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The article suggests that BAE Systems PLC's regular presence in the North West part of Great Britain is important to the economy of the country. The firm's labour productivity is more than two times the national average, according to a report published three years ago. For every 10 jobs created by BAE Systems directly, twelve more jobs are supported in the supply chain.

The article offers the author's view on technological innovation and its benefit for oil firms in terms of productivity. She mentions that companies are pressured by climate change requirements and low prices in petroleum leading to poor investment on oil fields. An overview of England-based University of Cambridge's BP Institute and its collaboration with organizations for perfecting enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques is also presented.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including the number of engineers produce by India and China in the March 2011 issue, the geothermal energy in Great Britain in the February 2011 issue, and "Electric dreams come true" in the March 2011 issue.

The article discusses the role of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in transforming the factories while ensuring availability of shopfloor tools and boosting productivity and quality. It mentions the Track and Trace testbed from technology companies Bosch, Cisco and Tech Mahindra, which uses the IIoT to the factory to drive tool connectivity and efficiency across manufacturing. It presents the views of Dirk Slama, director of business development at Bosch Software Innovations, on it.

The article reports on the move of manufacturers in Great Britain to introduce lean methods to improve productivity that diversified into higher-value areas and pushed into export markets. It is a survey which was conducted by the manufacturers' organization called Engineering Employers Federation. The survey found that despite significant challenges such as the threat of low-cost economies, almost 90 percent of the 600 firms expect the region to remain the main location for manufacturing.

This article focuses on the role of Great Britain's Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) to help companies to add value. The MAS is the centrepiece of Great Britain's Department of Trade and Industry's policy towards manufacturing and it's being delivered through the English and Welsh regional development agencies. Strangely, MAS gets big and almost universal praise from industry. And, even odder, the Treasury, which rarely seems to do what industry wants, likes MAS too and has just given it backing to continue into the middle distance. Companies can sign up for a free manufacturing inspection--termed a "diagnostic visit" by experienced manufacturing specialists. The specialists take a turn around the shopfloor, review operations and make recommendations both on the day and then in a "straightforward" two-or-three-page report about how productivity might be improved. INSET: Getting it right first time.

Vehicle production is back to almost record level in the past 20 years or so in Great Britain. Global industries Ltd., tend eventually to migrate to low-cost places and a flourishing automotive sector is viewed pretty much universally as a staple of a developed economy. A combination of half-full and half-empty thinking lies behind the Foresight Vehicle programme. Nick Barter, the exJaguar product development director who is now director of the programme, isn't one to undersell present industry strengths. INSETS: Trapping tiny particles at the tailpipe;The Foresight saga won applause.

Focuses on the motor industry's need to change its strategies to cater to smaller volumes, customization and built to order products. Origin of the Generative Car idea to enable engineers to spend more time on the creative aspects; Use of computer templates to carry manufacturing information and assembly details from one system to another; Integration with multiple products to speed up flow and process and deliver at the bottom line.

Focuses on the efforts of organizations to introduce efficient manufacturing practices in the automotive industry. Increase in the productivity and quality standards and reduction in the skill-gaps through training; Equation of lean manufacturing with increased quality and delivery and decreased wastes and costs; Emphasis on learning by participating in workshops which simulate the shop floor environment.

Reports on the launch of the initiative of the British Department of Trade and Industry to improve productivity in Great Britain. Credit of the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) to Patricia Hewitt; Concept of the MAS; Elements of the structure. INSET: At your service - how the scheme works in Melton Mowbray.

Reports on the adoption of the manufacturing techniques by manufacturing firms in Great Britain. Cost of the adoption resistance of the firms; Effects of the resistance on the productivity; Efficiency of the industry.

Presents information on the productivity of automobile manufacturers in North America as of June 27, 2001 based on a study by Detroit, Michigan-based manufacturing consultancy firm, Harbour & Associates. Number of hours required by Nissan to manufacture a car; Efficiency of Ford compared with other United States-based carmakers; Effect of the productivity gap on car prices.

In this article, the author discusses use of big data in business. Topics discussed include role of big data in optimizing and improving practices and services in business, development of business models like data-driven business models to create additional value by extracting, refining and capitalizing on data, use of big data driven technologies by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to increase their to productivity and profitability.

