Newcastle University

On the 12^th November, students at Newcastle University Business School were given a rare opportunity to take a detailed tour around the Nissan Motoring factory in Sunderland. The students, consisting of thirteen postgraduate students studying Operations Management and Logistics, and nine Japanese language students, were among some of the first to benefit from this kind of tour which has recently been introduced to educational institutions.

Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd or NMUK has been in operation since 1986 and is a European subsidiary of Nissan Japan. It is the largest car plant in the UK and the most productive in Europe. The visit was conducted by two of Nissan’s senior members of staff, Barry Loneragan and Frank Davison. Barry has been working for Nissan for 22 years in the Quality Assurance department and Frank has 13 years specialising in the bodyshop. 

The whole tour involved a four hour journey through the production of the Nissan ‘Qashqai’ family car. It followed the entire production stages from manufacturing the very first body panel right through to making the car fit for retail. This included a detailed insight into the various processes and workshops involved in building a car within the factory including the pressworks, bodyshop, paintshop and the final assembly lines.

The tour was well received by students who found it extremely useful and interesting. Archita Kar, a student who took part in the tour said: 

‘I was one of the lucky ones who had the opportunity to visit Nissan. The trip was really amazing, interesting and very knowledgeable and I hope to take part in more trips like this.’

The Operations Management and Logistics degree course focuses on how organisations are constantly seeking ways to reduce costs, shorten product development times and manage risk. This, along with the concept of continuous improvement, is something that is embedded in the culture of NMUK. 

Chris Hicks, Professor of Operations Management at Newcastle University Business School says:

‘The tour offered the students an excellent opportunity to acknowledge how processes are put into practice effectively within a real world situation. This gave them the opportunity to relate the theory they have learnt in class to a productive manufacturing environment where synchronization and efficiency are a necessity.’ 

Following the success of this tour and from the feedback gained from the students who took part, it is hoped that these tours can be continued in the future.