Thursday 3rd May 2007
This week, seventeen officers from the UK Defence Academy's Joint Services Command and Staff College visited two of Dorset's leading companies to learn more about the world of industry.
The exchange programme with a twist saw Groveley Precision Engineering, welcome the officers on site as part of the Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC). The management course is for officers at Major to Lieutenant Colonel level in the three UK armed forces and is the equivalent to a Masters degree. It aims to prepare selected officers for senior appointments.
Next week, senior managers from the two companies will attend the Joint Services Command and Staff College in Shrivenham to see how strategic planning is undertaken in the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
Beacon South West, a South West of England Regional Development Agency initiative that brings together the region's leading companies to share best practise and ideas to strengthen the economy, organised the event with the MOD.
The aim of the exchange is to give officers and companies alike a better understanding of the range of issues that different organisations face and share views on strategic management and leadership.
Sue Baker, director of Beacon South West, says: "We welcome and encourage initiatives such as this which enable Beacon companies to share their knowledge and expertise with the wider world. Groveley Precision Engineering are an example of a leading company in the South West that has developed innovative management structures and are always looking to share their knowledge with other best practise organisations."
Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Pennell of Joint Services Command and Staff adds: "Our students have enjoyed the chance to visit leading regional businesses and discuss how strategy is implemented and managed internally. We hope that next week's visit to the college by the companies involved will enable us to continue this conversation, sharing and comparing our experiences."
Peter Bennet, managing director of the Groveley Precision Engineering, concludes: "We work with the MOD regularly so it has been really interesting to see things from their perspective. At the moment, the MOD is being encouraged to work with SMEs and so I think the officers enjoyed finding out more about how an SME operates, witnessing how as a smaller enterprise we are more nimble than larger competitors and able to respond quickly to customer requests. It was definitely a useful exchange."
Previous Article / Next Article