If businesses in the Manufacturing & Supply Chain sector are not continuously improving their speed of design, production and delivery – while maintaining quality – they simply will not last. We focus on instilling accountability and engaging your teams in their work to reduce errors and increase productivity.

CHALLENGES

Inefficient Design Processes

Long design lead times and a focus on back-end manufacturing distract from taking an end to end view of product cost and margin erosion.

Achieving Quality Standards at Low Volume

The OEM’s demand for pre-production quality testing and certification can outweigh the benefit of the actual order run to the end manufacturer.

Workforce Capability and Engagement

There is a declining skilled workforce capability and often a lack of engagement in process improvement/innovation among the workforce.

Supply Chain

Supply Chain Management practices are poor, and the lower tiers of the supply chain are lacking investment and capability.

QUESTIONS

Measure Value

How do we consider and measure value in our operation? Do we have a holistic understanding of our cost base and margins by product?

Quality Focused

How do we economically apply advanced product quality planning (APQP) or similar in a low volume environment? Do we have a culture of quality and do our people understand our expectations of them as they go about their daily activities?

Better Together

How are we engaging our colleagues towards the achievement of a common goal? How are we enabling and equipping our teams to innovate and solve problems at their own level?

Set Priorities

How are we working with our partners to innovate and add value to the process? Do we encourage collaboration and transparency? Is our governance and management distracting our partners from the priority at hand?

IMPACT

• 20% lead time reduction through more efficient pre-manufacturing process improvements 
• Established process ‘lite’ approach to introduce Automotive Quality standards for bespoke VIP vehicles (c1,000 per year) 
• 50% increased production area capacity through the introduction of cellular manufacturing and organisation redesign 
• €1m inventory reduction delivered through facilitated collaboration between supplier and OEM client

CHALLENGES

Asset Availability

Redundant capacity due to machine downtime or bottlenecks elsewhere in the value stream.

Flow

Jobbing shop processes and inefficient material management.

Problem Solving

The default is to look for technical expertise Six Sigma, TPM etc to unlock the value in processes.

Culture

Housekeeping and safety standards aren't where they need to be. There’s no identified 'way of working.'

QUESTIONS

Supply Chain

Supply Chain management and integration is poor.

Measure + React

How are we measuring our process effectiveness? Do we have a full understanding of lost time and the root causes?

Become Resourceful

Does our business carry too much inventory? Are we making the most efficient use of the resources and skills available?

Avoid Delays

How often could minor stops and major breakdowns be prevented through in-line maintenance activities? Can I afford a team of Six Sigma experts who really knows our processes and machines best?

Consistent Culture

Do we have an embedded safety culture at all levels of our business? Do we have a culture where our people take pride in their workplace and have a passion for our long-term future? What’s my role as a senior leader in all this?

IMPACT

• 80% of downtime losses addressed through intensive OEE analysis 
• €17m inventory reduction though new planning processes and replenishment models for spare parts 
• 80% of all production problems now solved by front line supervisors and engineers 
• A focus on key behaviors indicators drive housekeeping and compliance standards to 90%

CHALLENGES

Cost Pressures

Retailers expect quality & service as a given, with incremental improvement in costs. Raw material costs are volatile.

Engaged People

The challenge with performance management is never the top or bottom 10%, it is the 80% in the 'middle'.

Accountability gaps

Despite all the training and development, people and teams do not seem to feel accountable for results.

Supply Chain Management

Supply chain integration is poor and distribution costs are volatile.

QUESTIONS.

Efficient Teams

Could you structure and train cross-functional teams to identify and implement cost savings and value engineer products without reducing the product offering?

Engaged People

How are we involving and engaging our people in the journey towards new performance levels?

Culture Of Ownership

Does it feel like the more you talk about responsibility and accountability, the less it exists? Have you looked at leadership (or your own behaviour) as being part of the problem?

Mutual Benefit

How are we working with our supply chain to solve problems to mutual benefit? Does our production footprint align with our sales strategy?

IMPACT

• €1.1 million improvements in cost variance achieved and ongoing improvement opportunities identified by implementing cross-functional teams 
• €3 million EBITA improvement through completely transforming operations and engineering 
• 37% improvement in capacity with no increase in people or resources 
• Inventory accuracy improved from 52% to 99.9% through standard work introduction

CHALLENGES

Logistics Challenge

The big picture is often missed by ‘optimising’ the component parts of the logistics supply chain as individual elements.

