History and Pedigree
Since our formation in 1999, we have grown to become the UK’s largest provider of quality inspection, containment and engineering services to the Automotive industry. This has been achieved by maintaining our core principles for providing a flexible managed service utilising the right skills, delivered with trust, integrity and transparency
2023
As Data and Information Security becomes more and more important in today’s society we became one of the first companies in the UK to achieve accreditation to the very latest Information security standard – ISO27001 : 2022.
This enables our Customers, employees and in fact all Interested Parties to have the confidence and assurance that the data we collect and retain is done so with full compliance to Internationally recognised standards and practices.
2022
Building on a successful post-pandemic recovery we have continued our expansion and diversification into non-automotive sectors including medical, retail, domestic and marine.
2021
E-VO (Vehicle Rework Facility) broadened the Conversions and Prototype scopes with the completion of two distinctly different projects. Firstly, a conversion of all terrain trucks into fully modular Military Vehicles, the second brought our first fully electric Commercial vehicle build into the facility in the form of the VOLTA ZERO. This project really showed all aspects of our Group capabilities with the formation of a project team consisting of Project Manager, CAD & Tooling / Facilities Engineers, Quality Process Verification Engineers, Production Team Leads, EV Live Working Certified Technicians and Quality control inspectors.
2020
The Global Covid Pandemic brought many challenges and tragedies that changed the world and lives forever. Like all businesses we needed to react, but unlike all businesses we chose the path of protecting and retaining our entire team and trusted colleagues, safe in the knowledge that when recovery came we would be there and ready to support our Customers once again. This strategy proved to be the right one and Customers were grateful of our ability to step in with greater flexibility to assist their own gradual recovery paths.
2019
Our long-standing nomination with Bentley Motors on Series Production Containment took a further step forward with the successful nomination to replace an existing but failing support partner on Pre-Series Containment and Concern Management. Having been subjected to ‘false promises’ by the previous support partner, Bentley saw our commitment to develop and roll out our innovative Real-Time Data Capture, Analysis and Concern Management System (Known as EOS – E-PPL Operating System) as pivotal to the nomination. We stood firm by our commitments and EOS has now become instrumental and ‘Benchmark’ in Managing the full 8D Process as well as capturing , delivering and analysing all inspection and rework data in a fully real-time and interactive data environment.
2018
Continued expansion and the request from Customers to have the ability to divert vehicles and components for off-site rework led to significant investment and the creation of our new Group Head Office and flexible Vehicle Rework Facility. Known as E-VO (E-PPL Vehicle Operations), our 40,000 sq.ft facility is conveniently located by M6 Junction 3 and is fully equipped and skilled to carry out all levels of vehicle reworks, upgrades, conversions and full prototype builds as well as component divert inspection & filtering.
2015
e-ppl and AutoScan increased the scope of services at all customer sites to better meet the needs of our customers with further investments in technologies and data systems, all of which helped to secure new business in 2015, a Global contract with JCB.
2014
To enable us to continue supporting our ever increasing customer base, we have made several key appointments within the business in the first half of 2014. This ensures we maintain full operational control of all existing activities and prepares us for our next planned phase of growth.
2013
To complement our ISO 9001 accreditation we have recently implemented systems to achieve accreditation to environmental management system ISO 14001. This ensures we are able to deliver and support our customers own expectations and aspirations for world class quality and environmental performance.
Following the successful 5 year single source partnership with BMW, we were rewarded with a further 5 year extension to this contract in June 2013.
2012
Due to a proven track record and consistent delivery of highly skilled projects our group successfully secured the contract to provide a fully managed launch support service on new models to all 3 UK Jaguar Land Rover facilities.
2011
A further 3 year contract extension with Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK demonstrated our ability to develop long term partnerships.
The strategic alignment of AutoScan with e-ppl in June 2011 created a unique service offering that is unquestionably the largest within our service provider sector positioning us for the future and the total requirements of all OEM’s and suppliers.
To support this growth, we appointed Bob Dover, a Senior Automotive professional, as the Group Chairman in July 2011.
2010
2009 and 2010 was for many in the Automotive industry and beyond, more than a challenging period as a result of the global recession. Our ability to react quickly to changing business needs and our strong business planning and organisation ensured we adapted to these unprecedented times and secured the long term future of the business.
Due to growing demand for our services in Europe, we took the business decision to establish operational bases in Spain and Germany
2008
BMW’s decision to reduce onsite support to a single service provider resulted in our successful nomination as the sole service provider for onsite containment and quality engineering services.
Our continued support within Toyota since 2000 was rewarded with our nomination as single source provider of onsite containment services to TMMUK and their suppliers.
We also invested in the long-term growth of the north east business and established our office there which today supports both Automotive and non-automotive manufacturers and suppliers.
2005
BMW’s desire to streamline onsite service support led to our successful nomination as a dual source partner for onsite containment and quality engineering services giving the supply base an equal pricing structure and the ability to nominate their chosen partner solely on level of service.
2004
Through 2003 and 2004, our reputation within the supply base led to increasing requests to provide onsite support at new OEM locations and operational teams were established at Bentley, BMW Oxford and Land Rover Solihull which would later see us developing longstanding relationships and contract nominations with these OEM’s.
2003
Due to the continued growth of AutoScan and starting to work overseas supporting our growing customer base, AutoScan invested heavily in the back office functions, IT systems and quality systems and were awarded ISO 9000:2001.
2002
Following 3 years of sustained growth and development, the ethics, professionalism and hard work of the AutoScan team was recognised with Les Brown being awarded the regional Entrepreneur of the year 2002.
The on-going growth of the business resulted in the need to secure new operating premises for further expansion of the Management and Administrational support teams to enable continued and ever improving service for our customers.
2001
A further milestone for the business came in the form of new resident support for MG Rover at Longbridge which helped to further develop our already expanding support within the automotive manufacturing supply base.
As a quality service provider, it was essential to implement and maintain our own robust quality management systems and following investment in our people, time and resource, achieved accreditation to ISO9001.
2000
This year marked a significant event in the history of the business when we successfully secured our first resident support assignment with Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK to provide onsite containment support at their Burnaston facility.
During this same year, an increasing number of projects were undertaken at several first tier supplier facilities and our reputation for quality of service continued to spread within the industry.
1999
AutoScan was founded in 1999 by Les Brown and John Birch and it was during this time that the first AutoScan office was established in Telford. This enabled the business to offer a professional service and structured support to a rapidly expanding operational team.