April 10, 2019 News New government-backed programme to improve UK manufacturing competitiveness and productivity is open for business; new “NMCL” approach has been successfully piloted by companies in the North West of England. Birmingham – 9/4/19 – A £16 million programme to help make the UK’s advanced automotive manufacturing supply chain more competitive was launched by Business Secretary, Greg Clark, last week (April 5th 2019). SMMT Industry Forum – the organisation set up by the UK government, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and vehicle manufacturers to improve the competitiveness of the UK’s automotive supply chain – is to play an important role in the new initiative. The National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL) programme, is funded by the government as part of its Industrial Strategy, and Automotive Sector Deal, and has been jointly developed by the automotive and aerospace sectors. It aims to assess and improve competitiveness, raise workforce capacity and increase productivity of all types of UK manufacturers. Along with other national providers SMMT Industry Forum will support the programme by helping companies understand how they can develop their business to become more competitive and win more orders. SMMT Industry Forum already has a successful track record in this area, including improvement delivery in the government-funded Long Term Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness (LTASC) programmes which created and safeguarded jobs, trained people and leveraged £41m private investment. It has also been involved in piloting the new NMCL model in the North West of England. “What NMCL brings to the forefront is a set of criteria to benchmark against,” says Andrew Simms, managing director of Unilathe Ltd, a manufacturer of machined and fabricated components for the aerospace and automotive sectors that has participated in the NMCL programme as a test case. “As part of that process, you get the opportunity to talk about and address areas that need more focus. It sets a basis for a much more mature relationship with your customers.” Dr Chris Owen, Chief Executive of SMMT Industry Forum, commented, “We’re delighted that NMCL has now been endorsed by government in this way. We have taken over 25 years of experience operating in Automotive and Aerospace sectors to develop this approach to help manufacturers understand their current capabilities and competitiveness and quickly work out where and how to invest to make big improvements. NMCL is now very much open for business and we’re looking forward to helping more than 170 companies achieve their potential.” NMCL is designed to help manufacturers of all sizes and stages of development understand how competitive they currently are and develop the specific business capabilities they need to boost their performance. The programme includes an in-depth competitiveness assessment based on company capabilities and the views of key customers. This data is then applied to investment decisions across six areas of competitiveness; quality, cost, delivery, flexibility, products/technology and customer experience. Projects are tailor-made for each manufacturer and focus on boosting competitiveness, increasing ‘value-add’ and winning more orders. Companies can undertake 6 month focussed improvement projects through to multi-year company transformations depending on their potential and ambition. Organisations can register their interest to take part in the NMCL programme by completing by completing a short questionnaire on the NMCL website. Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced the selection of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL) programme as the mechanism to deliver the government’s national supplier competitiveness and productivity improvement initiative, as outlined in the government’s Industrial Strategy. The NMCL project team at Unilathe. The NMCL project team at Unilathe. Dr Chris Owen, chief executive of SMMT Industry Forum, commented, “We’re delighted that NMCL has now been endorsed by government in this way.” Stoke-on-Trent-based Unilathe, which is a supplier to both the aerospace and the automotive industry has taken part in an NMCL pilot programme.
September 27, 2018 News, Resources Industry Forum will be attending SMMT’s Open Forum which brings together 300 delegates for a day of presentations, knowledge sharing and discussion. The events offer excellent networking opportunities with leading senior figures from the automotive industry, focusing on opportunities in the UK’s automotive supply chain, with experts and key decision makers speaking on a variety of industry topics. For information on sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, e-mail [email protected] To read more information and to book a place please visit the SMMT website