Point Of Use Availability

Having the right thing, in the right place at the right time (noting complexity of seasonal demand).

Asset Turnaround

Slow turnarounds, ineffective maintenance regimes and asset obsolescence are all avoidable sources of lost income.

Supply Chain - The New World

Creating an environment where people and teams feel accountability for the completion and quality of their work.

QUESTIONS

Customer-Centered

Does everyone understand the role of logistics in our organisation? Do we sometimes lose sight of the real/ paying customer in the complexity of our supply chain design?

Seize Opportunities

How do we measure and understand availability? Are we losing customers that we don't know about? How do we capture and escalate this information?

Maintain

How do we triage asset maintenance and does customer demand play a role? What is our maintenance regime for low use assets?

Equip Yourself

What tools, systems and processes are required to guarantee customer satisfaction?

IMPACT

• Pick accuracy improved from 97% to 100% 
• On-time and in-full improved by 10% through tiered planning processes and strict decision making criteria. Root cause analysis carried out on all lost customers. 
• Asset turnaround time reduced by 50% by streamlining admin touch points. 
• Shared service/consolidation saved £1.1m.

CHALLENGES

Mobilisation and Contract Management

Setting the platform and mindset for operational efficiency is overlooked at the early stages of the contract life-cycle despite being core to the win strategy.

Resource Model

Having the right person, in the right place with the right skills and resources at the right time, every time.

Customer Experience

The end user wants the right solution delivered when you committed and within a single visit. Customer satisfaction doesn't have to be at odds with operational efficiency.

Accountability

Supply Chain Management practices are poor, and the lower tiers of the supply chain are lacking investment and capability.

Supply Chain Co-ordination/Collaboration

Disjointed supply chains with limited understanding of each others role and requirements and ineffective hand-offs.

QUESTIONS

Optimise Each Step

When do our contracts assume for efficiencies to be realised? Do mobilisations go to plan? Is there a clear plan and execution strategy in place between bid, mobilisation and operation teams?

Empower Workforce

How do we measure workforce efficiency? Are we seeing the full picture? Am I enabling my workforce to be as efficient and effective as they can or am I driving the wrong measures and attitudes?

User Experience

How are you interacting with the end user, is it a positive experience for them? What are the principles you are leading by example with that will ensure every experience is a good one?

Raise The Bar

Do your people know what is expected of them in the role? Have you looked at how your leadership team (or your own behaviour) is setting the tone?

IMPACT

• £4.8m cost savings identified and implemented as part of next-generation contract mobilisation. 
• £0.5m penalty charges avoided through the implementation of lead KPI measures across the contract. 
• 50% increase in repair and maintenance gang productivity. 
• £1.2m saved in supply chain redesign and re-structure of a loss-making contract. 
• Increased customer satisfaction through a ‘Right First Time’ and ‘taking positive action’ employee awareness programme.

CHALLENGES

Process Standards and Continuous Improvement

Every construction site isn’t wholly unique but is approached as though it is. It is difficult to improve a moving target.

Managing Change

Good governance processes like ‘lessons learned’ aren’t timely, aren’t read across projects frequently and tend to fall away towards the end of the project.

Skills Shortage

Less young people are coming into the sector. Now is the time to look at traditional roles like estimating, surveying, site & project management to understand how to mitigate against this challenge.

Right first time

Snagging is common practice and erodes the customer experience and net margins.

Programme Management

Lack of capability amongst programme management. The understanding of requirements on a week by week basis is vague, and schedule adherence is poor.

QUESTIONS

Core Principles

How do you train and equip your teams to apply standard processes? What are your non-negotiable core principles that you lead from the front with and are applied to each and every project?

Accountability

Are you clear about who is responsible for driving a site culture that represents your company values? Do you lead by example? How do you create a culture where delays, defects and issues are OK to be called out?

Move Forward

How quickly can we tell whether a programme is on track or not? Is it clear what the key issues are that are restricting progress and the plan for these?

Plan Ahead

Do you understand your capability and capacity in core skill areas? Do the plans you have in place protect you against an ageing workforce and skills shortage?

IMPACT

• 100% of all site managers trained on new planning and control techniques. 
• X4 reduction in order variation through better formal partnerships and relationship management processes. 
• 30% more projects being managed with the same amount of commercial surveyors. 
• 50% reduction in construction handover through the introduction of collaborative working methods across internal functions and supply chain partners. 

