\\\ Manufacturing \\\ Interview
Getting your
workforce
\\\ Contents \\\
18-19 management
•
Consistent
quality delivered
on time
house in order
20
•
Production
Manufacturing & Logistics IT spoke with Mike
Hawkesford, managing director of Crown Computing,
management
and Neville Henderson of Pasfield Curran, about how
system for
a workforce management system, coupled with a sound
metals firm
in-house workforce planning methodology, can optimise
staff deployment – even in times of demand volatility.
workforce management system occurred in the past, where the company’s
A
can help an organisation to peaks and troughs usually take place,
optimise its workforce planning considers what is most likely to occur in the
regime by helping to ensure the future based on historical demand trends,
right people with the right skills and also looks at any significant changes in
are in the right working environment at the internal operational processes or general
right time. However, some companies buy market demand changes.
such a solution and expect it to be an
immediate panacea for their staffing and
production capacity problems. Neville
Teamwork
Henderson of Pasfield Curran makes the
point that, in instances where a company’s Following on from the analysis stage,
existing staff deployment methodology is Henderson points out that it is a matter of
not as efficient as it could be, the services developing a methodology that achieves
of an external consultancy can prove to be greater operational efficiencies, as well as
invaluable. Then, once an efficient working ways to save time and money for the company.
strategy is put in place, sourcing a reputable “For example, we organise staff into the
workforce management solution can ensure most effective teams; people who are best
this runs as efficiently as possible. able to work together within a particular
department or work centre,” he said. “We
“We usually work with companies that often also determine what sort of work should be
have high levels of customer orders coupled done by each team and consider how
with intermittent and often heavy drops in workers can be incentivised to achieve
demand,” said Henderson. “This can lead greater and faster productivity.”
to excessive overtime requirements and the
need to take on agency staff, then during a Henderson added that, sometimes the
slowdown, quite the opposite – even to the recommended new workforce methodology
extent that the company considers staff is mandated directly by the management,
layoffs.” Henderson explained that at the but wherever possible Pasfield Curran also
initial analysis stage of consultancy, Pasfield encourages as much employee involvement
Curran usually undertakes demand profiling as possible in order to ensure everyone fully
at the company site. This looks at what has understands the benefits of, and the >>
16
MANUFACTURING
&LOGISTICSIT July 2009
www.logisticsit.com
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