Teams and partnerships in industry

The author traces the history of Baxi Heating from 1866 to the 1990s. In 1983 the Company was changed from the private limited company of Richard Baxendale and Sons Ltd. to Baxi Partnership Ltd. The formation of the partnership structure and the group structure is discussed. The development of the company through a company improvement plan and company improvement teams is also discussed. Baxi Partnership set up an Open Learning policy which is outlined. The formation of Alfer Ltd. which arose due to excess capacity allowed Baxi to join the sub-contract market. The lean production principles employed are briefly outlined. Partnerships with customers, suppliers and the workforce are discussed