CHALLENGES

Organisation Structure

Getting the balance between spend and overhead right while ensuring regulation and compliance are met.

Performance Culture

Not accepting the norm and traditional ways of working.

Supply Chain

Getting the best people, best results and a collaborative culture with a traditional supply chain.

Production Line Thinking

The management structure is in place, but the routines and rituals of production management are missing for various reasons.

Intelligent Use Of Data

The data exists but isn’t being used effectively to inform decisions and drive the business.

QUESTIONS

Break Through

How are our targets set and measured? Did we achieve some breakthrough change in the last 12 months?

Partner Relationships

How do we contract with and compensate our partners; is this aligned with the values and behaviours we are trying to deliver collectively on? Are we managing our partner’s performance and providing formal structured feedback?

Production Line Thinking

Do we have a holistic understanding of the ‘production line’ and it’s pinch points? Do we connect the experienced people and teams that we employ together with operating and management systems?

Measure

How are we measuring capital efficiency? Does our current structure enable delivery while holding them to account? Are we confident we are getting the most we can for our money?

IMPACT

• 75% reduction in the requirement for mini competitions through improved future demand planning. 
• 100% employees educated in department process and their role in the business leading to greater collaboration and more efficient hand-offs. 
• New PMO and Capital delivery operating model and structure defined, improving organisations ability to deliver on time, cost, quality and achieve greater capital efficiencies. 
• KPI’s defined and implemented for consultant and contractor partners.

CHALLENGES

Data Driven Decisions

Data is lacking and challenges seem obvious, but the results aren’t forthcoming.

Establishing Company Values

Local site based cultures with no common ‘way.’

Cost of Quality

Complex commercial models trying to balance incoming ‘gate fee’ with the quality impact on the end product.

Fleet Management

Maximising the return and maintaining an expensive and critical asset base.

Cost to Operate

Achieving process efficiencies with variable inputs.

QUESTIONS

Leadership

What are the key measures we drive our business through? Are these easily influenced? Do I as a leader lead with data or gut?

Values

What are the core values we expect from the leadership team? How are we as a leadership team instilling these at a local level and enabling our people to live by these?

Quality

Do we understand the cost of sub-standard quality to our business? Have we determined the influences on output quality and refined our input criteria?

Manage Costs

Do we understand how to achieve the most efficient route planning? Do we manage transport costs effectively within customer service levels and do we know we aren’t over-delivering?

Consistency

Have we identified the commonality in our processes regardless of what comes through the door? Do we know the bottlenecks within our processes? Are we managing and maintaining critical assets? How do we set and improve on ‘production’ targets?

IMPACT

• €2.6m benefits delivered across 3 Waste Management sites ranging from hazardous waste to SRF production. 
• Established a ‘Company Way’ which was simple, bespoke, and practical.
•  100 employees trained in Lean tools and techniques.
•  >€ 10m savings identified in a company wide diagnostic

We offer a broad range of specialised services to successful small and medium enterprises. We get a real kick out of this type of work as it typically involves helping entrepreneur-led businesses stabilise, evolve and thrive. We also support great family businesses by getting them ready for the next generation.

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS

At a certain point in the evolution of small to medium-sized businesses, it becomes necessary to create a longer-term view (3 to 5 years). We expose your management team to the strategic planning process, develop longer-term objectives and an agreed control and review process to deliver the changes, supported by appropriate behaviours. Your people are coached for understanding and application throughout the process.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE & LEAN SUPPORT

Our Operational Excellence models and underpinning Lean support takes different shapes depending on where your business is at on its improvement journey. Following an assessment at the beginning of the project, our support is tailored to your specific needs based on your maturity level and can include work streams like: 

• Process redesign and process excellence
• Cost reductions and efficiencies gains
• Visual management systems and audit
• Capability building through training and on the job coaching
• Strategy deployment & performance management

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

We have supported a range of projects within the construction, engineering, food and financial services sectors. We know that accountable people, a robust approach and strong leadership are key factors in the successful delivery of a project.

Our services include: 

• Adding additional Subject Matter Expert resources to your team to accelerate delivery of projects
• Independent project management governance
• Programme (PMO) set up

QUALITY & BUSINESS SYSTEMS

Frequently – and in particular for SME clients in Ireland – we are engaged to project manage the scoping and implementation of new business and quality management systems.

Example projects include: 

• ISO 9001 implementation and audit preparation
• Shop floor control systems linking manufacturing with MRP
• Material management systems