August 13, 2018 Automotive, News Industry Forum is a proud sponsor of the Northern Automotive Alliance Business Awards & Networking Dinner – People & Skills award Category: NAA People & Skills Award Sponsor: SMMT Industry Forum Open to: All SMEs Established in 1996 by British government, the SMMT and vehicle manufactures, Industry Forum exists to improve both performance and competitiveness in UK supply chain. Central to our ethos is a ingrained dedication to developing people and skills in the Automotive sector. As part of our commitment to continued development of skills and people, we sponsor the NAA people and skills award which serves to acknowledge and celebrate investment in skills by a small to medium sized enterprise employing less than 250 people in the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector. This award is designed to recognise an exemplary business that invests in both the training and development of its workforce. We will be looking for applicants who can demonstrate that they are a leading light in this area by showing clear evidence of how investment in skills can bring benefits to people and businesses alike. We ask that applicants answer the questions as fully as possible, keeping to the word count. We also welcome the inclusion of photographs or diagrams that help support your application. This award may consist of a 2-stage process. The first stage is the People & Skills Award form from which 3 companies will be short-listed. Dependent upon the applications there may be a second stage will take the form of on-site visit to further investigate each application and its background. Feedback will be provided to each company that receives an on-site visit. The on-site visits will be undertaken during October 2018. Forms can be downloaded here and closing date is midnight, 31st August. PLEASE NOTE: The NAA awards are open to all companies, you do not need to be an NAA member to enter the awards. About the awards: Northern Automotive Alliance Business Awards & Networking Dinner Thursday 8th November 2018 7pm – 12pm at The Mere Golf Resort & Spa, Knutsford, Cheshire. The event is is an opportunity to network with NAA members over dinner and drinks. The attendee numbers have grown year on year and this year is expected to be better than ever. It’s recently been announced that Master of Ceremonies and guest speaker for the 2018 NAA Awards will be Robert Llewellyn, actor (Kryten in Red Dwarf), comedian, writer, TV presenter (Scrapheap Challenge), presenter of the highly successful Fully Charged series on YouTube about electric vehicles, and most recently, the man behind the inaugural Fully Charged Live Event. Entry for award applications is now open. Becoming a shortlisted applicant at the NAA Business Awards will provide your organisation with the opportunity to be recognised as a leading player in the automotive industry. Award Categories: Trade Innovation Logistics Excellence Marketing Excellence Manufacturing Excellence People & Skills (for SMEs) Industry 4.0 Dinner Booking: Table of 10 : £800* Individual Tickets : £85* All the above include a three course meal with coffee and drinks. Dress Code : Gents – Lounge Suit; Ladies – Long or Cocktail Dress If you would like to book a place or receive more information on event sponsorship, please e-mail [email protected] *Above prices are subject to vat. A number of rooms have been reserved at a preferential rate from £125 on a B&B basis – if you would like to reserve a room, please contact the hotel and quote our event and date.
March 21, 2018 Events, General manufacturing, News Toyota and SMMT Industry Forum to co-host one-day workshop, free-of-charge for senior executives, to examine ways of improving UK manufacturing productivity Manufacturing businesses in sectors such as aerospace, nuclear and medical devices are invited to attend a workshop that will give a rare insight into methods proven by the automotive industry to improve productivity. The one-day event, at the Toyota Engine Plant, Deeside (see maps) on 11th May 2018, is to be co-hosted by the Toyota Lean Management Centre, widely acknowledged as a world leader in manufacturing productivity, and the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders) Industry Forum, which provides consultancy and training to help transform manufacturing competitiveness in many diverse industries. Experts from both organisations will share lessons learned in automotive manufacturing that are transferable to diverse industries. The Industry Forum’s chief executive, Dr. Chris Owen, said: “At a time when we keep hearing how British productivity is lagging behind international competitors, the automotive sector is reaching out to other UK manufacturing sectors to show that productivity doesn’t have to be a puzzle. We are inviting chief executives and managing directors from other manufacturing businesses to gain a deeper understanding of how to deliver productivity improvements by examining their own beliefs and looking at methods underpinning Toyota’s world-class operational performance.” The workshop will encourage senior executives to examine and challenge their own beliefs about productivity; consider conditions necessary for success; gain a deeper understanding of the concepts of Challenge, Kaizen, Genchi-Butsu, team-work, and respect; and examine the application of knowledge to different productivity scenarios. Workshop attendance is free but Toyota and Industry Forum suggest that participating companies make a donation to the Toyota Charitable Trust upon receipt of an invitation.
