Meet the TIC Team that is getting us all closer to our cars

As the Indirect Areas Team Improvement Circle convention takes place this weekend, we meet the PIPTIC team based at Whitley to find out more about their project.

Meet the PIPTIC TIC Team

Who is in the team? 

The team is made up of undergraduates – Corporate Affairs Officer Harriet Cottrell, Global Advertising Undergraduate Frida Julia Laszlo and Junior Press Officer Rutendo Muchinenyika.

How did you come up with the team name?

People and Product was our theme, and part of our original objective was to help give colleagues more opportunity to get in product. Hence PIPTIC – People in Product.

What is your project all about?

Our project was about improving colleague product knowledge so we can all better engage with our products, brands and customers. 

It had a positive impact on office morale and boosted confidence for those who don't have contact with the vehicles very often. We are all ambassadors of our two iconic brands and the more we know about them, the better we can embrace them. 

We created six posters, three for Land Rover and three for Jaguar, each with five or six facts about each vehicle. We put them up in high-traffic areas such as in kitchens and by printers, so that everyone could see and engage with them.

Where did the idea come from originally?

As undergraduates in office-based roles, we have very little contact with the vehicles, and sometimes it can be months without seeing one. This also seemed to be an issue faced by others within our offices.

What challenges have you faced along the way?

We lost two members of our team at the start of the project which meant fewer resources. They were also our strongest contacts for those in product-based areas. 

We were also dreaming a lot bigger than was possible for our timeframe and budget, which was a learning curve for us all to recognise the amount of work large projects need. 

What successes have you had along the way?

Our overall vision and target was to improve colleague product knowledge through engagement by 20 percent across Corporate Affairs and the Land Rover Communications team. 

We actually managed to achieve a 47 percent increase in product knowledge. This has to be our biggest success, and testament to how little things can make a big impact.

What makes you the perfect team?

We all had different strengths: Frida is the designer; Ru is the analyst; and Harriet is the data manager. We supported each other to help develop our weaknesses and had fun along the journey.

Why do you think TIC is important for the business?

TIC is a good opportunity to do something you want to do. To take a problem that nags at you every time you come to work, and create a solution that is low-cost but high-impact.

How has TIC been beneficial to your development?

We have all improved across different areas due to the TIC process. Primarily we have all gained significant experience and knowledge working with product.

Why is TIC important for undergraduates to get involved in?

As undergraduates, you often don't get to choose a lot of your projects, or get out and see the wider business. TIC gave us the opportunity to work cross-functionally on a project we chose.

If you could be any team from a movie or TV, who would you be and why?

Powerpuff Girls - Combatting bad product knowledge one vehicle at a time…

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