Unipart has a clear vision of the journey ahead; wanting to be seen as the supply chain partner of choice. It has a proven track record in delivering improved performance through new technology and supply chain solutions for the rail industry, which is evolving to something even greater under an exciting brand repositioning.

Explaining the aspiration in more detail using trains as an example, Dr David McGorman, Unipart Managing Director of Rail & Technology, said there is no reason for original equipment manufacturers to send parts abroad to where they originated, a process which can be both expensive and time consuming.

“Instead, why don’t organisations look to a local partner who can manage that entire supply chain and do some of the maintenance, repair, operations and servicing in the territory the trains are being operated,” he said. “The company I’d like people to turn to is Unipart. That is the aspiration, and I’m confident we can get there.”

There is good reason for the optimism. Buoyed by the 50th celebrations of the Unipart brand last year, and more recently being named number one in the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport’s prestigious annual Top 30 Logistics Providers list, the organisation has launched its new ethos ‘Performance in Motion’ to better position its expertise and the impact it can have.

It expands on its successful ‘The Unipart Way’, an initiative that highlights the way it does business every day, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, employee engagement, and a welcoming approach to change to improve not just the business, but the sectors it serves.

“Performance in Motion embodies our evolution from a traditional service provider to a proactive supply chain performance improvement partner,” explained David. “Unipart has a wealth of experience through several fantastic acquisitions, and this is about bringing it all together to better address the market and in ensuring we are the performance partner of choice.

“Although we have a rich heritage in rail, there is even more that we can do by drawing on other areas of the group. As an example, the largest part of the business is supply chain management in logistics, with our clients including the likes of Sky, Vodafone and NHS. By bringing that logistics experience together with our manufacturing, technology and rail capabilities, there is a fantastic opportunity to serve our customers more comprehensively.

“We have simplified what we offer across our breadth of services to show that we can design, make, move and improve supply chains in any of the sectors in which we operate. For rail in both the UK and around the world, we offer an extensive range of services today across Unipart that will save our customers time, cost and carbon. It’s incredibly exciting for us as a business but also for the sectors that we work in.”

Internally, what the change means is that instead of the previous divisions, the organisation will now address the world and its challenges through territories, sectors, and capabilities, drawing on the best capabilities across Unipart to support the tasks ahead.

“Basically we now aren’t just looking across our local divisions, but across the whole of Unipart to identify how we can offer the best solutions for clients,” he said. “We are already reaping the benefits, addressing the markets more effectively, but there is so much more potential”.

“We do a lot of service centre and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work for Network Rail, but what we don’t currently do for Network Rail is supply chain. Bringing in our logistics services while overlaying our MRO gives us a differentiated offer to what is already out there and an opportunity to make a huge difference for customers.”

This new way of working is bringing various Unipart organisations together. Just one example is Westcode and Instrumentel which has seen the latter’s condition monitoring technology overlaying Westcode’s HVAC overhaul, creating an HVAC temperature control unit which has remote-conditioned monitoring. It’s being used by two major East Coast transit agencies in the US.

“It’s a multi-capability, multi-layered solution which didn’t exist before together and is just one example of the exciting things we are working on and the potential of working closer as a group,” David explained. “On top of that, we’re leveraging the benefits of being part of the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN), as well as our collaboration with Coventry University through The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering. These partnerships are really accelerating our innovation and technology capabilities, giving us a major boost in developing cutting-edge solutions.”

There is a lot of excitement across Unipart in presenting its offer to the market in a simpler, easier-to-understand way, and particularly the impact it can have in the rail industry in offering an even wider variety of products, services and solutions from across the group. This was launched to the market earlier this year, and customers are responding well – many not realising before the true breadth of what Unipart offers.

“The UK rail market is a fantastic market and with the changes of Great British Railways, there will be challenges, however there will be big opportunities too,” he said. “What we offer the rail sector will help make the rail supply chain more efficient, resilient and sustainable. Unipart is a 50-year-old business that has never been more ambitious or focused on helping our customers grow, and on us growing. Our growth plans are focused on overlaying our technology capabilities into rail products to create improved, modern solutions.

“We continue to evolve our offering to the rail sector, and in the past the majority of our work was around providing parts to legacy British Rail fleets, now that only accounts for around one-third of our business. Our fastest growth area in the sector market is adding valuable engineering services, such as engineering assurance, supply chain audits for customers, engineering installations, signalling, and technology solutions.”

Unipart’s Technology strategy defines the four fundamental technologies transforming supply chains: automation, data science and artificial intelligence, internet of things and sensors, and digital twins, underpinning its approach to supply chain management, ensuring resilience and efficiency. The company continues to partner with universities, catapult centres, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and industry experts to develop customised technological solutions for customers.

One major area of focus is Condition Based Maintenance (CBM). Unipart, through its subsidiary Instrumentel, has worked with Porterbrook to integrate CBM technology into rolling stock. This has led to increased vehicle reliability, reduced maintenance time, and improved real-time asset tracking. Unipart’s Energy Insight product uses condition monitoring to help businesses optimise and reduce energy use and carbon output.

“Sustainability and safety are a top priority for Unipart, which led to adapting the condition monitoring product to help customers reduce their emissions,” said David. “That shows The Unipart Way in action, constantly looking to improve processes and better serve market needs.”

It has also had success in developing digital solutions for the rail industry, including Vision Insight, a thermal and optical camera system with AI algorithms that detects faults on moving trains and is designing a digital Design Work Station for Network Rail, enhancing efficiency and safety in rail operations. In addition, Unipart’s level crossing solution in collaboration with AtkinsRéalis and Newgate, LX PLUS, reduces installation time by over 20 per cent, improving operational efficiency.

“The rail industry is an exciting one to work in, and one that I am proud to support. I am confident we can make a positive difference within the rail industry,” he said. “It’s a sector we have chosen to support and one that will continue to grow for us. Among the opportunities is an antenna in the UK called Track Circuit Assistor which sits in the bottom of a train and ensures a track circuit, even if you get wheel lift. This is a product we’ve designed and we produce, and that has an export potential worth tens of millions.

“Technology is fundamental to our operations, driving exceptional value for customers and enabling efficient, resilient, and sustainable supply chains. Our  solutions include the development and deployment of in-house technologies such as autonomous mobile robots, SmartBench, Manufactured Reinforced System for the construction sector, Paradigm Insight and Energy Insight.

“It’s all part of the Performance in Motion journey, one that emphasises our commitment to operational excellence, driving performance improvement, and delivering expertise across multiple sectors, including rail, logistics and engineering. We aim to show, not tell, the breadth of our capabilities and the value The Unipart Way delivers, supporting solutions for pressing global supply chain challenges such as resilience, sustainability, and technology innovation.”

This article was published in Rail Director, a magazine delivered directly to rail influencers, key decision makers and industry officials.