March 5, 2020 News Last Update: 30 July 2021 Visitor and External Premises COVID-19 Policy Overview We have undertaken COVID-19 risk assessments for all our operations. In line with government guidelines, we are in a phased return to work where our team will be working either at home, at our office and at client premises. Please be assured that our email and phonelines continue to be monitored and we are responding to enquires during our usual office hours of 8:30am – 4-30pm. We are continuing to offer customers support virtually where practical. Where this is not practical please see the following guidance in relation to i) visitors attending the SMMT IF offices and ii) our staff working on external premises. Visitor Policy (IF Office, Birmingham) We are operating in line with the latest Government guidance on social distancing. We ask that you be mindful that others may still be adjusting to the changes within social distancing or may need to minimise their exposure risk and who would therefore wish to continue to maintain a 2m distance. Staff and visitors that are attending the office or moving about for work are strongly encouraged to take a government provided Lateral Flow test twice per week and report the results as required. People may choose to wear a face covering if they wish to do so. You are also encouraged to check in on our QR code when entering the building You MUST NOT attend the office if you have recent onset of any symptoms of coronavirus such as; A new continuous cough A high temperature A loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia) If you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), however mild, OR you have received a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) test result, the clear medical advice is to immediately self-isolate at home for at least 10 days from when your symptoms started. Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. You should arrange to have a test to see if you have COVID-19 symptoms which can be arranged by contacting the NHS, here. You should consider alerting anyone you have had close contact within the last 48 hours to let them know you have symptoms of COVID-19. If close contacts include people you have interacted with on SMMT IF premises or SMMT IF staff members, please inform the SMMT IF Health and Safety Officer Leanne Brend. Please do not attend the office if: You are directed to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace Service. You have travelled from a country which requires you to quarantine in the last 14 days prior to attendance on site. You have travelled from a country where you are required to self-isolate on arrival and this period has not yet expired. Attending the SMMT IF Office and Learning Centre Attendance at the SMMT IF Office and Learning Centre must be pre-agreed with your host or via booking a training course; please do not turn up unannounced. You may be asked to arrive at certain times so we can respect social distancing on entry to the office. Please try to adhere to your time wherever possible. If you are unable to meet your slot or are running late, please contact the office on +44 (0)121 717 6600. On arrival at the SMMT IF Office and Learning Centre, we advise all visitors to check in on our QR code when entering the building. There is also a hygiene station which we encourage you to use throughout the day. Throughout the building there are hygiene stations at strategic points e.g. on entrance to Learning Centre, in break out areas. We advise wearing additional clothing layers in cooler weather as windows and doors may be opened to allow fresh air circulation. We will be limiting the number of people attending training courses on site to ensure we can maintain government guidelines. Delegates will be allocated a table for the duration of the training. Additional training rooms have been opened where possible to allow for social distancing for those still adjusting to the changes during your breaks. Cleaning wipes are placed by communal refreshment points. If you have any concerns, please let your host know and they will contact the appropriate member of staff to discuss your concerns with you. Our staff working on Customer and other external sites In line with Government advice, activities may take place in person or virtually. Site based activities can only take place subject to national and regional restrictions. No international site activity is currently possible but may be conducted virtually. Any agreed onsite activity will require agreed COVID secure processes to be completed, agreed by the client and IF. IF Requirements for Working on Customer Premises: The client must demonstrate they have processes in place to protect against COVID in line with current guidelines and they are adhered to. See below for further information on these. Activity can only take place in enclosed meeting rooms where there is ventilation Please respect our consultant’s wishes if they choose to maintain social distancing and/or wear face coverings Our staff are instructed not to attend company sites if they have COVID-19 symptoms and are instructed to be tested in line with government guidelines. Our staff will not attend customer and other external sites if they are directed to self-isolate as a result of NHS Test and Trace and may also be self-isolating if contacted by the Covid app. We will inform the company if a member of staff who has attended their site subsequently has symptoms of, or is confirmed to have, COVID-19. This will be undertaken in line with PHE guidelines. Prior to agreeing to attend customer and other external sites we will request to see your COVID-19 policies and procedures in place. Our staff are instructed to comply with all the COVID-19 arrangements of the site they are attending including hygiene and social distancing measures. Our staff are supplied with anti-bac products and face coverings, should they choose to wear them. Our staff who are travelling on work related reasons are encouraged to regularly use lateral flow tests to minimise risk. Visitor and External Premises Co-vid 19 Policy Rev 7.0 (23/07/2021)
July 12, 2019 News Global MMOG/LE has been developed jointly by Odette and AIAG as a unique Supply Chain Management (SCM) capability assessment tool that can be used throughout the global automotive industry, as well as across other industry sectors. Since Version 1 was launched in 2003, the tool has been regularly updated to take account of the latest developments in SCM. A global team representing Odette and AIAG developed Global MMOG/LE Version 5 (V5) to ensure that the constant evolution in supply chain processes, logistics and communications technology, IT security and related audit standards are incorporated in to the standard. Global MMOG/LE V5, released for use from 2nd July 2019, will quickly become the required standard for self-assessment by automotive suppliers. It incorporates several key new additions, such as expecting companies to have a risk management process in place to ensure continuity of supplies when the organisation is required to deviate from normal operations, and cyber security practices to ensure company data is secure both internally and with third party partners, and especially whilst in