Explains why variance exists in the levels of productivity within British manufacturing. Preeminence of the Nissan plant at Sunderland, England, in the area of car manufacturing productivity; Industrial productivity in Great Britain in the early 1980s; Alternative definitions of productivity.

The article reports on the impact of car scrappage scheme on the sales and production of automobiles in Great Britain. According to Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., an increase by 40 percent is seen on their production of Miera model while Qashqai has seen a 15 percent sales increase on the back of the 2,000 pound trade-in deal. Trevor Mann, senior vice president, states that the scrappage incentives have brought sales that would not normally have been generated.

The article reports on the decline of order books of manufacturers for the 15th month in a row in Great Britain. Confederation of British Industry's (CBI) industrial trends survey reported that 48 percent of firms said that order books were below normal. However, CBI also predicted signs of stabilising demand with a balance of just 2% expecting output to decline over the next three months.

The article reports on the survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) regarding the orders received by manufacturing firms in Great Britain. Because of the economic crisis, the industry suffered its lowest orders since January 1992, which quarterly figures showed ongoing pessimism over demand. Moreover, 43% of firms claimed that the volume of output declined in the said period, while 12% reported that output has increased.

The article reports on the potential impact of the growing production shutdowns at major car plants on its supply firms in Great Britain. It states that lower production is starting to have a direct impact on the supply chain, bringing the threat of job losses and closure of component suppliers. An automotive industry analyst warns that there would be severe cashflow problems and vulnerability unless car part suppliers were paid in advance during tough times.

The article announces that the wind-energy factory of Vestas company is likely to close at Campbeltown site in Scotland. It states that the factory has unable to produce satisfactory earnings since it began production in 2002. As a result, the company has started consultation with its 91 workers at the site.

The article provides updates on developments related to mechanical engineering in Great Britain. Trend Control Systems Ltd. staved off competition from hundreds of the most robust firms in the manufacturing and business sectors in the country. They are aiming to win the top award at Institution of Mechanical Engineering's Manufacturing Excellence Awards. this event has been sponsored by the Manufacturing Advisory Service.

The article discusses the productivity report of Harbour Consulting company on car manufacturers in North America. It shows that Toyota Motor Corp. leads against General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Detroit Motor Co. The report also indicates that Toyota requires 29.93 hours of labor in building a car or component, and shows high flexibility in assembly plants. U.S. makers shift their operations in an effort to improve productivity.

The article reports that manufacturing continues to enjoy a positive picture with output at its best for 11 years, according to the latest quarterly trends survey by manufacturers' organization, Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) in Great Britain. However, there has been some weakening of export orders. According to EEF chief economist Steve Radley, companies investment and recruitment intentions remain strong.

The article reports that Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) has opened its first automotive plant in India. The plant will employ 120 workers to build 1,700 cars in a single-shift system. Frank Peter Arndt, company's production director, said that the strategy of local production allows them to exploit the opportunities of opening the company's long-term potential in the local market.

The article reports on the warning issued by a group of legislators on possible losses and plant closures in the automotive industry in Great Britain. This reflects on the investigation made by the cross-party Trade and Industry Select Committee regarding the health of the industry since the bankruptcy of MG Rover. Moreover, legislators consider the global overcapacity and threats from lower-cost production in Eastern Europe on the sector.

The article announces the expansion of LDV Group company in Birmingham, England. LDV, which was acquired by Gaz International company last July 2006, is increasing the production of its Maxus range and is planning to boost its number of employees from 850 to more than 1,000 in 2007. Following the acquisition, LDV's van production surged from 150 to 235 vans weekly.

The article focuses on the survey of manufacturing industries conducted by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply (CIPS) in Great Britain. Findings revealed that rates of expansion for manufacturing production and new orders in January 2007 increased. The CIPS headline index improved from 52 in December to 52.8 in January. According to analysts, the stronger-then expected levels of activity were surprising, considering that interest rates have increased.

The article reports on the study that teleworkers doing business from home may lead to striking productivity gains. The study found that the quality of teleworking may improve, leads to the accuracy of work and reduces transport cost if teleworkers do not have to travel to work since they are free from stress. High technology mobile communications would allow teleworkers to remain in touch with people in the office and continue to do business at home or anywhere else.

