldrige.nist.gov/Video/QEXXI/index.htm)
This site for the Baldrige National Quality Program includes 5 lengthy video presentations from the 2009 Quest for Excellence Conference in Washington, D.C., by leaders of recent Baldrige National Quality Award winners including Ritz Carlton Hotels, Cargill Corn Milling Company, Iredell-Statesville (NC) Schools, Poudre Valley Health System and MESA Products. Each video is between 25 to 35 minutes and describes how these companies achieved the Baldrige Award.
Auto/Vehicle/Aircraft
Boeing ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Airplanes” from the “Products 1” page. This video begins with a brief narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text and then moves to a speeded up video of the complete production process for a Boeing 777 with background music (and no narration). The entire video is approximately seven minutes. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
BMW (http://www.bmwusfactory.com/#/home/)
This virtual tour of the BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina guides you through the enormous factory through hot buttons on an aerial view of the plant. From the opening page, click on Manufacturing on the bottom menu bar. The narrative and photos include a production overview, the production process, building a better BMW, factory products, our plant, and BMW worldwide. You can also choose a particular product on the opening page to follow through the plant. Lots of good info on this tour. A great actual site to visit, too.
Damon Motor Coach (http://www.damonrv.com/virtual_tours/welcome)
This tour encompasses 17 video segments showing the manufacturing process of a motor home at Damon’s Elkhart, Indiana manufacturing facility. The videos are somewhat like home movies showing each step of the manufacturing process.
Ferrari (http://www.motortrend.com/features/scenes/112_0406_bts_fer/)
This tour developed by Motor Trend magazine shows the steps in manufacturing a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti at Ferrrari’s Maranello, Italy factory. The tour consists of 7 pages of color photos with accompanying descriptive text.
Ferrara Fire Trucks (http://www.ferrarafire.com/Media/Media.html)
This site for Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Inc. provides a 10-minute narrated video tour of its Louisiana fire truck plant, among other videos. The video does not provide a step-by-step description of the assembly process; rather it focuses on individual fire truck features that are superior to competitors. The video focuses on the company’s modular design process and their trucks’ quality, dependability and ease of service features.
Ford (http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Cars” from the “Products 1” page. This video begins with a brief narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text and then moves to a narrated video of the complete production process for a 1994 Ford Mustang. Although the video is 10 years old it is still an excellent presentation of the basics of auto manufacturing. The entire video covers the production process from the delivery of rolled steel to the final car and is approximately nine minutes. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
GE Jet Engines (http://www.geae.com/education/engines101/)
This is a very nice tutorial/tour about jet engines. The site is called “How Jet Engines Work,” and it includes four segments – Jet Propulsion, Build a Jet Engine, Test Fly a Jet Engine and Powered by GE Aircraft Engines. The tour includes excellent color graphics, drag-and-drop features, animation and sound effects.
General Motors (http://www.michigan.gov/vtour/tourHome.html))
This is a graphic tour of the General Motors Lansing Plant. It shows the basic process flow of manufacturing a car. The tour includes a color overhead drawing of the plant which includes 3 main sections – body, paint and assembly. When you click on a building/section there is a brief introductory video with narration of that process and then additional text descriptions of the individual processes in that facility.
General Motors ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link which activates a pop-up window, then click on “More Cars” from the “Products 2” page. This is an 18-minute video that is not narrated but has factory sound. It includes a series of shorter titled videos that show different auto manufacturing processes at a GM plant as cars proceed along the assembly line. Because of the length of the total video it takes some time to download. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
Harley-Davidson ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and exercises. There are four Harley Davidson videos at this site. To get to the first two videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link which activates a pop-up window, then from the “Products 1” page click on “Motorcycles” or “Motorcycle Engines.” The “Motorcycles” video begins with a brief narrated introduction with photos and text and then moves to a speeded up video of the complete production process for a motorcycle with background music (and no narration). The entire video is approximately six minutes. The video for engines is also a speeded up video showing the complete production of an engine and it is approximately 3 minutes. On the “Products 2” page there are two additional video tours; one for “Motorcycle Side Cars” that is 5 minutes long and another one for “Motorcycle Engines II” that is 3 minutes long. Both of these videos are unnarrated with background music. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
Honda Asimo (http://asimo.honda.com/InsideAsimo.aspx)
This site contains a series of animated videos demonstrating the form, function, movement and intelligence of “Asimo,” the “world’s most advanced humanoid robot,” developed by Honda.
John Deere ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Construction Equipment” from the “Products 2” page. This 10-minute narrated video tour shows the manufacture of a John Deere bulldozer tractor from the design stage to the final product. Employees narrate different sections highlighting the manufacturing processes. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
Morgan Motor Company (http://morgan-motor.co.uk/production/index.html#)
The Morgan Motor Company in the United Kingdom manufactures convertible sports cars. This is a brief one minute video that shows various steps in the manufacturing process. However, from this site you can purchase a full 55 minute factory tour on DVD for 17 British pounds.