February 12, 2018 Articles, News For almost any manufacturer, accelerating the time‐to‐market of New Product Introduction (NPI) is a key strategic imperative within the constantly changing nature of today’s market environments. Aspirational growth targets are fundamental to future business strategy and a large part of achieving this growth will involve the introduction of new opportunities and new products into the business. Seamless New Product Launch Accomplishing a seamless new product launch is therefore critical in an organisation’s ability to meet both the constantly evolving market demands and internal growth targets identified within the business strategy. Executing a seamless new product launch however, is always going to be a challenging endeavour when taking into consideration the complexity of collaborating with multiple business functions such as engineering, planning, manufacturing, quality assurance and supply chain. Managing risk Every New Product Introduction opportunity brings an inherent level of risk with it. Managing these risks, within such a complex environment, is a key factor in the success of any NPI project or programme. In order to manage these risks effectively, an organisation has to be aware of the potential risks that will impact upon the programme, from the very outset of an NPI opportunity. Introducing the right opportunities It can prove hugely beneficial when selecting potential opportunities for future NPI projects, if the business has a clearly defined strategy on its product market groups and can provide feedback from the performance of its existing products. This will help the sales and marketing team to bring the right product groups into consideration for future NPI projects. This, in turn, will mitigate the risk of selecting the wrong opportunities; something which can be a major cause of conflict within a New Product Introduction environment. Applying NPI best practice The use of a defined, structured approach alongside the application of NPI best practices and proven tools will support an organisation on its NPI journey. In order to make a real impact on business growth however, NPI teams must ensure that they align closely with other parts of business. Managing the lifecycle of the opportunity The ultimate aim of a New Product Introduction programme must be to provide efficient methods and standards to aid manufacturing operations in taking the baton forwards and managing the lifecycle of the opportunity. New Product Introduction must therefore, act as the bridge between your future growth strategy and the efficiency of your current manufacturing operations. For this to happen there have to be clear linkages and hand-offs with both parts of the organisation. Only then will an organisation gain the rewards of revenue growth as part of a successful NPI implementation. If you have any further thoughts or would like to share your NPI experiences – we’d love to hear from you? [contact-form-7 id=”22076″ title=”Comments”]
January 19, 2018 News, Resources Launch of new AS standards A series of new AS standards have been launched over recent months focused around New Product Introduction and the associated core tools. There is increasing mandate expected in 2018 for suppliers to align to these standards, alongside existing customer specific requirements. Aerospace companies now have several options Do nothing, wait and see what happens Do enough to try and tick the boxes in future audits by ‘bolting on’ to existing quality management systems Take the initiative, understand what the standards are seeking to achieve and use them to drive competitive advantage As a leading aerospace management systems training organisation, Industry Forum has developed a range of courses to up-skill your team in the overall APQP approach and the elements of PPAP. These courses will enable delegates to apply the tools and maximise the benefit to your business. Open course places are available in our Birmingham Learning Centre and will become available in other global locations. Closed courses and implementation support can also be provided at your organisation in a format that best suits your specific needs. AS9145 APQP and PPAP Practitioner (5 day course) Our first course in 2018 is the 5 day AS9145 APQP and PPAP Practitioner (12th – 16th March). This course will provide delegates with an in-depth understanding of the standard which aims to embed APQP and PPAP best practice within aerospace and defence organisations New Product Introduction processes. View course information Aerospace Management Systems Training As a leading Aerospace management systems training organisation, Industry Forum has developed a full range of courses to up-skill your team in the overall APQP approach and the elements of PPAP aligned to the new AS standards. Course name Days Pricing More information AS9145 – APQP and PPAP Essentials for Aerospace 2 days £625 (ex. VAT) Find out more AS9145 – APQP and PPAP Practitioner for Aerospace 5 days £980 (ex. VAT) Find out more AS13004 – Design and Process FMEA Essentials for Aerospace 1 day £350 (ex. VAT) Find out more AS13004 – PFMEA and Control Plan Essentials for Aerospace 1 day £350 (ex. VAT) Find out more AS13003 – MSA Essentials for Aerospace 1 day £350 (ex. VAT) Find out more AS9103 – SPC Essentials for Aerospace 1 day £350 (ex. VAT) Find out more AS13000 – 8D Problem Solving 2 days £415 (ex. VAT) Find out more Contact us for more information If you would like to talk to us about one of the above courses please contact us at +44 (0)121 717 6600 or email [email protected] and we will arrange for one of our expert team to discuss your needs in more detail.
