April 26, 2013 News Industry Forum will be holding a Total Productive Maintenance Seminar on 21st June 2013 at the Industry Forum Learning Centre, Birmingham, UK. The seminar is designed for Senior Management, Functional Managers (e.g. Maintenance, Quality, Safety) and change agents (e.g. Lean, TPM) who are embarking on TPM implementation within their organisations. The seminar is designed to give delegates an appreciation of the “Pillar” approach to TPM, demonstrating how TPM can be used to recognise and reduce losses, delivering sustainable business improvement. The seminar will cover: What TPM is, how it will align to your business strategy and other improvement initiatives such as Lean The pillars of TPM and how they can drive the elimination of losses How to deploy TPM within your organisation The seminar will include teach points, interactive discussions and case study examples of TPM deployment as well as the opportunity to network. The cost for the seminar is £95+VAT, inclusive of lunch, refreshments and access to the seminar materials. The seminar will be held at Industry Forum Learning Centre, Birmingham on the 4th April 2013, starting with registration at 8.30am and finishing at 1.15pm. Places are strictly limited and allocated on a first come first served basis. To register visit www.industryforum.co.uk or contact Stacie Dicken using the information provided below. For further information about the TPM Seminar 2013: [email protected] +44 (0)121 717 6614 Download TPM Seminar Flyer (pdf)
March 26, 2013 News Industry Forum will be exhibiting at The Global Manufacturing Festival: Sheffield on 18th April 2013 at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. The trade show is an uniquely focused trade show of up to 70 premium quality exhibitors from the advanced manufacturing and material industry, that are critical to the national success of the sector. The trade show will be complimented by bespoke break out presentations and case studies by prestigious speakers from the industry. Aimed to give delegate’s an opportunity to increase their knowledge of critical market sectors, the trade show will address how to develop the capabilities of each market sector and how to exploit them . Industry Forum will be exhibiting its considerable skills and experience of working with manufacturing companies and their supply chains in the Aerospace, Renewables, Medical and Nuclear sectors. If you would like to book an appointment to speak to an Industry Forum representitive at the event please click here or scan the qr code below.
March 13, 2013 News IAC is a leading global supplier of automotive components and systems, including interior and exterior trim. IAC’s estimated 2012 sales were $4.7 billion. The company operates 76 manufacturing facilities in 16 countries. IAC employs approximately 24,000 people around the world and is headquartered in Luxembourg. There are five plants within the UK and its headquarters is Midlands based. Apprentices are an integral part of the company’s talent pipeline. IAC recognize the benefits and value the many apprenticeship programmes can offer its business and again in 2012 recruited 9 young students across the UK. In a bid to promote and raise awareness about the benefits of apprenticeship programmes, IAC have entered a team into a National competition – The Brathay Team Challenge – Twitter hashtag #BAC13. This event is supported by the National Apprenticeship Service and aims to find the Apprentice team of the year. The challenge is a key part of the new era for Apprenticeships, demonstrating the quality of apprentices and the contribution they make to their employers success. Over 90 companies and nearly 800 apprentices nationally have enrolled in the challenge this year and IAC Group Ltd are proud to be represented by its own team of students from across the UK (Bottom left Sophie Biddle, Joshua Partridge, Kane Cartlidge, Jake White, John Edgerton, James Ogg, Aaron Tongue, Craig Reynolds and Demi – Leigh Rose). “This competition represents an excellent opportunity for IAC to promote its commitment to apprenticeships and allow the students a chance to develop as individuals thereby making an even bigger contribution to their personnel growth.” Commented Rebecca Backhurst – UK Learning and Development Manager. The IAC team will be visiting schools within the local area and across the UK, giving short presentations to students about their first hand experiences and knowledge on the process. Team IAC are also involved with a community project via the rejuvenation of the Babb’s Mill park area in Kings Hurst, 25th March 2013, trying to bring about a positive impact on the community. For more information on apprenticeships go to www.apprenticeships.org.uk
March 4, 2013 News Toyota UK engine plant, located in Deeside, North Wales today celebrated the creation of 70 new jobs at the facility in order to meet increased engine demand. Recruitment has already started and the additional jobs are the result of Toyota vehicles produced in Brazil now receiving machined parts from Deeside, as well as preparation for the start of production of the Auris Touring Sports model at Toyota’s vehicle manufacturing plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire. Both activities will lead to increased demand for engines produced at the Deeside facility. David Jones MP, Secretary of State for Wales who was visiting the Toyota plant today said, “Toyota has made a vital contribution to the growing success of the UK car manufacturing sector and to the creation of sustainable jobs in North Wales. It is a glowing example of collaboration between a global company and the UK, and a demonstration of why Wales continues to be a prime location to invest and do business.” Richard Kenworthy, Director of Toyota’s Deeside engine manufacturing plant said, “This is great news for the plant and for Wales. Our TMUK members at the Deeside engine plant continue to demonstrate they can deliver the superior quality and efficiency that are vital for building our presence in a highly competitive marketplace.” More than £6 billion has been invested in UK automotive during the last two years, creating and safeguarding thousands of jobs.