The author reflects on the significance of capital investment in obtaining productivity gains in the manufacturing companies in Great Britain. He argues that productivity gains will be achieved in a small cost in terms of capital investment. He asserts that one of the causes of manufacturing loses is the failure to invest on process innovation. He suggests that engineers should tell the advantages of a labor-saving device in the manufacturing process.

The article informs that Bombardier Aerospace is going to cut 645 jobs at its factory in Belfast, Northern Ireland in January 2007. The company has taken the decision because of a fall in demand for regional jets in the United States. The job cuts are going to reduce the production rate of the CRJ700 and 900 regional jet aircraft to one every five days instead of one every three days.

The article reports on the proposal of Toyota Corp. to build one million cars yearly starting 2008. The manufacturer has set its sights on global sales figures of 9.8 million units in 2008, which would overtake General Motors as the world's largest car company. A spokesman said that the growth will be aided by three manufacturing plants in the U.S., China and Russia. Moreover, the company is studying the feasibility of developing a low-cost car for emerging markets without compromising quality.

The article reports on the increase of the annual production of Honda at its European Car Manufacturing Centre in Swindon, England. Its first initiative has been to create 700 new positions, in which some will be for professional engineers. By 2007, Honda will be producing 250, 000 units at the plant, up from 190,000 cars in 2006. According to Takeo Fukui, president and CEO of Honda, they plan to increase output of both the CR-V and the Civic in their Swindon plant.

The article presents a study which identifies that carmakers General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG have significantly narrowed their productivity and quality gaps in Detroit, Michigan. It has cited that one-third of the carmakers workforce was devoted to doing repairs. The Detroit manufacturers dominated in the list of 2006's 10 most efficient assembly plants.

The article reports on the developments in the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), a government-sponsored business advice service established in 2002 to promote the productivity of the manufacturing sector in Great Britain. MAS had surpassed its initial target of 90 million pounds to 155 million pounds in 2005 according to its network manager Tony Boylan. Chancellor Gordon Brown praised MAS' budget scheme and approved to extend its services with a bigger funding.

The article reports on a research conducted by the International Iron and Steel Institute (IISI) showing that world crude steel production rose by 5.9 percent in 2005. The findings indicate that China accounted for most of the increase. According to IISI, the Chinese production was outstripping demand and the market was over-supplied during 2005. The Chinese government plans to close inefficient plants and to concentrate a greater share of output under the control of several large companies.

The article reports on the decline in the automobile manufacturing in Great Britain as a result of the reduction in domestic demand and the collapse of MG Rover. The July 2005 output declined to 7.3 percent. However, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Chief Executive Officer Christopher Macgowan argues that with the exclusion of MG Rover, there is an increase from other manufacturers.

This article reports that the carmaker Land Rover Ltd. has introduced a hand-held laser measurement gun into its manufacturing process, to enhance geometric quality. The Ford Motor Co.-owned firm has introduced GapGun3 into the manufacture of the Land Rover Discovery 3 and the new Range Rover Sport, initially to measure gap and flush on finished vehicles. Designed and developed in Great Britain, GapGun3 uses laser triangulation technology to take multiple calculations across complex geometries. Tests have shown a tenfold increase in productivity over mechanical measurement methods, and dramatically improved repeatability and reproducibility.

This article focuses on results of a survey conducted by the periodical on manufacturing productivity. The domestic view is still pretty positive, with 46% seeing their own workload growing, against only 13% predicting a decline. And readers still see positive growth in the sectors they work in, with 28% predicting gains against 14% seeing less work for all. But the view about industry as a whole has slipped back into negative mode after five quarters of positivism. Skill shortages are seen as problematic by only 9% now, against 12% in March.

The article presents response of readers to the question regarding the renaming of the Great Britain Department of Trade and Industry as the Department for Productivity, Energy and Industry. One of the readers says, the Department of Industry should be a department with a secretary of state equal in rank with those of the Treasury, the Foreign Office and the Home Office. Only in this way will industry policy become central to strategic planning for the benefit of the country. Another reader says, it is not the name that needs to be changed but the organisation and its actions.

