Jaguar

1808 Words4 Pages

Jaguar

Creating world class performance

in a Jaguar assembly plant

Introduction

In recent years, many UK manufacturing and service industries have

transformed their production methods and processes. Businesses that

have been at the leading edge of change have prospered, leaving their

competitors behind.

Key ingredients in this process of change have been an emphasis on

creating total quality systems that involve:

• getting it right first time at every stage of production

• lean production to cut out waste and to simplify manufacturing

systems

• creating environmental management systems that guarantee:

• the highest levels of environmental performance within an

organisation

• excellent relationships with the local community.

This case study examines ways in which Jaguar has transformed its new

assembly plant at Halewood to guarantee World Class Performance in its

production systems.

Today, the Halewood plant is dedicated to producing the new Jaguar X'

Type. This is a car for the 21st century. It has been developed as a

result of feedback from a massive global consumer research programme.

The programme has ensured that the car's designers, engineers and

marketers remain in tune with the needs and expectations of potential

customers at every stage in the car's development.

Developing the site

In January 1960, Ford bought the 1390 hectare greenfield site in

Halewood from Liverpool corporation and the British Transport

Commission. The Halewood site quickly became established as a leading

car manufacturing plant and was associated particularly with Ford

Escort production.

When Ford acquired Jaguar in the early 1990s, Halewood also began to

produce body panels for Jaguar cars.

In 1998, Halewood was announced as the production site for the all new

Jaguar X' Type sports saloon. It would replace Ford Escort production,

which was to be phased out by 2000. Halewood was chosen to produce the

X' Type because:

• existing Jaguar plant in the Midlands lacked sufficient capacity

• the 'Britishness' associated with Jaguar made overseas production

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