Hari's Blog

Toyota

The two weeks I spent at Toyota’s TMMUK production plant in Derbyshire as part of my placement can be summed up in one word: fantastic. I was lucky enough to get a glimpse of almost every department, from manufacturing and assembly to production and quality assurance.

I began with some training so I could take part in assembly on the ‘live’ production line where I helped assemble 200 cars. The experience really helped me appreciate the hard work and effort expected from each team member to keep TMMUK producing cars at the rate they do. Each team member is vital; if one of them doesn’t turn up for work, for example, cars cannot be built.

They have an on-site test track at TMMUK and I got to see a fresh-off-the-production line Auris Hybrid put through its paces. Every car produced has to undergo rigorous tests covering performance, cabin noise (NVH) and driveability. I was staggered both by the amount of quality checks carried out on each of the cars and by Toyota’s efficient way of instigating these checks as part of the ‘Toyota Production System.’

My next stop was Toyota GB in Epsom. I was instantly impressed with the great office ambience and pleasant work environment – it struck me as a great place to work in the future, if ever I had the opportunity

In the beginning, I worked with the team responsible for aftersales technical support, customer relations and network support. It was interesting to see how customer complaints, product liability issues and dealer requests all have to be dealt with in the same way in order to retain customers. This ‘real-life’ business experience has proved vital in broadening my understanding of the motor industry.

I then worked alongside Toyota brand managers and brand specialists as part of the product marketing team, who at the time were preparing for the launch of the Plug-in Prius. I really enjoyed this as I got a great insight into the steps that need to be taken in the marketing of a hybrid product, and also the charging infrastructure that is needed for this exciting new product.

I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to work at Toyota. I have gained a more practical understanding of the process that turns a roll of steel entering a factory into a fully furnished car leaving it.

by Hari Meyyappan
26 August 2011

Peugeot

After leaving the Marshall Motor Group, I took the briefest of breaks to visit India before starting a month-long stint at Peugeot's UK headquarters with the sales, public relations and product planning departments.

There were many highlights, but my personal favourite happened during the formulation of a launch strategy for a hybrid car that's set to go on sale in the next few months. I came up with an idea which impressed the head of team so much that they will be trialling it, and if it's successful they may well use it for other launches in the future. I found my contribution to that project deeply satisfying.

Visiting the McCann Worldgroup Manchester office was also fascinating and really educational for me, having previously never considered the sheer variety of advertising methods available today. I really enjoyed learning how a large communications agency like McCann tailors each campaign to each product to make best use of its clients' advertising budgets. They do a lot of work for Peugeot, but they have several other big clients too. One of them is a footwear company, and I got the privilege of a behind-the-scenes look at one of their photo shoots while I was in Manchester.

During my placement at Peugeot, I learnt a lot about how many factors need to be considered when launching a new product into any market. Pricing, specifications and how a brand is perceived, both by the media and wider public, are all important. And these issues have to be considered not only for the product being launched but also in the context of products it has to compete against for the same market.

In general, sales, PR and product planning are essential functions in any engineering business and this is something that my work experience continues to reinforce.

I am on another short break now, but I'll be starting my placement at Toyota in a couple of weeks' time. I'll start by spending two weeks at the company's manufacturing plant at Burnaston in Derbyshire, learning about mass production and actually helping to build cars on the production line. I'll then spend the rest of the month at Toyota GB's headquarters in Epsom, Surrey, with the communications and sales teams.

by Hari Meyyappan
29 June 2011

Marshall Motor Group

My work experience at Marshall Motor Group was in Service, Repair and Sales for dealerships selling cars from Land Rover, Volvo and Jaguar

It commenced with a ‘Track Day’ at the Jaguar Product Development facility in Gaydon where I was taken for a few hot laps in a Jaguar XK-R by a professional driver. I also got to take the wheel myself in a Jaguar XF, which was particularly special because I'd only just passed my test.

It was quite thrilling but the main point of the activity was for me to see 'Dynamic Drive' and adaptive damping in action and try to understand how electronic systems like these influence buyers in the showroom and enhance the Jaguar driving and ownership experience.

I then spent the rest of my placement working in dealerships. The service and repair centres were fascinating for me from an engineering perspective. I enjoyed working with skilled technicians in a workshop whilst they diagnosed problems and observing them carrying out complicated and very technical repairs. It was also very informative to see how dealerships work and understanding the role and contribution each employee makes to the business.

In conclusion, the experience I gained was very useful - to have the experience of being at the customer end of the business is invaluable. I got to see the process that takes a car from being developed on a track, being sold in a showroom, and to it being diagnosed and repaired in aftersales support.

AlI the above will certainly aid me in engineering vehicles so that they meet the expectations of customers in terms of vehicle ownership cost, quality and reliability.

by Hari Meyyappan
27 May 2011