Web: www.swmas.co.uk  •  Email: info@swmas.co.uk  •  Telephone: 0845 608 3838  •  Case Studies

Contents

Welcome

Arthur Richardson

Spring into Action

If you are anything like me this time of year, with its lighter evenings and promise of better weather, inspires optimism and a renewed vigour for life!

As we enter a new financial year and say goodbye to last year’s figures and targets, it’s an ideal time to sit down, with fresh energy, and evaluate business performance and plans for growth.

You may recall the old adage ‘if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!’ This is true at all levels of the business. At a strategic level, you need to set and communicate the overall direction and vision for the business. At an operational level, you need to review daily activities, their effectiveness and explore new ways of working.

Planning is an ongoing process but no matter how well you draft your plans, they are essentially meaningless if they are filed away safely in an office and not used to steer your business in the right direction. Plans for growth, which provide inspiration and direction, must live in the business. And, bringing these plans to life is just as important as what they actually say.

Our Strategic Management Programme (SMP) has been instrumental in helping many manufacturers create and bring to life strategies for long-term growth. Since its launch in 2004, more than 55 companies have benefited from hands-on support provided by our team as part of SMP and, based on demand, we have created a version of the programme specifically for smaller manufacturers.

As the only regional MAS centre to deliver the SMP, we are extremely proud of its success in helping manufacturers appreciate the value of planning and the role it plays in helping companies identify and secure new opportunities for growth.

So, take time out to review your company’s direction and make the most of the support on offer from organisations such as the MAS to ensure 2007 is a year to remember for all the right reasons!

Arthur Richardson
Director
South West MAS

The South West MAS would like to hear from you. If you have any comments, queries or manufacturing messages, write to us at info@swmas.co.uk. Each ‘Letter of the Month' will be awarded a copy of John Bicheno's book ‘The Lean Toolbox', so get in touch now!

Case Study

T M Safety Signs - Guiding the Industry to a Bright Future

Safety Signs

Family-owned TM Safety Signs has been manufacturing innovative, energy-efficient and practical safety products for the traffic management industry for the past 12 years. In particular, it has become recognised for its remote controlled, temporary road signs which eliminate the need for workers to cross live carriageways.

The company recently signed up to the South West MAS’ Strategic Management Programme (SMP) which has been adapted for smaller manufacturers. During the programme, Chris and Julie Nagle, the directors of the company, worked with two South West MAS manufacturing specialists to develop a plan for sustained growth and identify future opportunities for the business.

SMP, which is 50 per cent match funded by the South West of England Regional Development Agency, has enabled the management team to highlight the importance of devoting specific and consistent resources to research and development, so that they continue to innovate and lead their field.

Chris Nagle explains: “Working with the South West MAS has been so different from any other experience we have had of external consultants. So often, ‘experts’ visit a company, ask lots of questions and then present a business plan. The SMP was so much better as it involved a facilitated brainstorming process which focused on where we wanted the business to go. Simon Howes and Charles Hill from the South West MAS provided a very personal service and I believe that what we have put together a plan that is realistic, specific and achievable.

Chris concludes: “I can’t speak more highly about SMP and our experience of the South West MAS. Thanks to them, we are now really enthusiastic about the future and about implementing our strategy.“

Simon Howes, South West MAS specialist, comments: “TM Safety Signs joined up to SMP at a critical time for the business. They had hit a point in their evolution where they really needed to sit back and evaluate where they were heading. Fundamental to T M Safety Signs’ growth in the future is the ability to continue innovating and adding to the product range. As a result of SMP, they now have a plan of action with tasks and responsibilities and I believe that the strategy will see them go from strength to strength.”

For more information on support available from the South West MAS, call our helpdesk on 0845 608 3838 or email enquiries@swmas.co.uk

News

‘Chips to Chips' - Manufacturing in Devon

Devon

Over the past few years, much has been written about the ‘decline’ in manufacturing. Whilst it is true that the number of jobs within the industry has reduced and companies are being hit hard by competition from overseas, I wouldn’t use the term ‘decline’ but rather ‘transformation’ when it comes to describing the changing face of the industry.

The traditional model of manufacturing in the UK was based upon mass production and shaped by its labour force, land and capital equipment. However, in recent times, it has become more knowledge-based with manufacturers becoming cleverer about the way they conduct their business through the adoption of lean manufacturing practices, innovating their core offering and exploiting new markets.

