If you read Dan’s post last week which highlighted my need for a haircut in blown up form you’ll be aware that BAE Systems were kind enough recently to give the North West branch of APM a tour of their facilities at Warton aerodrome.
BAE are constantly evolving their approach to Project Management, and so the day provided an intriguing insight into how such major projects are developed and implemented. We were privileged enough to be given a tour of the major hangers on the site, which included Typhoons in various stages of development, as well as Tornado’s undergoing repair work.
What struck me on the tour was not only the sheer scale of the projects but the meticulous attention to detail that goes into everything that is done at BAE. It is clear that each aspect of the construction process is a project in itself, which is why sound project management methods and solid management structure are obviously so important to them as an organisation.
An interesting day was concluded with a run through of BAE’s future aspirations for Project Management and Support within the company and a showcase of the new products on offer from Military Air Solutions.
Being a local resident to the aerodrome for most of my life the only disappointing aspect of the day for me was that I didn’t see any evidence of the triangular UFO’s that have been making sporadic appearances in the local press over the last few years. Still, I suppose you can’t have everything: They must’ve hidden all the evidence before we turned up 
