The Unipart Way
Scan the pages of the business press and you will find dozens of organisations in the public and private sector that are engaged in an almost unrelenting quest to implement an approach to operational excellence that is referred to simply as “Lean”.
It is actually far from simple. Operational excellence requires a company-wide commitment to creating a culture of continuous improvement, and an understanding that is as much about people as it is about process.
Twenty Years of Development
Over twenty years ago, guided by expert companies like Honda and Toyota, Unipart pioneered the implementation of Lean in a European company. Through trial and error and careful coaching from those who understood Lean deeply, Unipart created an approach to Lean that is both accessible and transferable across both public and private sectors. At the heart of Unipart’s approach is the deep engagement of people at every level of the organisation.
Philosophy of Working
The Unipart Way is much more than a technique or initiative. It is a philosophy of working that is underpinned by a set of integrated tools, each of which can be mastered over time by people at every level of an organisation. It is also dynamic; new developments that come from innovation and the “doing” in the day-to-day business are captured, codified and shared through best practice knowledge management systems.
At the heart of The Unipart Way are business principles that provide the framework for people to understand our company’s values and to advance their personal knowledge, skill and ability as far as their ambitions will take them.
Impressive Results
Within our company, The Unipart Way has created a competitive edge that is delivered through the outstanding capability of our people. But when put inside other organisations, The Unipart Way delivers equally impressive results.
For instance, the National Audit Office reported that the fifteen months of knowledge and culture transfer that took place when Unipart’s Expert Practitioners worked in close partnership with people in HMRC to implement Lean is expected to deliver over £400m in savings. It also visibly changed the way people worked on a day-to-day basis.
Creating The Unipart Way inside our organisation required us to develop highly skilled, highly motivated Expert Practitioners who know exactly how to help people grasp the power of Lean. In putting the Unipart Way inside your organisation, you can be confident that Unipart Practitioners really know how to make Lean work at every level of your organisation.
