Excellence award launched in the UK
MANCHESTER’S Manufacturing Institute has launched an international award for excellence in the UK.
At the House of Commons, the Institute’s chief executive Julie Madigan announced that the Shingo Prize, which is being sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency, will be awarded to UK businesses for the first time to recognise operational excellence in using lean manufacturing processes.
Ms Madigan said: “In addition to recognising productivity and business success, the Shingo Prize is also viewed as a catalyst for organisational change. As a result, it can act as an enabler for individual career acceleration within those companies.
“With world leading manufacturers in the UK, we should be celebrating the phenomenal successes of those organisations and encouraging other businesses around the UK to adopt their working practices.”
The Shingo Prize was first established in North America 20 years ago, and the Manufacturing Institute says it will have a dramatic impact on UK productivity and business motivation in the current economic climate.
The prize is named after the Japanese industrial engineer, Dr Shigeo Shingo. Dr Shingo was one of the world’s leading experts in improving manufacturing processes and helped create the renowned production system as Toyota.
The House of Commons’ briefing was attended by key industry figures, including Frank Hayden, director of integrated operations at BAE Systems and Darrell Matthews, north west regional director for the Institute of Directors.