transit. Customers will be announcing their V4 to V5 migration plans over the coming months, giving suppliers sufficient time to ensure that their operations can meet the new standard, as V5 will quickly become the norm for self-assessment of automotive supplier sites across the world. Another important development is that the Global MMOG/LE V5 assessment will not be published as an Excel workbook, and will only be available through the MMOG.np application. Release 1 of MMOG.np was launched in September 2018, incorporating the MMOG/LE V4 assessment catalogue. It is already being used by many supplier sites and early adopters are able to submit assessments prepared in MMOG.np. The application includes all the functionalities found in the Excel workbook but also offers additional features expected from a state of the art IT tool (such as audit trail, user access management, data security, multi-language etc.) and is flexible enough to be used by large corporations, as well as smaller organisations. Release 2 of MMOG.np is now available and includes a number of enhancements, the most significant of which are: • a secure internal email system to facilitate the exchange of MMOG/LE assessments and feedback between suppliers and customers; • the inclusion of the recently approved MMOG/LE V5 catalogue. MMOG.np release 2 allows the use of both the MMOG/LE V4 catalogue and MMOG/LE V5 catalogue. Using MMOG.np now to complete a V4 assessment will save you time and costs when you need to start using V5. SMMT Industry Forum staff participated in the global development team throughout the process and are ideally positioned to support Global MMOG/LE users through the transition to V5. For more information, contact us at [email protected] or phone us on +44 121 717 6600 to speak to one of our experts. Want to know more? Industry Forum offers essentials training for awareness, and practitioner training for those tasked with completing the assessments: Global Material Management Operations Guideline / Logistics Evaluation (MMOG/LE) V5 – Practitioner Global Material Management Operating Guidelines / Logistics Evaluation (MMOG/LE) V5 – Essentials MMOG/LE Version 5 is now available. Explore downloading and licensing options for the assessment tool on Odette’s website.
July 8, 2019 News [ UPDATE: SURVEY CLOSED ] As an IATF 16949:2016 Stakeholder we feel it’s important that you have the opportunity to feedback your views. Here is your chance, via an optional and anonymous IATF survey. The surveys are divided up by IATF 16949:2016 sections to enable you to give your comments in relation to the specific sections of most interest to you or the sections that you feel still require clarification. These surveys will be used to compile data on any requirements needing further clarification through Sanctioned Interpretations (SIs) or Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Your input will also be considered as part of any future revision to the Automotive Quality Management System Standard IATF 16949. You may partake in all survey sections, or just participate in those where you see specific concerns. Additionally, the larger sections of the standard are divided up into sub-sections and you may select those individual sub-sections. Each survey has two levels of menus to drill down to the clauses for feedback. Those surveys with more than one section (for example, sections 1 through 4 of the IATF 16949 standard) first have a selection menu to select sections 1 through 4 for feedback. The next level will take you to the individual clauses (for example 4.3.1). Surveys with one section (for example section 7), will allow selection from 7.1, 7.2, etc. Then the drill down will be to individual clauses, such as 7.1.3.1. It is not required to provide feedback on all clauses of a section, or even all sections. Completion of feedback on one clause will take you back to the menu to select the next clause requiring feedback. Large organisations may cascade the survey throughout their teams for individual responses. Demographic input is required for each survey completed. By participating in the survey, the stakeholders are agreeing to provide their demographic information (limited to your anonymous role in the IATF 16949 certification scheme – Certification Body, Vehicle Manufacturer, Supplier, etc., and global region of operation). This information will only be used for trend analysis and data sorting. If you have any questions, please contact us. This survey will be open until 5th August 2019. Responses received after that date will not be included in the analysis. Thank you in advance for your support and opting in to take this optional feedback opportunity regarding IATF 16949:2016. Please use the following links to participate in the survey sections: Sections 1 through 4 Sections 5 and 6 Section 7 Section 8 Sections 9 and 10 Annex A and Annex B
June 25, 2019 News SMMT Industry Forum is proud to support the new government-backed programme to improve UK manufacturing competitiveness and productivity. The £10 million programme aims to help make the UK’s aerospace manufacturing supply chain more competitive and was launched by new Business and Industry Minister, Andrew Stephenson during a recent visit to MEP in Aylesford, Kent. SMMT Industry Forum is to play an important role in the new initiative. The SC21 Competitiveness and Growth programme is funded by the government as part of its Industrial Strategy, and Aerospace 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. The first part of the programme develops a proposed implementation plan, underpinned by a financial business case. This phase is known as the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL) assessment. Led by approved Assessors, the approach analyses current capability across the beneficiary organisation, the internal vision and aspirations, as well as collating the views of customers on current and future competitiveness needs through a series of interviews. These are combined to develop work streams that will directly impact on competitiveness. Companies can then access funding to use sector approved, quality assured providers to support the implementation of their plans. Implementation support will combine training, coaching and mentoring activity. Throughout the implementation programme, the beneficiary organisation will have full ownership and control of the activities, ensuring they continue to best meet requirements. Along with other national providers, SMMT Industry Forum will support the programme both in the assessment and implementation phases. SMMT Industry Forum was actively involved in the development of the process, supporting pilot phase activities across both the automotive and aerospace sectors. In the automotive sector, the parallel programme will be known as National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels. We’re delighted that SC21 Competitiveness and Growth 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. The programme is now very much open for business and we’re looking forward to helping more than 170 companies achieve their potential across the two sectors. If your organisation is interested in benefiting from this programme, please express interest by visiting the NMCL website.