Porsche (http://www.porsche.com/uk/aboutporsche/virtualfactorytour/)
This site for Porsche includes two virtual factory tours – one for their plant at Zuffenhausen, Germany and a second tour for their Leipzig plant. The Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen plant tour is for the production of the Porsche 911 and the first link is to the “layout plan.” It provides a separate page with photos that you access by clicking on the arrows. It also includes text descriptions. The second part is a tour of the production operations including the body shell assembly, paint shop, engine assembly, upholstery, and vehicle assembly. Each page includes photos and detailed text descriptions that are accessed by clicking on the arrows. The Leipzig tour is very similar except it is for the Cayenne and Carrera GT.
Toyota (TMMK) (http://www.toyotageorgetown.com/vtour/high/trhigh01.asp)
This site for the Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky manufacturing facility includes a series of narrated videos with descriptive text for all steps in Toyota’s manufacturing process. It is a detailed presentation of auto manufacturing.
Volkswagen (http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=7207&page_number=1)
This tour, produced by car and driver magazine, is a detailed 15-page photo tour of VW’s transparent final assembly factory in Dresden, Germany. The tour consists of color photos of the factory with detailed text descriptions.
Workhorse Custom Chassis (http://www.workhorse.com/Default.aspx?tabid=116)
Workhorse Custom Chassis manufactures chassis for RVs, school buses, commercial vans and motor homes at its Union City, Indiana plant. This virtual plant tour combines animation, photos and text plus sound effects. The tour is conducted over an animated assembly line that describes the 10-step manufacturing process. As an animated chassis moves along the line at each stop a specific step in the production process is described with text and photos.
Boats
Crownline Boats (http://www.crownline.com/aboutcrownline/tour/tour1.php)
Crownline manufactures fiberglass molded boats, from 18 footers to 31-foot cruisers, at its West Frankfort, Illinois manufacturing plant. The tour includes various pages of photos and text, each describing a step in the manufacturing process including molding, coating, engine installation and finishing.
Folbot (http://folbot.com/plant-tour.html)
Folbot is a Charleston, South Carolina that manufactures foldable kayak boats. The tour employs text and photos to describe the manufacturing process for a kayak.
Namura Shipbuilding (http://www.namura.co.jp/bt/index.html)
This site contains a video tour of the Namura shipbuilding facility in Imari City, Japan. Namura makes tankers and bulk transport ships and other commercial vessels. The shipyard tour is labeled “Backstage Tour” on the webpage.
Nautiques Boats (http://www.nautiques.com/about/factorytour/)
Correct Craft, Inc., headquartered in Orlando, Florida, manufactures Nautiques fiberglass, gas inboard ski boats. This factory tour includes an 8 minute narrated video of the product design (including the use of CAD) and manufacturing processes.
Ceramics/Glass/Pottery
Kokomo Opalescent Glass (http://www.kog.com/Tour/Tour1.html)
Kokomo Opalescent Glass makes colored glass like the kind that is used to make stained glass windows. This tour of the Kokomo, Indiana plant includes 12 pages with text and several photos on each page describing the glass production process.
Food Products and Beverages
Chocolate (http://www.fieldmuseum.org/Chocolate/making.html)
This site is for the field museum in Chicago and this tour provides a generic description of growing cacao beans, harvesting the beans, and manufacturing chocolate. It includes only text and photos.
Coca-Cola Bottling ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Bottling Drinks” from the “Products 1” page. This 5 minute narrated video tour shows the bottling process for Sprite at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company’s Bishopville, South Carolina plant. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
Coca-Cola Indonesia
(http://www.coca-colabottling.co.id/eng/ourbusiness/index.php?act=virtualplant)
This plant tour is located at the Coca-Cola Bottling Company’s Indonesian site. It uses animations, color graphics, video and text to show the eight-stage process for producing and bottling Sprite.
Coors (http://www.coors.com/#/beer/2)
This tour includes 3 short videos about Coors history, the water and the barley.
Eli’s Cheesecakes (http://www.elicheesecake.com/virtualtour.aspx)
When you go to this site for Eli’s Cheesecake in Chicago click on the “Tour Eli’s” link and from there you can link to the virtual tour. The brief tour is one page with text and photos describing the process for making cheesecakes.
Flowers Foods (http://flowersfoods.com/FFC_CompanyInfo/VirtualBakeryTour/index.cfm)
Flowers Foods headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia operates 39 bakeries and produces bakery products like breads, roll, and buns. The virtual tour is a video.
Fortune Cookies (http://pbskids.org/rogers/picpic.html)
This narrated video is one of six on this PBS “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” site. It is a very detailed narrated video about the manufacturing process for making fortune cookies.
Fudge House at Fisherman’s Wharf (http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/fudgehouse.html)
This is a short factory tour of how fudge is made at the Fudge House at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. The tour encompasses 3 pages with text and photos that describe the steps in the fudge making process.
Glenfiddich Distillery (http://www.glenfiddich.us/distillery/craftsmanship/mashing-and-fermentation.html)