Devon is very much playing a part in this transformation. Traditionally associated with industries such as tourism, leisure and farming, increasingly the county is making its mark in the field of manufacturing. Employing more than 47,000 people and providing nearly 11 per cent of the total GVA for Devon, manufacturing is a key contributor to the county’s economy and a major driver of innovation in the region.

To read this story in full click here.

Industry and Regions Minister Backs the Manufacturing Advisory Service

Margaret Hodge

Industry and Regions Minister Margaret Hodge has announced that from April 2008, small and medium-sized manufacturers in the South West will be able to receive free or subsidised advice from the South West MAS.

She also confirmed that the MAS will continue to help companies devise strategies for growth, develop skills and maintain continuous improvement programmes.

Margaret Hodge said: “World class manufacturers require world class manufacturing support and with a Centre of Expertise in every region, MAS is providing manufacturing companies with access to best practice, tailored to meet their individual needs.

"The MAS is a great success and I want to keep it a success. The Government will keep working with the CBI, the EEF, TUC and all our manufacturers to make sure the manufacturing strategy and the Manufacturing Advisory Service deliver for Britain.”

The Manufacturing Advisory Service was created in 2002 and has been a major success for the Government’s Manufacturing Strategy. In the South West, MAS expert specialists have carried out more than 1,000 on site reviews and increased the region’s manufacturing productivity by nearly 25 per cent.

Arthur Richardson, director of MAS South West, commented: “Manufacturing is evolving as a result of changes in the global marketplace and the economy as a whole. For this reason, the MAS is aligning its support to match the needs of the industry as its transforms.

“When we began working with manufacturers five years ago, the level of understanding of lean manufacturing techniques was minimal in some quarters. This knowledge has now advanced and, although we will continue to support manufacturing operations to embrace lean thinking, we are now focused on extending the range of services we provide, helping companies develop workable and profitable strategies for growth. We are delighted that the Government continues to recognise the key role that our service plays in providing hands-on support to regional manufacturers.”

The boost for MAS was welcomed by a range of organisations. EEF Director General, Martin Temple, said: "The Manufacturing Advisory Service has been highly valued by manufacturers and should be the benchmark by which all government support schemes for business are set. It is simple, practical, easy to administer and access. Most importantly, it delivers tangible results on the bottom line."

‘On the Road to Lean' Dazzles the Region's Manufacturers

Dan Jones

The South West MAS brought together the key manufacturing networks in Devon and Cornwall to listen to leading industrialist and lean thinker, Dan Jones.

The chairman of the Lean Enterprise Academy and author of Lean Thinking and The Machine that Changed the World, held separate meetings with the Plymouth Manufacturers Group, Plymouth Engineering Network, Cornwall Manufacturing Network and the North Devon Manufacturing Group to inspire manufacturers to continue embracing lean thinking and leadership and maintain vibrant continuous improvement processes.

In addition to these private audiences, the South West MAS organised two ‘On the Road to Lean’ seminars which were attended by more than 100 manufacturers within Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.

To read this story in full click here.

French on the Menu for Manufacturers in the South West

This June and July, the University of Bath will be welcoming French postgraduates from its partner institutions in Nantes, who will be available to undertake six week unpaid work placements at businesses within the region, providing a valuable injection of resource.

The students, aged 20-24, are studying for an engineering or computing qualification and will come to the UK to improve their English.

For more information, contact Rachel Owens at the Division for Lifelong Learning, University of Bath, 01225 386 146, r.h.owens@bath.ac.uk.

New programme to develop exceptional manufacturing leaders

Last month, the South West MAS launched its new Operational Leadership programme. Developed to help first line managers lead, manage and motivate people, it is much more than a normal training course. It is an action-based, development programme with measurable outcomes, culminating in the delivery of a work-based project.

The programme is ideal for managers who are eager to get more from their people and shop floor processes and improve their own management and manufacturing skills. Participants will boost their confidence and ability to lead people, while finding out how to put new process improvement techniques into action.

Delegates will be assessed on a one-to-one basis and will identify an in-company project that will require them to operate outside of their normal arena and comfort zone.

Places are limited to 8–10 people per programme with only four programmes starting this year.

Places for April are now full, but to book your place for the June programme please contact Jackie Howard at info@swmas.co.uk.

The cost per delegate is between £1,250-£2,100, depending on the number of employees in the company