February 26, 2013 News Industry Forum will be holding a Total Productive Maintenance Seminar on 4th April 2013 at the Industry Forum Learning Centre, Birmingham, UK. The seminar is designed for Senior Management, Functional Managers (e.g. Maintenance, Quality, Safety) and change agents (e.g. Lean, TPM) who are embarking on TPM implementation within their organisations. The seminar is designed to give delegates an appreciation of the “Pillar” approach to TPM, demonstrating how TPM can be used to recognise and reduce losses, delivering sustainable business improvement. The seminar will cover: What TPM is, how it will align to your business strategy and other improvement initiatives such as Lean The pillars of TPM and how they can drive the elimination of losses How to deploy TPM within your organisation The seminar will include teach points, interactive discussions and case study examples of TPM deployment as well as the opportunity to network. The cost for the seminar is £95+VAT, inclusive of lunch, refreshments and access to the seminar materials. The seminar will be held at Industry Forum Learning Centre, Birmingham on the 4th April 2013, starting with registration at 8.30am and finishing at 1.15pm. Places are strictly limited and allocated on a first come first served basis. To register visit www.industryforum.co.uk or contact Stacie Dicken using the information provided below. For further information about the TPM Seminar 2013: [email protected] +44 (0)121 717 6614 Download TPM Seminar flyer (pdf)
February 20, 2013 News Industry Forum will be exhibiting at MAINTEC 2013 5th – 7th March 2013. Come and visit us on Stand G12 to see how we can use Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) to help your business eliminate ALL of its losses! On hand will be a qualified JIPM TPM Assessor who can help you understand TPM, its capabilities and it full potential on your organisation. Industry Forum is one of only 6 global JIPM Approved Assessment Agencies.
December 13, 2012 News Industry Forum has brought together some of the UK’s most specialised advanced manufacturing companies to showcase their products at an exhibition at the SMMT Westminster offices in central London between 10th December 2012 and 4th January 2013. These companies are operating at the forefront of advanced manufacturing in the UK offering innovative and highly engineered components and products. Exhibition Images [nggallery id=6] Advanced Manufacturing The company was established in 2010, with a modern, comprehensive manufacturing plant commissioned soon after. The high skill levels and creativity of its staff cater to both volume and niche orders of precision metal work. Investments over the last two years in robotic automation and substantial pressing facilities at this ISO 9001:2010 certified business have further broadened its capabilities in a variety of sectors. The products on show at SMMT demonstrate the bespoke, multi-metal solutions that it offers its clients, including door assemblies and exterior trim for both Aston Martin and Bentley. www.advmanufacturing.co.uk BAC-Mono BAC (Briggs Automotive Company) Ltd. is the British manufacturer of Mono, the world’s first single-seat production supercar. Brothers lan and Neill Briggs realised a long held ambition of designing and engineering their own car with the launch of Mono in March of 2011, and in turn set a new benchmark in the niche automotive sector. BAC are delighted to announce news of strong sales and developments that point towards a bright future in the automotive industry. Despite the tough economic climate, domestically and abroad, Mono has commanded enormous interest from all corners of the globe, with distributor agreements in the key markets of USA and China and export sales to many countries. Based in Cheshire, BAC source almost all the cars components from within the UK and are extremely proud to state that Mono is ‘Built in Britain’. www.bac-mono.com CTG CTG is a true British success story: a leader in the design, development and manufacture of advanced composite materials, products and systems. We have established an international reputation for our innovation, quality and successful development of composite solutions across a wide business spectrum. CTG is at the forefront of filament winding technology, specialising in precise fibre placement techniques and innovating new technology in joining metals to composites. CTG’s exhibit at SMMT includes a range of composite propshafts, along with pressure vessels, hydraulic accumulators and a composite flywheel. www.ctgltd.com Performance Springs Performance Springs Ltd is at the leading edge of spring technology and innovation. We design, develop and manufacture high quality, precision, compression springs particularly for engine valve, fuel injection, clutch, brake systems, steering and pressure regulation. Applications range across racecar, passenger and commercial vehicles, and also include heavy duty diesel engines. Spring optimisation and prototyping services plus advanced on-site testing and laboratory facilities are available. All components are manufactured to customer order and we currently work with many prestigious global OEM and aftermarket companies. Performance Springs is the best choice for high fatigue and safety critical applications. On display at SMMT is a variety of springs and valves, as well as a cutaway cylinder head that demonstrates the products in context. www.performancesprings.co.uk Polytec Car Styling The POLYTEC GROUP is a leading developer and manufacturer of high-quality plastic parts, with 21 sites and over 3500 employees worldwide. POLYTEC includes renowned international motor industry brands among its customers, but is also increasingly supplying markets outside of this sector. Its key criteria for success are the latest technologies, unimpeachable quality, absolute delivery reliability and competitive pricing. In both the automotive and non-automotive fields, POLYTEC offers supreme added value in every segment, ranging from product design and development through the manufacturing of tools and workpieces for fibre-reinforced materials, along with component simulation and testing, to practically all conceivable plastic processing technologies. Furthermore, POLYTEC offers excellent performance with regard to downstream processes such as painting or assembly, along with just-in-time or just-in-sequence delivery. Polytec’s products on show at SMMT include two examples of aerodynamic components manufactured for Ford and Jaguar at its Bromyard plant in the West Midlands. www.polytec-group.com