This article reports that China has produced its first completely "home-grown" 10-and 12-liter high-power Euro-III diesel engines, removing the need to import components. The engines have been tested by Weichai Power Co., which will begin production immediately, expecting to make 50,000 this year. In Great Britain, Euro-III engines will be phased out by January 2006, moving on to the Euro-IV standard. China is aiming to move to Euro-IV engines by 2010, but the pace of its development means this could be sooner.

The article reports that London is 25% more productive in manufacturing than the national average, according to a report by the London Development Agency (LDA). Productivity has more than doubled in the past couple of decades, it said. The report. Production Industries in London, was released as the LDA unveiled plans to boost the sector with 15 million Pounds funding for various projects and a new strategy to improve the sector's competitive edge. Projects include extending the Manufacturing Advisory Service's help with training and best practice to more businesses; providing expert advice on product design; and redeploying skilled staff who have been made unemployed.

When DaimlerChrysler AG's Jeep factory opens in Toledo, Ohio in 2006, it will replace the oldest operating U.S. assembly plant - a facility that's been in continuous use for nearly a century. The most significant change is in the role played by three of DaimlerChrysler's key suppliers in the $2.1 billion project. In today's competitive car market, even the most minor manufacturing advantages can yield major results on the bottom line, so industry insiders admit they're open to any idea that could reduce investment costs and improve productivity.

Competitiveness and productivity at a Midlands-based engineering firm have been boosted via a scheme that puts industry in touch with local universities. Sturge Industries, which makes metallic bead chains, received advice from the West Midlands Technology Network which has links to eight universities. The advice helped Sturge cut tooling times by 90%. Under the scheme, stamping tools were made for the firm using high speed CNC machining by the University of Wolverhampton's Innovative Product Development Centre.

Productivity in Great Britain is lagging behind that on the continent and, while there are signs of improvement, small firms in particular still have much work to do. A report by the EEF found that large- and medium-sized businesses are catching up with French and German ones and even outpacing them in the motor and aerospace industries, while foreign-owned, Great Britain-based companies are making a large contribution to this improvement, as they are often the highest innovators. The report notes that Great Britain firms, especially small ones, are more dependent on internal investment than French and German rivals.

The article focuses on the technological improvement of Newage AVK SEG Co. The firm has reduced the time taken to impregnate its alternator windings with resin from 30 minutes to just 10. The increased efficiency also means less resin waste. This has been achieved by using a soft starter with inductive load control within the resin impregnation control system in place of a traditional inverter. Soft starters are solid state devices for AC induction motors. The soft starter in this application is being used as a voltage control device feeding the heating transformer.

Reports on Optima Control Solutions which has clinched the government funding worth £55,000 to develop internet-based data collection and analysis tool for manufacturing industry. Use of InfoServe365 system for collection of productivity and engineering information from machinery; Upload of information on a central server using secure data transmission and storage techniques; Presentation of information in graphical format showing current plant status and historical performance for client analysis.

Focuses on the efforts of the manufacturers' campaign group "Made in London" for the recovery of the manufacturing industry in London. Efforts of successive governments to persuade the manufacturing industry to shift from London; Need to improve the image of the manufacturing industry; Stress on improving the productivity.

Describes the contribution by trade association GTMA in helping manufacturers in the United Kingdom. Views of Bill Church, the managing director of Carrs Toolsteel Technologies on the high productivity growth; Opinion of church on the use of new steels for tools; Opinion of Steve Burrows of Mikron UK on the use of high-speed machining in increasing productivity.

Reports on the development of a heat transfer technology to improve process productivity and energy efficiency by Ashe Morris of Radlett. Use of heat exchangers to add or remove heat during chemical and biological processes; Regulation of temperature or flow rate of heat transfer fluid in a cooling jacket to control processes in brewing and pharmaceutical industries; Use of the technique of "constant flux control" to control the temperature by changing the effective heat transfer area; Advantage of more precise and faster temperature control increasing yield and quality in sensitive processes.

Discusses a report on the factors contributing to the failure of Great Britain-based managers to boost productivity. Poor planning and inadequate management; Information technology problems.

Focuses on a study by McKinsey, which shows that poor management is the main reason why British-owned manufacturing plants lag behind competitors on productivity. Finding that lack of capital investment accounted for only a third of the productivity gap between Great Britain and its rivals; Differences in the use of lean manufacturing and performance management techniques.