Members attending this visit learnt about embedding and sustaining continuous improvement using Unipart’s 5-part model. Following feedback last year, the learning experience was even more immersive and flexible, allowing members to focus on the aspects of the model of greatest interest and relevance to them.

Why Unipart

The Unipart Group is a multinational, multi-sector manufacturing, logistics and consultancy company with roots in the automotive industry. Throughout its history, Unipart has reinvented itself multiple times to remain competitive in a fast-moving environment. The organisation’s approach to lean manufacturing, ‘the Unipart Way’, has led to the development of a renowned continuous improvement methodology that has helped improve operations in companies from Apple to London Underground, and Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

What was learnt?

On the day-long visit, we collectively explored Unipart’s framework for continuous improvement. We dug down into a 5-part model for sustainably creating a continuous improvement culture, covering elements including leadership and engagement.

This was a unique opportunity to understand how continuous improvement works in the private sector and to have in-person conversations with staff employing these principles and learn about how they have embedded the culture across teams. Members also had the chance to review case studies of applications of the Unipart approach within health and care settings and considered how learning can be translated back into their own organisations.

Aims and objectives

• Understand the Unipart culture and how the business has been transformed using lean and improvement principles.
• Articulate the 5-element model of continuous improvement.
• Explore how each element supports sustained benefits to the team and organisation.
• Consider the practical steps that can be taken to embed a culture of continuous improvement in your team.
• Identify top tips from the experience of Unipart team members to help you use and apply in your own context.
• Share and learn from other Q members attending the session

Read more about the day here: The Unipart Way