May 23, 2019 News Celebrate the launch of our new product introduction courses with an early bird discount Industry Forum has launched a new set of courses, perfect for anyone involved in implementing, managing or directing new product launch in an organisation. To celebrate the launch, we are offering 15% early bird discount for one place booked or 25% discount on total price for two or more places booked. How to claim your discount Discounts will be automatically applied to eligible orders when you book online. Please note that your discount will be applied once you reach the ‘Payment’ stage of your order. To qualify for the 25% discount offer, multiple participants / NPI courses should be booked in a single transaction. Terms and conditions: All bookings must be made by midnight on the 30th June 2019. Offer can be used for two delegates on the same course or one/multiple delegate on two courses. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers For questions please email [email protected]
May 22, 2019 News A new approach to improve the competitiveness of the British aerospace industry was unveiled today; “NMCL” has been successfully piloted by SMMT Industry Forum with companies in the North West of England. Aylesford, Kent – 13/5/19 – A £10 million programme to help make the UK’s advanced aerospace manufacturing supply chain more competitive was launched by new Business and Industry Minister Andrew Stephenson, today, as he visited aerospace and defence supplier MEP in Aylesford, Kent. Along with other national providers, SMMT Industry Forum – the training and consultancy specialist for manufacturers – will help deliver the new approach, called NMCL (for National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels), which is part of the SC21 Competitiveness & Growth (C&G) programme. The NMCL initiative is notable because it starts with an in-depth assessment of a company’s competitiveness, based on interviews with its key customers. This then identifies which business capabilities areas need to boost performance, such as improvements in quality, cost, delivery, flexibility, products/technology and customer experience. SMMT Industry Forum has been involved in piloting the new NMCL model with aerospace companies in the North West of England, including the competitiveness viewpoints by companies such as Airbus and Rolls Royce. Unilathe Ltd is a Staffordshire-based manufacturer of machined and fabricated components for the aerospace and automotive sectors that has participated in the NMCL programme as a test case. “What NMCL brings to the forefront is a set of criteria to benchmark against. 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,” says Andrew Simms, managing director of Unilathe. SC21 C&G is funded by the government as part of its Industrial Strategy, and Aerospace Sector Deal, with the NMCL approach having been developed by the automotive and aerospace sectors working together. It aims to assess and improve competitiveness, raise workforce capacity and increase productivity of all types of UK manufacturers. Dr Chris Owen, chief executive of SMMT Industry Forum, commented, “We’re delighted that SC21 C&G and NMCL have 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 aerospace manufacturers achieve their potential.” NMCL 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. Interested organisations, regardless of their size and stages of development, can register their interest to take part in the NMCL programme by completing by completing a short questionnaire on the SC21 website Images New Business and Industry Minister Andrew Stephenson has announced the selection of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL) programme, part of the SC21 Competitiveness & Growth (C&G) 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. Stoke-on-Trent-based Unilathe, which is a supplier to both the aerospace and the automotive industry has taken part in an SC21 C&G NMCL pilot programme. Pictured: Andrew Sims, managing director of Unilathe. Dr Chris Owen, chief executive of SMMT Industry Forum, commented, “We’re delighted that NMCL has 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.
April 12, 2019 News Industry Forum has announced two training sessions that will take place at Automechanika Birmingham in June, intended for those in the industry who want understand more about best practice in supply chain and manufacturing. Supply Chain Management 10am-12pm, 5 June 2019 This session will give attendees a general understanding of the fundamentals of supply chain planning and inventory management within a manufacturing organisation, and how to manage it to achieve an optimised working capital position. We will define the best practice planning approach, inventory and its objectives, review the characteristics of inventory in the supply chain and how to successfully manage variability of demand. Through detailing the strategic supply chain management process and inventory trade-off decisions we will show how an organisation can determine whether inventory is an asset or a liability. The workshop sessions will consist of a blend of presentation, discussion and hands-on activity depending on numbers in attendance. Register your attendance here An Introduction to Operational Excellence in Manufacturing 10am-12pm, 6 June 2019 This session will give attendees the general context around manufacturing operations and the principles which underpin its improvement such as Lean, TPM and Six Sigma. We will then expand on each principle in more detail giving delegates a greater understanding of when to apply them and give a focus not just on making improvement but also sustaining it. The workshop sessions will consist of a blend of presentation, discussion and hands-on activity depending on numbers in attendance. Register your attendance here
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.
