Abbout the Institution of Operations Management

Press releases

Press Release

An archive of information about the ROME project -

* From conception.
* Through development.
* To the desktops of users throughout UK industry.

Stories and events are listed in reverse chronology.

Harry Potter and the Lawn Mower Factory
At Ordnance Survey... Kathy Taylor finds the link between Harry Potter and ROMEtex, the IOM's virtual lawn mower manufacturer - and qualifies for Certificate in Operations Management in the bargain. More...
September 2003

Yorkshire Rolls On, While North West Climbs Aboard
Free training in operations management... During 2003 the IOM is rolling out the ROME course to 160 employees of SMEs in Yorkshire and the North West - completely free of charge. Funding for this free training programme is provided by the European Social Fund. For details, contact the IOM: iom@iomnet.org.uk

January 2003

ROME : The In-company Route
UK companies from a variety of manufacturing sectors are looking to ROME as a cost effective method of training their employees in up-to-date operations management methods.

At Marshalls... a leading manufacturer of concrete, clay and natural stone landscape and garden products, 25 employees from across the UK are using the ROME distance learning programme in-company. The programme is installed on the company Intranet, and users benefit from additional seminar support provided by an IOM consultant trainer.

At Astra-Zeneca... the pharmaceuticals multinational, has just joined the list of ROME users.

At BNFL... Three employees at the geographically isolated Sellafield site are taking full advantage of the "Remote" learning opportunity provided by ROME.

At Boots Manufacturing... A second cohort* of employees have just started the ROME programme. Following the study model established by planning manager Mervyn Deighton and the ROME team, users access ROME on the company Intranet, with additional seminars providing a specific "Boots perspective" to the material.

* Cohort. To the classical scholar - "a division of an ancient Roman army, equivalent to one-tenth of a legion". To us manufacturers - "a fancy word for batch".
December 2002

ROME At Last! - The Boots Journey
Fifteen enthusiastic planners at Boots Manufacturing in Beeston and Airdrie have completed the ROME programme and received their Certificate in Operations Management. Mervyn Deighton, Planning Manager for toiletries, brings us up to date - warts and all! More...
November 2002

Continuous Improvement at Proton Group Supported by ROME
Mark Ackerley, Operations Manager at Proton Group, a UK manufacturer of specialist hygiene chemicals, reports on his successful completion of the ROME programme - and how ROME made a difference in his company. More...
April 2002

Vorsprung Durch… ROME
"We have the technology!" Or more precisely, we have ROME - Remote Operations Management Education. Updates and news from the ROME programme in Yorkshire and West Midlands. More...

March 2002

ROME at Bray Burners
David Bowen, who completed ROME in December, reports how he's put ROME to work at Bray Burners in Leeds. Bray manufactures a wide range of gas burners for domestic heating, cooking and water heating appliances. In manufacturing, as in life, applying theory and practical lessons in the "real world" has brought varying degrees of success. More...

March 2002

Boots: Beeston, Airdrie and... Roma?
Planning staff at Boots Contract Manufacturing buckle down to ROME. More...

March 2002

Boots On The Road To ROME
A report on Remote Operations Management Education at Boots Contract Manufacturing. More... September 2001

ROMEtex On The Road
A report from the coal face of Remote Operations Management Education. More...

June 2001

ROME Pilot Success
ROME pilot users qualify for Certificate in Operations Management. More...

June 2001

World's Largest Virtual Factory Launch
Remote Operations Management Education is available now from the IOM. More...

May 2001

ROME Pays Early Dividends For Users, Companies and The Institute
A report on early feedback following ROME's official launch on April 3rd. More...

April 2001

Lawn Mowers Ready To Roll
A sneak preview inside the ROMEtex virtual factory. More...

March 2001

User Feedback - ROME Pilot Update
Feedback from the ROME pilot phase. More...

March 2001

Why Does ROMEtex Make Lawnmowers?
The ROME team answers a very FAQ. More...

January 2000

ROME's Body of Knowledge - How long is a piece of string?
From the beginning of the ROME project, the message from industry has been clear. The content of ROME must be relevant, responsive and useful to the people who actually work in industry. More...

September 1999

The Knowledge Bank: Information On Deposit
As part of a larger programme to expand the range of services available to members, the IOM is compiling a new Internet-based resource called the Knowledge Bank - a kind of encyclopaedia of operations management. More...

August 1999

ROMEtex Learns From Lawn Mower Experts: Atco-Qualcast Tour
ROME editor Bob Irwin and designer Kevin Beynon learn "how to make a lawn mower". More...

August 1999

Cussons English Leather Factory Tour: Process Line Input For ROME
To gain some practical exposure to the ins, outs and roundabouts of the process environment, the ROME development team visited Cussons UK in Nottingham. More...

July 1999

ROME Supported by MSc. Research
Information about the University of Huddersfield's contribution to ROME's development. More...

July 1999

'Henry' Teaches ROME a Lesson: Numatic Factory Tour
The smiley-faced vacuum cleaner 'Henry' taught the ROME project a thing or two about the realities of manufacturing, when Bob Irwin and Kevin Beynon visited Numatic International's modern factory in Chard, Somerset. More...

May 1999

Lansing Linde: Family Firm Lifted by New Investment in Technology
At Lansing Linde's modern facility for designing and manufacturing fork lift trucks, the ROME team found a company whose experience in many ways mirrors that of other UK firms. More...

May 1999

Variety, New Product Development and Quality at Ideal-Caradon
How are companies that once formed the backbone of UK industry - the "metal bashers", facing the world-class challenge? More...

April 1999

Virtual Factory Under Construction
ROME wasn't built in a day and neither is ROMEtex. The virtual factory is taking shape. More...

April 1999

ROME Links Learning to Real World Manufacturing
To ensure that learning in the virtual factory is firmly based on reality, the ROME development team is visiting manufacturing facilities around the UK. More...

March 1999

ROME Industrial Partners Say: Key Word Is "Useful"
What do ROME's industrial partners think about the content and direction of operations management training? More...

November 1998

The Institute of Operations Management, CILT(UK), Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, Northants NN17 4AX.
Tel: 01536 740105. Fax: 01536 740101. Email: info@iomnet.org.uk

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