Member Article

npower teams up with Hull University Business School

npower will be partnering with Hull University Business School in the Business Improvement Challenge taking place at the University of Hull on June 5 as part of Humber Business Week.

Guided by experts from npower and the Business School, guests will be given a hands-on demonstration of the principles of continuous improvement in a simulated box factory.

Organiser Neil Cavill, continuous improvement manager at npower in Hull, explained: “The Business Improvement Challenge is all about getting people to look at the processes we use in business and making them more efficient.

“We’ve devised an activity which involves manufacturing boxes in order to stimulate participants into problem solving mode. It’s about changing the mindset, coaching people to work more effectively and hopefully having a bit of fun at the same time.”

Dedicated to the development of responsible leadership, Hull University Business School offers expertise in a range of pure and applied business disciplines. And participants on the day will be able to draw on the knowledge of Gavin Betts, an expert in systems management at the school.

Mr Betts said: “We want to challenge people to think more systemically about the way they work. In business, there are lots of interrelationships and complexities so it is important to define a common purpose that can really drive improvement.

“Bringing together businesses and academics in an event like this can be a very powerful way to promote more effective practice.”

It is hoped that the event will provide the catalyst for continuous improvement networks to be set up throughout the region as well as showing businesses how more effective processes can save money and boost customer satisfaction.

And with new economic opportunities opening up, particularly in the Humber region’s burgeoning sustainable energy sector, Neil Cavill believes the time is right for local businesses to focus on improvement.

“The Humber has got a fantastic opportunity now,” he said. “Companies like Siemens will be looking for very efficient organisations to partner with – businesses that take continuous improvement seriously. So we need to keep going forward in order to stay ahead of the game.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .