Unipart

The Unipart Group is a 3rd Party Logistics provider whose clients include Vodafone, Jaguar Cars, London Taxis International, Landrover Classic, BSkyB, Airbus, Jessops, Halfords and Homebase. It is the UK's largest independent operator of motor factors for cars, vans and commercial vehicles through its Unipart Automotive division and has a significant role in rail network infrastructure and rolling stock parts supply through Unipart Rail.

Unipart's consultancy arm provides consultancy to other organisations in a variety of areas. As well as supply chain and logistics consultancy it offers consultancy in lean principles across a variety of industry sectors and the public sector. Unipart's lean consultancy methodology is known as The Unipart Way; a system of tools and techniques with a guiding philosophy to reduce waste or activities which do not add value.

Unipart operates in Europe, North America, Australia and Japan, and its head office is based in Cowley, near Oxford in Oxfordshire UK. Unipart is one of the largest privately held companies in the UK.

The Unipart Way

"The Unipart Way" (based on learning from Honda, its own history and the Toyota Production System) is the name the company has given to its methodology. It involves a process of continuous measurement which is designed to lead to a reduction of wasteful activity, thereby ensuring the best deployment of time and resources.

The methodology is not without its critics. Most publicly, the work done at HMRC was censured by PCS general secretary, Mark Serwotka, who stated, "By reducing staff to nothing more than machines on the whim of consultants, the department is undermining the morale of staff who face imminent job cuts and office closures." cite web | title=Customs staff in desk clutter ban | work= | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6149324.stm | accessdate=November 15 | accessyear=2006 ] This is the second time lean has been publicly criticised: previously "The HMRC's Lean programme, which aims to improve efficiency, has already resulted in a work-to-rule and overtime ban among 14,000 civil servants." cite web | title=Customs staff in desk clutter ban | work= | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6149324.stm | accessdate=November 15 | accessyear=2006 ]

HMRC argue that Unipart's work has produced significant benefits for them. An HMRC spokesman said: "Lean is all about offering a better service to our customers and staff. It is a key element in HMRC's plan to provide improved service and meet efficiency targets. Staff are asked to organise their desks when shared with colleagues to avoid clutter and to make sure they have everything set up to do their job effectively. Any suggestion that staff are restricted to a pen and cup on their desk is simply not true. Rather than making work boring and repetitive, staff are being invited to work with their managers to improve the way tasks and systems are developed." cite web | title=Customs staff in desk clutter ban | work= | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6149324.stm | accessdate=November 15 | accessyear=2006 ] .

The independent NAO report of 6th July 2007 describes the purpose of Lean as "to streamline keywork processes to eliminate duplication or reworking, improve accuracy, increase productivity, and reduce lead times in processing cases", and it predicts savings to the taxpayer of £440 million by 2011 "the majority of which will be achieved through implementing Lean."cite web | title=National Audit Office report (HC 605, 2007-07) | url=http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/06-07/0607605.htm | accessdate=July 15 | accessyear=2007 ]

Unipart in the community

Unipart has strong links with the local community and education, supporting many community initiatives and organisations. Unipart has a traditionally strong affiliation with motorsport. In 2006, the company teamed up with Nigel Mansell and his sons, Greg and Leo, in a sponsorship deal in support of Nigel's sons' careers in Formula BMW.

As the Unipart Way philosophy is wedded to removing waste Unipart has long held to a reduce, re-use, recycle agenda. For example on sites where volumes do not offer cost effective cardboard recycling it is shredded and used instead of bubble wrap. Fact|date=February 2007

Currently Unipart also supports a pilot initiative to support 11 young people who were struggling at school. They now attend classes within Unipart daily and are supported through work experience. By being treated as trainees rather than pupils their attendance records and academic progress have been transformed. Fact|date=February 2007

Unipart also supports an intiative to give homeless people supported and paid employment.With nearly 10,000 employees, Unipart people play an active role in their communities as councillors, special constables and as volunteers for numerous charities and organisations. Fact|date=February 2007

Unipart supports the one per cent club principles aiming to distribute one per cent of its pre-tax gross profits in goods or in kind each year. Fact|date=February 2007

Clients

Among Unipart's notable clients are:
* Jaguar
* Vodafone
* BSkyB

* Halfords
* Homebase
* Jessops
* Play.com
* HP
* 3
* HMRC
* Apple

External links

* [http://www.unipart.co.uk/ Unipart Group] Official site
* [http://www.unipart.oxi.net/ Unipart Group] Official site (mirror)
* [http://www.unipartlogistics.com/ Unipart Logistics] Official site
* [http://www.unipartrail.com] Unipart Rail

References