November 27, 2012 News Entrepreneur and educator Doug Richard has published his independent report on the future of apprenticeships. A successful entrepreneur with 20 year’s experience in the development and leadership of technology and software ventures, Doug was selected in June 2012 by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education to lead an independent review into the future of apprenticeships for the Government. His remit was to look at how to build upon the record success of recent years by: Ensuring that apprenticeships meet the needs of the changing economy Ensuring every apprenticeship delivers high quality training and the qualifications and skills that employers need Maximising the impact of Government investment In his report, Doug stresses that the different elements contained within his recommendations must be taken collectively saying “they are interlinked and the system will only make sense and be deliverable if all the elements are adopted as a whole.” Richard’s recommendations are: 1. Apprenticeships should be redefined. They should be clearly targeted at those who are new to a job or role that requires sustained and substantial training. Training and accreditation of existing workers that are already fully competent in their jobs should be delivered separately; as should provision aimed primarily at supporting entry into employment. The Government should introduce a new separate work-based programme to support entry into employment. This should replace some Level 2 apprenticeships. 2. The focus of apprenticeships should be on the outcome. There should be recognised industry standards at the heart of every apprenticeship. They should clearly set out what apprentices should know, and be able to do, at the end of their apprenticeship, at a high level which is meaningful and relevant for employers. These standards should form the basis of new apprenticeship qualifications, which replace apprenticeship frameworks, the current qualifications which comprise them and the current national occupational standards which underpin them. There should be just one apprenticeship qualification for each occupation associated with an apprenticeship. They should link to standards for professional registration in sectors where these exist and are well-recognised. 3. The Government should set up a contest for the best qualification. Individual employers, employer partnerships or other organisations with the relevant expertise should be invited to design and develop apprenticeship qualifications for their sectors. The selection of the ‘best’ qualification for an occupation should be based on Government-set criteria for identifying whatgood looks like. The criteria should ensure the qualification is ambitious and stretching, delivers transferrable skills and has significant buy-in amongst employers, including small ones. 4. The testing and validation process should be independent and genuinely respected by industry. The test should be holistic, at the end, and assess whether the individual is fully competent and employable, within their job and their sector. Employers should be directly involved in assessment. They must make sure that the assessment consistently tests apprentices to the standard specified in the qualification. Assessors should be entirely independent and have no incentive or disincentive related to the outcome of the assessment. The Government, a government body or regulator should approve and oversee the assessment process, or the organisations in charge of that process, in a light touch way. 5. All apprentices should have achieved Level 2 in English and maths before they can complete their apprenticeship. Maths and English taught within apprenticeships should be sufficiently functional in approach to be suitable for an apprenticeship context. 6. The Government should encourage diversity and innovation in delivering apprenticeships. There will be many paths and approaches that an apprentice can take to reach ‘the standard’ and we should strip out any unnecessary prescription and regulation of the process for getting there. 7. The Government has a role in promoting good quality delivery. To maximise value for learners and minimise risk of poor practice, Government should make some off-site learning and a minimum duration for apprenticeships mandatory. Government should ensure that an effective, light-touch approval process exists to confirm training organisations are providing good quality training, relevant for the sector. 8. Government funding must create the right incentives for apprenticeship training. The purchasing power for investing in apprenticeship training should lie with the employer. Government should contribute to the cost, but this should be routed via the employer, in order to ensure relevance and drive up quality. The price should be free to respond to and reflect employer demand. Government should only contribute to the cost of training that supports the apprentice in reaching the industry-agreed standard. The payment should be linked, in part, to the apprentice passing the test. A preferred approach would be to fund apprenticeships using the National Insurance or tax system – for example through a tax credit, similar to the R&D tax credit. The funding system should be kept simple and accessible, including for small firms. 