SMMT offers a range of business development opportunities in two specific areas:
Quality and the pursuit of continuous improvement in today's fiercely competitive global automotive market are essential if companies are to survive and succeed.
The quality of a company's products and/or services is dependent on its people and management and on all its business processes, from design through manufacture to delivery and service. Competitive companies maximise process efficiency and effectiveness to minimise costs, eliminate waste and continuously improve what they do.
ISO/TS 16949:2002 is the global automotive quality management systems' standard. It covers the particular requirements of the automotive sector for the application of ISO 9001:2000. Certification to this standard will soon be a requirement for all component manufacturers to supply. Business Excellence extends the process approach of the standard covering all key elements of any business.
e-Business is now seen by leading companies as essential to doing business and doing it more efficiently through e-Enabled processes.
SMMT is working with members and industry in Europe to establish and roll-out ENX (European Network Exchange), an automotive industry extranet which will support secure rapid business transactions. ENX will support the use of Odette EDI messages and the XML standard now under development.
SMMT has become a partner in government's UK Online for Business initiative to provide advice and guidance on e-Business to the UK automotive industry. It is also working with the major industry trade exchanges (Covisint and SupplyOn) and is developing an e-Business health check to help members assess where they currently stand and what they should do.
