Claremont & Westland Helicopters win industry recognition for business partnership
Published on 30 Nov 2001
Viewpoint and Westland Helicopters Limited have won recognition within the facilities management and business equipment industry for their outstanding business partnership in the development of a multi-function workstation, which is central to a bespoke training facility for the British Army.
The two companies were finalists in the prestigious PFM Partnership Awards, designed to reward best practice in partnering across the spectrum of British industry, and winners of the 'Choice of the Year' category in the Business Equipment Excellence Awards, which highlight both advances in technology as well as partnership.
For the past nine years, the PFM Partnership Awards have mirrored the growth and development of the partnership concept throughout the facilities management sector, whilst also highlighting professional facilities management as a driving force in improving UK business performance. Service suppliers and clients are judged on the level of achievement, innovation and partnership qualities in eight different categories.
The Business Equipment Excellence Awards, now in their tenth year, have progressed from marking product and technological trends alone, to rewarding partnership as a means of delivering exceptional business process solutions as well. Eric Fordham (editor of Business Equipment Digest, the awards organisers) decides personally on the most outstanding product or business solution in the 'Choice of the Year' category. "I was hugely impressed by the quality of the solution and the achievements of the Viewpoint / Westland Helicopters partnership," he said.
Westland Helicopters and its joint venture partner, The Boeing Company, provide a bespoke training service for the British Army’s new Attack Helicopter, the Apache AH Mk1 through a separate company, Aviation Training International Ltd (ATIL), in a PFI agreement worth some £650m over 30 years.
Through a detailed analysis, Westland arrived at a solution specific to the Ministry of Defence's requirement for the training programme - a crucial element being a multi-function workstation capable of integrating the equipment required for training pilots and technical support staff in a flexible teaching environment. Viewpoint and Westland developed this multi-function workstation, and the resultant training facility, which stresses the three-way relationship between the instructor, the students and the technology, is the only one of its kind.
The integration and interface of building, layout, classroom concept and equipment is also unusual. The two companies are now working on a similar workstation solution for other Westland clients.
Says Simon Dawes, Head of Customer Training at Westland Helicopters, "The workstation is an integral part of the technology in the classroom environment solution. These awards, together with the recognition as leader in its field, are confirmation of Westland and Viewpoint's commitment to provide the best learning environment for our customers and students."
Graham Smith of Viewpoint adds, "This is a real leading-edge design solution integrating technology and furniture in a way that has never been achieved before. I've looked at market developments to see if anything similar exists, but I've yet to find it."