December 7, 2017 News Industry Forum were proud to participate in the SMMT’s inaugural Regional Forum, which took place at the Bolton Whites Hotel, The Macron Stadium (Bolton Wanderers Football Club) on Thursday 23rd November 2017. The Forum was organised as part of SMMT’s commitment to support all of its member’s right across the UK and was opened by SMMT’s Chief Executive, Mike Hawes, who spoke of both the opportunities and challenges facing the UK’s Automotive industry. The featured topic on the agenda for the morning session focussed on the opportunities for the automotive supply chain within the north of the UK. This saw Phillip Cox, Chief Executive of Chester and Warrington LEP, talk about opportunities that exist within the second largest cluster group in the UK, the skills challenges facing colleges and universities as well as improvement programmes such as NPLX and NMCL aimed at increasing the operational competitiveness of UK manufacturing. David Hall, Purchasing Manager at Bentley Motors then spoke of the activities taking place at Bentley’s plant in Crewe that will continue to provide further growth opportunities to the automotive supply chain in and around the region. Ian Henry gave a fascinating outlook on the UK’s vehicle production numbers before the secondary theme of the day, that of Brexit, became the featured subject matter. Nathan McArdle, Manager of Advanced Development Programs at BorgWarner and Helen Foord, Head of Government Relations & Public Policy at Vauxhall shared their insights into some of the work that they have been doing in order to prepare for Brexit. As well as exhibiting, Industry Forum then spoke about the transition from ISO/TS 16949 to IATF 16949:2016 alongside the SMMT IATF Oversight Office in afternoon. Industry Forum’s Automotive General Manager, Mike Dickinson, showcased the support that Industry Forum has to offer manufacturers in relation to the transition to the IATF16949:2016 standard. SMMT Oversight’s Niall Kealey was able to provide an update on the transition to the new IATF 16949:2016 Quality Standard, which needs to be completed by 4th September 2018 with all new audits now being made to the new standard. Niall was also able to provide some insight into the findings from the initial and transition audits that have been conducted to date by providing further information around the most common non-conformities identified during audits. The Regional Forum was the first of its kind to take place in the north of the UK and the first to take place under the stewardship of SMMT’s new regional engagement Manager for the north, John McLennan-Grant. The event was well supported by SMMT members at what proved to be an excellent venue. The day included some fantastic speakers providing valuable insights into subjects at the very heart of the UK’s automotive industry. If you’re interested in finding out more about any of the topics contained in the above article or in SMMT membership please get in touch with either Industry Forum or SMMT.
November 28, 2017 News The UK’s automotive industry is ready to deliver a new supply chain competitiveness and productivity solution following Government’s Industrial Strategy white paper. Automotive industry has co-developed a new programme that will boost the competitiveness and productivity of the UKs advanced manufacturing supply chain. In response to the launch of the Industrial Strategy white paper by the business secretary, Greg Clark, yesterday, SMMT Industry Forum – the organisation set up by the UK government, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and vehicle manufacturers to improve the competitiveness of the UK’s automotive supply chain – welcomes the announcement of a new Supply Chain Competitiveness programme as part of the Automotive Sector Deal. Over the last 18 months, the aerospace and automotive industries have been working closely together to develop a cross-sector approach to boosting the competitiveness and productivity of the advanced manufacturing sector supply chains in the UK. The result is a new programme, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL), created by the Government-sponsored Automotive Council and Aerospace Growth Partnership bodies as well as the SMMT and Aerospace, Defence, Securities and Space (ADS) trade associations. It is backed by 25 of the UK’s largest manufacturers and early stage discussions and pilots are already underway with the rail and nuclear sectors. NMCL builds on the experience gained in previous national programmes. Notably, it takes a more holistic view of manufacturer performance improvement, with a focus on competitiveness in addition to productivity: achieving customer impact and winning new business. “We welcome yesterday’s Industrial Strategy white paper which commits to launching a new cross-sector supply chain competitiveness programme to encourage industry leaders and the best performing sectors to improve further by adopting best practice as exemplified by the automotive sector. Our Automotive Sector Deal also commits to rolling out an industry-led supplier improvement programme to boost the competitiveness of supply chain companies needed to manufacture current and future generations of vehicles at volume, and increase UK content from 44% to 50% by 2022. We stand ready to work with Government to deliver much needed competitiveness and productivity improvements. NMCL captures the best of manufacturing know-how and provides the practical means for driving industry best practice across hundreds of advanced manufacturing supply chain companies to genuinely move the needle on the UK’s productivity dial,” says SMMT Industry Forum CEO, Dr. Chris Owen. SMMT Industry Forum has more than 20 years’ experience helping advanced manufacturing companies become more competitive. Over the last four years, the Automotive Council has run its Long-Term Automotive Supply Chain Competitiveness (LTASC) programme through SMMT Industry Forum where it has worked with over 70 automotive supply chain companies, large and small, to upskill hundreds of employees, boost productivity, deliver new products to market, leverage more than £75m of private investment in CAPEX, skills and R&D, and is set to create and safeguard