National Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (Nmcl)

NMCL is a system developed by an ADS Group Limited (ADS) and Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) led consortium, supported by industry primes and OEMs. The Consortium has established a national, quality assured, best practice approach to improving the competitiveness of manufacturing supply chain companies to raise workforce capability, increase productivity, boost UK economic growth and increase export levels. NMCL can assess the competitiveness of a company of any shape and size. Generating a Programme Pack and Business Case, the NMCL Assessment is used to inform the decision about investing in improvement activities regardless of whether the investment is publicly or privately funded. The customer’s perspective and the securing of new business are key elements of NMCL; both are tracked, the success of any improvement activity being based on business growth. Designed to remain relevant in a rapidly changing funding environment, NMCL can be incorporated into existing industry led programmes and utilise a variety of funding routes. Assessing Competitiveness The NMCL Capability Assessment consists of a structured series of questions, led by an industry expert, that examine the capabilities of the company. Numerical scoring is analysed against the company’s view of its own competitiveness and that of its customers. Combined with the company’s financial reports, this builds into a business case for improvement linked directly to improved performance and return on investment. The result is an assessment that recognises what is really important to the company with a focus on the needs of their key customers. Utilising the wealth of information gathered during the during the Assessment phase, the NMCL Assessor is able to identify where improvement is required, giving priority to areas where capability is potentially ‘order losing’. Improvement activity is designed to enhance the company’s performance to at least match that of their peers.