Masterclass belts here. Every car is hand built on rolling trollies in a spotless building - no oil or grease on the floor - in fact, l could of eaten my lunch from that very floor. Their new model, the 720S, was going into production and it was a privilege to see them being assembled.
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Common sense does not make it common practise
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After lunch, their Chief Innovation Officer gave a talk on where McLaren Applied Technologies (MAT) is heading and quickly realised that they needed to be speaking with market disruptors not market leaders as this is where progress was to be made. This takes quite an inspiring approach. To be told to take the highly specific technology from the rarified world of motor racing and apply it to other corporate sectors is not the average request but then this is not your average company. MAT’s world-class team of designers and engineers did not miss a beat. They immediately looked at a whole host of sectors to see where their technology could best be deployed. Along with certain sectors l am barred from revealing, they looked at bicycles in the same way they look at racing. Race cars are fitted to the individual driver and they are sculptured around their individual frame and weight therefore how could bicycles possibly be one size fits all? Apart from leg measurement, there is no further requirement and this just did not seem right. Therefore, working with Specialized, a well-known US cycle brand, MAT devised a system whereby the bikes are now made to adjust to the weight, stature and height of the rider and the ground over which they would ride.
This entire day starkly demonstrated to the fifteen business leaders attending that thinking outside the box is a mandatory action and not an optional action. Any technology, regardless of sector or size, can be utilised way beyond its intended use which has the effect of extending its life and its profitability, and therefore the company’s bottom line. It demonstrates that there is no need to be afraid of breaking into new markets, treading new ground or disrupting the status quo.
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It is no surprise that McLaren support UK Government’s “GREAT Britain” campaign”
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Great Britain was, for centuries, the home of brilliant engineers, inventors and designers that changed the world and they are still there now but, perhaps, a little cowed by the might of the US and China and the size and speed of international markets but, as McLaren aptly demonstrates, we can still be market leaders if we have the courage to adapt and overcome and, to use that hackneyed old phrase, think outside the box.
I was inspired by my day at the Santander Masterclass and everyone l met at McLaren and find myself bringing much of what l learnt back to my business - if it works for me, then I would heartily recommend a Santander Breakthrough Masterclass to every business leader in the UK.
Santander Business Banking Colin Berkeley Tel: 07739 860023 Mail: colin.berkeley@santander.co.uk Web: www.santandercb.co.uk/ breakthrough
“Through Santander’s series of Masterclasses delivered in collaboration with ambitious, innovative businesses such as McLaren, we provide locally based, similarly ambitious SMEs with practical tips to help them prosper. It's connectivity like this that we believe differentiates us from other traditional banks and enables our customers to take away knowledge and connections, and apply the learnings to their own businesses.” Colin Berkeley
This transformed the manufacture of Specialized bikes and this technology has been incorporated into every bike across its entire range, further disrupting the market. There are further applications for their technology and one in particular is within the medical industry, be launched soon and, again, l cannot reveal it here but it will fundamentally change important aspects of healthcare for patients across the world.
SURREY CHAMBERS
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