Mini Factory Business Studies Trip
On Wednesday 29th January, the Year 13 A Level Business students visited the Mini car factory in Cowley, Oxford.
The purpose of the visit was to bring together a number of different business concepts as the students near completion of the syllabus.
The students were amazed at the body shop with 1,200 robotic arms that complete the body assembly. Each robot costs around £10,000 – a very serious investment.
Students marvelled as well that with 1,200 robots, there are only 26 people on the shift at any single time, a true example of mechanisation.
In one area of the body shop, the robots perform and check 800 spot welds in around 2 minutes 30 seconds.
Head of Economics and Business Studies Mr Cy Webber said: “These visits are instrumental in allowing the students to see that Just-In-Time production – only four hours of stock kept on site – is fundamental to business success and is not a concept that appears only in a text book.
“It is incredible for the students to see that firms do invest almost £1bn in technology and what this actually looks like in reality.
“We look forward to visiting again next year!”
