Member Article

Popular NatWest best practice factory visits set to continue in 2019

For the last two years, Gosport-based LEAN business specialists, Fedden USP, has teamed up with NatWest to arrange best practice factory visits for the bank’s manufacturing clients. Feedback from attendees has been so positive that arrangements are now being made for the first visit of 2019.

In 2016 the first factory visit was undertaken with Siemens Magnet technology in Oxfordshire, who were reaping the benefits of LEAN working following a number of training workshops delivered by Fedden USP, in conjunction with MIT Skills.

Two companies attending the first visit were Fareham-based dental laboratory, UK Dentech and Southampton-based Utility Consultant, Zenergi. Both companies learnt a great deal from the visit and, as a result, decided to employ the services of Fedden USP to deliver a 5-day LEAN Business Improvements Techniques (BITs) Level 2 workshop, covering all aspects of LEAN working. 20 employees at each company undertook the training and it has certainly paid dividends for them. Zenergi has managed to identify over £80k per annum of saving as a result of the LEAN training and UK Dentech identified savings of around £30k per annum as they applied the LEAN training to the design and layout of their new premises.

A further factory visit has been carried out at Siemens and more recently at Crowcon Detection Instruments in Abingdon, which is also where the first factory visit of 2019 will be held. Crowcon are working their way through a three-year programme of incorporating LEAN efficiency techniques into the business. The company is over a year into the programme, which will see over 100 employees in the Operations Division offered some form of LEAN training. Operations Director, Frazer Mackay will provide an insight into the progress made at the company so far.

Each factory visit helps UK companies to identify best manufacturing practices and the visits are made up of an introduction to Lean Theory from Neil Fedden, owner and Managing Director of Fedden USP, followed by a LEAN Lego game to demonstrate Lean Theory in action and then a factory tour of the plant.

Feedback to the visits has been excellent with some describing the event as ‘First class, inspirational’ and ‘Brilliant day of immense value’.

Simon Finch, NatWest Senior Relationship Manager, Commercial Banking, said: “Supporting our customers and helping their businesses grow is what drives us as a bank. We want to provide true value to a business so that they feel empowered and able to take advantage of the opportunities ahead. This is why we work with specialist providers such as Fedden USP so that our customers can access the knowledge and innovations they need to help their businesses achieve greater success. We have been delighted that our customers have benefited so much from our work with Fedden USP and look forward to supporting them further in 2019.”

If you are interested in attending a future visit, please contact Neil Fedden at neil@fedden-usp.co.uk, or call Neil on 07899 971183 or 01489 611603.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Colin Bridgman .