On Wednesday 5 February 2020, a group of 28 Business and Economics A Level students visited the New Holland Tractor Plant in Basildon.They witnessed World Class Manufacturing, which includes lean production methods, used there to make this one of the highest performing production centres in the country – one that is highly concerned with sustainability. New Holland have been confirmed as the Clean Energy Leader – at the forefront of the introduction of Tier 4A emissions technology. They are an environmentally friendly firm, where their ‘built to order’ tractors use bio mass as a new energy source, and their carbon impact is zero. The trip had been arranged to enable the students to see a production plant in full operation and to ‘bring to life’ aspects of their courses, relating to operations, production, quality, HR and JIT stock management.

Students were split into two groups and after an introductory presentation, where they learnt about the history of the company and other interesting economic facts, they were taken on a tour of the production facility, where every aspect of production was observed and explained. Students had the opportunity to ask many questions to help deepen their understanding further. After this the group were given a free buffet lunch, followed by the opportunity to visit the company showrooms, where some of the tractors produced were available to see and sit in. Students thoroughly enjoyed what they saw and conducted themselves excellently throughout the day, gaining extremely positive comments from our guides. Students left with a much greater understanding of the issues surrounding manufacturing and a free baseball cap – a perfect end to the day!

Mrs J Usher-Letch