There has been a lot of talk in legal circles about AI (artificial intelligence) and how it is about to transform our industry. Certainly a visit to the average law firm might convince you that intelligence of the artificial kind might at least reduce the mountains of papers and files usually on display. The legal profession has taken the first steps to reduce cost and systematise process, but a visit to the average manufacturing unit shows that we have a very long way to go.

I was lucky enough last week to be taken on the Jaguar Landrover Experience at the Halewood plant. I would recommend the tour whether or not you are a car buff. It is heartening to know we have a functional and highly competitive manufacturing operation on our doorstep. It is a wonderful facility and provides skilled employment to 4000 staff directly and many more in our region.

I remember talking to one of their senior executives just before the Evoke was unveiled. He was so proud of the fact that, despite the sale of the plant to Tata of India, this was a car designed and produced in the UK. How different this was he said from the days of Ford when Halewood produced a car by methods determined and directed by Detroit. Tata’s approach is to provide the investment and let local management and staff design and then produce the cars through their own production methods.

The plant is huge and it is amazing to see the drums of rolled steel at the beginning of the process turned into the shiny new Landrovers being driven off the line at the other. First you visit the press shop to see huge noisy machines hacking off lumps of metal only for robots to take the pressed parts and weld them together almost without human intervention into semi recognisable body panels. These are then joined together to become the basic shell of a vehicle.

These body shells are then taken on a 3.2 mile journey with many difference processes and parts being added on the production line. Many of these parts are provided by other Jaguar Landrover factories (e.g. the engine) or external contractors. Each basic carcass is numbered, corresponding to an order for a particular vehicle customised to the individual requirements of a future car owner from a disparate variety of vehicles and trims. These different vehicles are all produced on the same line and the bespoke parts appear as if by magic at each stage of the line as required for that particular vehicle. The operatives have 92 seconds to undertake their individual roles and it is up to them how they best think they can do their task in that period of time.

Quality control is precise. The robot welds are calculated for exact strength. Some are designed to give more easily in the event of an accident whilst others must withstand huge pressures. Cars are tested for leaks and doors must close precisely as designed. Computer programming is an essential part of the process too. All this is supported by a huge research, a development programme and by a Training Academy.

Of course legal service provision cannot equate with the manufacture of a vehicle. However, pleasing customers is what it is all about. Jackson Lees can’t be doing too badly as our latest customer satisfaction figure show that 99% of clients were happy with our service and 88% said it was excellent. We too are in the process of setting up our own Training Academy. At the end of the day, it is people who deliver the product. We will look to see if some of our staff could benefit from Jaguar Landrover training too. We are doing well but we still have a lot to learn as my visit to Halewood showed.