more than 3,800 jobs. SMMT Industry Forum has also been the largest provider of knowledge and expertise to deliver the aerospace industry’s Sharing in Growth (SiG) programme. How does NMCL work? The NMCL programme provides manufacturers with an in-depth assessment of their competitiveness, based on their company capabilities and the views of their key customers. This data is used to aid investment decisions, according to the needs of each manufacturer, across six competitiveness areas of quality, cost, delivery, flexibility, products and/or technology and customer experience. Programmes are tailor-made for each manufacturer and are focussed exclusively on boosting the competitiveness of the company, increasing their ‘value add’ and winning more orders. Company projects will typically last from six months for smaller improvement projects, and up to three years for entire business transformations and will use practical resources and share best practices which have been developed by aerospace and automotive industries working together in partnership. For more information, or expressions of interest on the NMCL programme, visit www.nmcl.co.uk
November 16, 2017 News The Northern Automotive Alliance (NAA) Awards, which showcase the successes of vehicle manufacturers, supply chain companies and service providers in the region, took place in Cheshire on 9th November 2017. Ian Constance, CEO, Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC UK), gave a keynote speech to the audience of over 270 members of the northern and national automotive communities. As a leading provider of skills training who actively support organisations to identify and embed the skills and strategy they need to succeed, SMMT Industry Forum were proud to sponsor the NAA People & Skills award. This Award acknowledges and celebrates investment in skills by a small to medium sized enterprise in the engineering and advanced manufacturing sector. The award recognises a business that invests in the training and development of its workforce and demonstrates that they are a leading light in this area through clear evidence of how investment in skills can bring benefits to people and businesses alike. Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) was the winner of the NAA 2017 People & Skills Award. BAC is the British manufacturer of Mono, the lightweight, ultra-high performance, road-legal supercar designed and manufactured using the latest racing technology. The company demonstrated impressive levels of growth based on recruiting, developing and maintaining its highly skilled and engaged workforce, with every individual having a development plan linked to the business requirements. » Industry Forum’s Mike Dickinson (left) presents Briggs Automotive Company with the NAA’s People & Skills Award » NAA CEO Carol Holden (centre) with incoming NAA Chairman Wes Jacklin (left)
October 19, 2017 Articles, News continuous improvement, New Product Launch, New Product Launch Excellence UK car manufacturers and Automotive Council endorse new national programme to upskill and improve competitiveness of UK automotive suppliers Birmingham, UK – A new national skills programme is being launched to the UK automotive supply chain later this month, aimed at improving its ability to support increasing numbers of new product launches in the car industry. New Product Launch Excellence (NPLX) – ensuring the perfect conditions for launches that meet cost, quality and delivery targets – is one of the industry’s answers to making UK manufacturers more competitive on a global stage. The programme has been designed in conjunction with UK manufacturers including Jaguar Land Rover, Caterpillar, Bentley, JCB and Toyota, who will encourage their suppliers to take part. It will be delivered by Birmingham-based Industry Forum, the consultancy and training provider for manufacturers that was set up by the government and Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). NPLX is endorsed by the Automotive Council. “The only guaranteed way for manufacturers to cope with Brexit, whatever it means, is to become more globally competitive. OEMs and suppliers who get launches right will get their products to volume production and the market quicker, they will be able to reduce risk, grow their businesses and be more profitable. We want the UK supply chain to be seen by both domestic and international OEMs as the most competitive choice. Traditionally, the manufacturing function has seen new product introduction as a burden because it affects the smooth running of a factory, but we intend to demonstrate how it can be a positive lever for competitive growth for OEMs and the hundreds of supply chain companies that support them,” explains Industry Forum CEO, Dr. Chris Owen. NPLX has a modular curriculum encompassing 24 learning topics, designed around specific operational roles and four distinct business environments: new suppliers, build to print, complex build to print and design & manufacture businesses. It adopts a blended learning approach incorporating classroom training and on-site coaching and mentoring. NPLX supports the IATF 16949:2016 quality management standard, which mandates effective new product introduction processes and competently-trained practitioners. The programme starts later this month, with the first few sessions already sold out. It will be delivered regionally at convenient local venues later in the year. Through NPLX, Industry Forum will coach companies on the importance of the following in relation to a new product launch: Nominating an NPLX project manager, and four key functional players in design (where the supplier designs its own component(s)), quality, manufacturing and logistics & supply chain Designing a rigorous gated project management process and plan Building senior leadership awareness to ensure the plan is prioritised within the organisation The programme has been designed as a cost-effective solution, which has been made possible by leveraging national volume across OEMs and tier one suppliers. The SMMT is offering an initial subsidy to its members to reduce the cost to suppliers. To register interest in the NPLX programme, suppliers should visit our dedicated NPLX page: NPLX.
