School trip to the Mini factory
As a business student, the first aim of my pathway is to discover as much as possible on the subject, but not just through books. In fact, in my opinion one of the best ways of learning is throughout the real life: after I have studied the topic I will see it in person, observe how it works in a true work environment and how everything is organized and administrated. Due to this, on Friday 9th March, one of our Business teachers, Sam Tibbenham, organized a tour to the Mini’s Factory in Oxford, in order to find out everything on this successful business with a specific focus on production: production methods, quality, efficiency and productivity.
Plant Oxford is the birthplace for three specifics models: MINI’s Hatch, the 5 door Hatch and the MINI Clubman. What has made the experience fascinating is that Mini’s Factory is all based on technology. I have never been very passionate of cars, but this was definitely a “unique” experience. We started by seeing some of the fundamental parts of the complete process with a full explanation. For example, could you ever imagine how many “electric arms” there are just in the first section of the factory, where they build the different parts? Well, they have a total of 1,200 just in one section of the factory and each one of them is completely self-sufficient and coordinated with the others. The timing of the operation is precise to the last second so that the robots have enough time to complete the operation and change tool at the end of the robot’s arm to work on a different model which arrives approximately 60 seconds after the operation completes on the previous component. Just think that in an area the size of 14 football pitches (approximately 120,000 square meters), we saw maybe 20 people. It really seemed like science fiction!
We then moved to the assembly plant which was a massive conveyor belt. But not simply how you might think of small objects moving in front of you. This was a moving carpet on which employees stood and they moved with the car itself so that no time was lost at all between operations. Cars were hung at a precise level from above so that employees could stand or sit in the most comfortable position to maximize their efficiency and productivity. This was a trip that no text book could possible describe to you!
By Alessandra Di Nicola, from Italy, current student at EF Academy Oxford