MSc students gain first-hand insight into global supply chains during visit to JCB's global headquarters

A group of MSc students from Nottingham University Business School recently visited JCB’s global headquarters in Rocester, where they explored the company’s operations through a museum and factory tour. The visit was followed by an insightful talk on global supply chains, delivered by MBA alumnus Ankit Sachdeva.

The experience gave students a unique opportunity to observe large-scale manufacturing processes in action. Akshaya Subramanian (MSc International Business), who took part in the visit, shared her reflections:

“The highlight of the visit was witnessing the entire process from flat metal plates to the live assembly process of the Backhoe Loader at the production factory. Seeing how precision, automation, and human expertise come together in real-time gave us a deeper appreciation of JCB’s engineering excellence and operational scale.

“One key takeaway was understanding the importance of global supply chain management and strategic sourcing in a manufacturing giant like JCB. Ankit’s session on Global E&C Purchase highlighted how critical supplier relationships and cost-effective procurement are to maintaining competitiveness in international markets.”

This hands-on learning experience provided valuable industry insight and enhanced students’ understanding of real-world supply chain operations and global manufacturing strategy.

In today’s fast-moving, competitive environment, a robust global supply chain goes beyond logistics, it relies on strategic partnerships, agility, and cost-effective procurement. This visit to JCB gave students a first-hand look at how these elements come together to drive industrial success.

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