We had the exciting opportunity to visit the MINI Plant in Oxford to gain a better understanding of real-world business operations and manufacturing processes.

The tour enabled us to see how it manages production, logistics, innovation, and quality control. The tour began with a brief introduction to the history of MINI and the role the Oxford plant plays in BMW Group’s global production network with its £750 million investment and its 1200 + robots.

Students were guided through the various stages of the manufacturing process, including body-in-white assembly, the paint shop, and final assembly. Observing the integration of automation and robotics in production was particularly eye-opening, highlighting how technology and efficiency are critical to modern manufacturing.

This experience offered valuable context to topics such as operations management and strategic planning which gave the pupils a clearer understanding of the complexity which goes into the production process of a major company.