Unexpected business opportunities can be difficult to meet, especially at short notice. The 2009 Victoria bushfires saw an urgent call for New Zealand assistance. This resulted in an equally urgent call for protective clothing for the firefighters.
It was Auckland firm Jaedon Enterprises Ltd who offered the responsiveness to be able to equip the firefighters at very short notice.
Just twelve months earlier, such an urgent requirement would have been beyond Jaedon's capacity. But, thanks to an Apparel and Textiles ITO (ATITO) productivity project, Jaedon had recently reduced delivery times by one-third.
Jaedon's transformation not only increased responsiveness, productivity improvements also delivered a six-figure annual boost to the bottom line.
The significant increase in workforce motivation and flexibility meant that, not only were the firefighters' needs met, but existing orders were unaffected and were delivered on time.
These dramatic improvements in performance and profitability were due to a project sponsored by the ATITO.
The Productivity Project makes use of the ATITO's network of independent industry specialists. These experts bring fresh eyes and broad experience to
provide a different perspective on a company's operations.
According to Emily May, a director at Jaedon, "Someone fresh came in and asked pertinent questions which made sense."
Many managers would find it threatening to have someone come into their company and ask challenging questions. At Jaedon the first step was for management to champion the project. Not only did they brace themselves for change, they made a point of talking to staff and explaining what the project would mean for them.
Tim Pearson, Training Development Advisor at the ATITO, sees a company's readiness to change as crucial.
"At Jaedon they had a sales manager who had seen the benefits of a similar project in the UK. This enthusiasm provided the spark that allowed our people to facilitate big changes for Jaedon. We know Jaedon found it challenging, but we also know they really value the results they got out of it," said Tim.
After the initial assessment phase at Jaedon, Bruce Tollemache, Training Advisor at the ATITO organised a garment specialist to address skills and process issues.
Bruce explained that, "The garment technician looked at the operational techniques being used by the supervisors, machinists and cutters. She offered a different perspective on Jaedon's processes and was able to provide specific assistance with the sewing, workflow and quality of garment construction."
Emily is very positive about the benefits of this stage of the project.
"The garment technician definitely helped us with sewing techniques and assisting the supervisors," said Emily.
Receiving assessment and production advice is one thing, taking it onboard and embedding significant operational change is another. The final phase of the project saw the Jaedon management team prioritise the recommendations and implement them.
This phase saw the establishment of new benchmarks to monitor the improvements. Staff engagement remained critical through this period. Emily stressed that listening to ideas from staff, recognising and rewarding staff participation and communicating the results were very important.
Emily talked about openness and communication when summarising the project.
"Go into it with an open mind. Be prepared to take criticism and listen to staff. Our staff started coming up with good ideas, for example, extending tables so they could work faster."
Mike Gorinski, CEO of the ATITO is encouraged by the results achieved at Jeadon Enterprises.
"It simply makes good sense for a manufacturing company to adopt productivity improvement practices, irrespective of the prevailing economic environment," said Mike.
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