The case study of the Mayflower Vehicle Systems PLC supply chain improvement programme offers a window onto a change programme implemented by one supply chain cluster of the UK automotive industry. The discussion details the transformational nature of change agent empowerment, stakeholder engagement, team-working and the dynamics of intra-firm and customer-supplier collaboration between a first tier company and its sub-suppliers. It shows that improvement programmes have a crucial function in helping customer and suppliers to closer collaboration through enabling them to work towards common objectives, to understand each other's positions, and to build on a platform of mutual trust as they strive to improve their individual and collective competitiveness and establish mechanisms to ensure that improvements are sustainable. The study has further value in illuminating the adaptation of a lean production model akin to the Toyota Production System to a specific case supported by the Accelerate Initiative and facilitated by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' Industry Forum.
German-Central European Supply Chain-Cluster Report: Staff Report, First Background Note, Second Background Note, Third Background Note