9. Learners and employers need access to good quality information. Relevant government data should be made open and accessible in simple language and formats, so that companies can connect it together to generate products that present data in meaningful, innovative and accessible ways. The Government, through its own communication channels and careers advice services, should ensure that information about apprenticeships and their benefits is effectively and widely disseminated. 10. Government must actively boost awareness of the new apprenticeship model. Boosting learner and employer demand is an active responsibility of Government. Government should take an education based approach to this – enabling a wider range of employers to learn how to take on apprentices and why it’s worthwhile. New ways to bring employers and prospective learners together should be promoted, including through an ‘apprenticeship milk round’. More effort should be made to ensure that schools and teachers, parents and all those who inform and guide young people have a better understanding of what a high quality apprenticeship can offer. Download the full report summary here Industry Forum have been involved with SEMTA in the development of Apprenticeship frameworks to improve operational performance through operations and quality improvement. For more information please contact Ross McFarlane, Sector Manager – Learning & Development on 07977 577120.
November 23, 2012 News This article was originally published on the Birmingham Post website,23.11.12. Automotive supply chain firms have a “golden opportunity” – but they must work with manufacturers and financiers to address a lack of capacity, experts have warned. Those were some of the messages that emerged at a special event organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in Solihull where more than 125 UK-based suppliers were told car manufacturing in Britain was flourishing thanks to companies like Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, BMW, Toyota, Honda and General Motors. There is a chance for companies in the supply chain to cash in on the UK’s booming automotive industry but they need to be supported by lenders and investment in tooling is an issue that needs to be tackled. Around 25 lenders – including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander – were also present at the SMMT’s Meet the Funder event which aimed to provide a form to discuss the financial needs of the UK’s £4.8 billion supply chain and improve dialogue. Mark Orton, a partner at KPMG’s Birmingham office, said UK component suppliers offered real advantages compared to both eurozone and Eastern European countries and highlighted major investment in UK manufacturing operations by Honda, BMW, Nissan, Toyota and General Motors. “This is fantastic investment that supports and bolsters the supply chain going forward,” he added. “Compared to the eurozone the UK is a very friendly and stable economy, with low tax rates and a government that is supportive of the UK manufacturing sector. “The weakness of sterling is also beneficial in terms of investment from the Far East. “All are good reasons for inward investment. There is also a favourable labour pool and one that is attractive to the automotive sector, real investment in the skills base and a reputation for innovation and research.” He said there was real expectation that over the next four to five years the UK automotive sector would grow by nine per cent per annum, peaking at 2.2 million units, but said there were real challenges in terms of coping with that growth, one of which was funding. Also highlighted was “the tooling debate” regarding the investment difficulties in developing new tooling lines though he added he believed this was now close to being solved. Simon Moger, head of government programmes at Jaguar Land Rover, echoed some of the issues over tooling with questions over who funds and takes risks over investment in it. “I can’t reiterate enough the great opportunities the UK has for growth at the moment,” he said. “If we are going to make these opportunities happen there is so much we need to do. Everyone wants this to be a success but we are not underestimating the challenge it is going to take to get there.” Mr Moger said although JLR would spend £5 billion on UK suppliers this year under capacity continued to be a problem. “Significant supply chain capacity has been removed to Europe since the last recession and the growth of JLR and Nissan has filled remaining UK capacity,” he added. “There needs to be significant extra capacity put into the UK and we need to work with banks, government and local partners to maximise opportunity.” Irene Graham, managing director for business finance and strategy for the British Bankers’ Association, said: “The banks are open for business and want to work in partnership with the automotive industry. How we work together will drive forward how we are fit for purpose to meet the challenge for the automotive sector in this country.”
November 22, 2012 News The award process is now open until the end of January 2013 for the 2013 awards. To apply for an award download the 2013 Application Outline and Application Form. Complete the application form and return it to TPM Assessment at [email protected] If you have any questions on the completion of the form please contact the TPM Assessment office +44 (0)121 717 6619. Once we received the application, we will acknowledge receipt and pass to JIPM for processing.
