Benchmark Visits
Step off the conference floor and onto the shop floor.
Day Two is dedicated to high-impact, practical learning at some of the region’s most acclaimed manufacturing facilities.
What’s New for 2026?
What’s New for 2026: More Floor Time, Less Travel
You spoke, we listened. Based on extensive delegate feedback, we have completely overhauled the Day 2 architecture to maximize your time on the shop floor.
To give you unprecedented, deep-dive access to active production lines, delegates will travel independently directly to their chosen host facility on Wednesday morning. This allows you to conclude your benchmarking day and depart directly for home or onward travel straight from the factory gates, saving you hours of backtracking.
Travel & Logistics
Delegates will travel independently directly to their designated host site for the morning arrival. If you are getting to the conference by public transport, our event team can happily arrange dedicated transport to your designated benchmarking site on your behalf, Please contact the registration desk to coordinate this here (email link)
Exact timings will be confirmed for each individual host facility upon tour allocation in September.
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08:30 – 09:00 | Independent Arrival & Refreshments
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09:30 | Host Welcome & Strategic Briefing
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10:15 | Guided Benchmarking Tour & Live Gemba Walk
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12:30 | Networking Lunch (Provided On-Site)
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13:15 | Site specific deep dive
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14:30 | Delegate Departure for Onward Travel
Toyota Hybrid Engine Plant
Deeside, North Wales
The Toyota factory in Deeside, Wales, employs over 600 workers, making it a cornerstone of the local economy. Spanning 115 acres, the plant produces hybrid engines for Toyota’s vehicles, contributing to the brand’s renowned reliability and performance. Its strategic location facilitates exports to various destinations worldwide, including Europe and even Japan, playing a pivotal role in global automotive supply chains, ensuring quality products reach diverse markets efficiently. If you are interested in Lean, then a visit to Toyota is a must.
Siemens
Congleton, Cheshire
The Siemens manufacturing plant in Congleton, established in 1971, is the oldest Siemens factory in the UK and a global hub for producing variable speed drives and controls. Renowned for its high productivity, the facility makes over a million units annually, with a similar number of employees as in the early 1990s when it produced 50,000.
The factory exemplifies lean, digital manufacturing, utilising advanced Industry 4.0 processes such as virtual reality, digital twins, and robotics to efficiently produce a vast range of product variants.
Jaguar LandRover
Halewood
Halewood Operations is home to the Land Rover Discovery Sport and the Range Rover Evoque. Located in the North West of England, the Halewood plant employs almost 5,000 people. The plant has a reputation for excellent manufacturing quality and is recognised throughout the industry as a centre of excellence for Lean manufacturing. This is a full guided tour of the Halewood Operations from press shop to final assembly and despatch. Although there will be no formal presentations, you will witness the full process, automation and assembly of the UK’s biggest automotive manufacturer
Expert Technologies Group
Widnes
Expert Technologies Group is a leader in intelligent industrial automation and robotics solutions. With a workforce of 250 employees and an annual turnover of £80 million, the company integrates advanced robotics, automation, material logistics, and smart technologies. This tour will highlight best practices in AI and automation and provide valuable guidance on how manufacturers can begin their journey toward automation excellence, from initial preparation through to a successful implementation.
