Quality Engineering Student Review

- Manage, maintain & update the Plant's Quality status KPIs.
- Using the above to monitor and investigate both internal & external topics. Presentations of the above analysis were given daily to the plant management team and the senior quality engineer.
- Upon presentation of the aforementioned analysis, working as part of a multi-functional team, develop a plan for improvement with the plant management team & senior engineers.
- Process all warranty claims towards the plant from both customers; BMW & STELLANTIS.
- Manage procurement, purchase orders & general financial topics/issues for the department.
- Update & present the Plant's Weekly Quality Position for BMW.

During my placement, responsibilities only ever increased with time.
I was somewhat thrown in at the deep end when tasked with managing & processing all warranty claims for FAS Banbury from both BMW and STELLANTIS. This involved organising transport from the customer to FAS Banbury, performing Level-0 analysis of the claimed parts, creating 8D reports, sending parts to suppliers for further analysis and using the customers' B2B portals. Unknown to most, warranty claims are incredibly expensive for what they represent, the responsibility of fighting back these expenses is significant for a new student.
My responsibilities evolved throughout the year. With the Senior Quality Engineer in the department working in the USA for 3 months, the responsibilities once held by them, were covered by myself & the Quality Manager. This was large step-up into some considerable shoes, however, this further responsibility gave me substantial opportunities to develop in ways I did not imagine during the first few months of placement. In addition to this, when the Quality Manager was unavailable during this time, their responsibilities towards production quality and customer interactions were undertaken by myself with help and advice from various members of the team.

- The 8 disciplines of problem solving.
- Improved proficiency using Microsoft Excel for data manipulation, presentation & management.
- Developed new skills in autonomy & data management using Microsoft Excel
- A general understanding of the fundamentals of quality, who quality involves and the end purposes of quality in manufacturing.
- Improved confidence in dealing with the customers of the company.
- Further improvements towards expressing opinions & giving suggestions in environments of high pressure involving experienced, senior professionals.
- An understanding of, and insight into, the true political nature of the engineering industry.

The guidance received during the last 12 months will truly be unforgettable. I have developed in ways I did not know I could develop prior to this placement. My professional skills, industrial knowledge & general personal/soft skills have improved massively thanks to having a hugely experienced mentor, who is considered to be world-class in their field.
With regards to support, whenever I: had questions, needed assistance with a problem or support during customer meetings, the quality team was only a short chat, message or email away

The general company culture has a strong community feel, especially in FAS Banbury. Although automotive manufacturing exists in a permanently fast-paced and high-pressure state, the teams at FAS Banbury work together to solve problems, for the interest of the plant & company.
Specifically within the quality department, the team has a very unique sense of humour which I worked well within. They were very welcoming of me and are inclusive to all during conversations, no matter the person.

I the beginning, I expected the placement to drag for 12 long months due to only processing warranty claims (there was a large backlog). However, once the backlog had been processed, opportunities to develop professionally and personally wouldn't stop coming through the door!
From shadowing senior professionals during meetings and investigations, to presenting to plant management & the Customer Quality Director of the European Seating Division, this placement has provided me with an unforgettable experience. The past 12 months has been filled with countless life lessons and personal skills I am sure to build upon during my future career.

Yes