36 manufacturing roundtable ... continued from previous page
. . . or can we promote it?
Langley and Steele, suggested upskilling and management training for existing staff should not be overlooked.
Not all experienced staff made good managers or leaders, of course. “Sometimes those more mature very skilled employees are a little afraid of change and don’t want to move outside their comfort zone. Perhaps we need to educate people to understand change, accept it and not fear it,“ said Langley.
Campkin had deliberately and successfully moved workers around within his workforce. “The business world today is fast-changing. We have to move people’s thinking too. As long as they are a valuable member of their company community they need to be prepared to use their talents in different ways that benefit the business.“
Langley felt a focus on encouraging and developing both the younger generation coming through and the existing experienced staff was a key balance to achieve.
sporting world. “Every elite athlete has a coach, why doesn’t every elite business performer have one?
Could a fresh look at traditional markets help?
The EU remained the UK’s biggest market, the Roundtable heard.
Sachpekidis: “Germany is very appreciative of quality UK work.“ He exampled a client with manufacturing in both Germany and UK, who preferred to market UK-made systems in Germany.
Campkin noted that the UK’s economy, faring better than its EU partners, was promoting confidence in UK manufacturing and its exporting.
Steele highlighted similar marketing preferences among its OEM clients, who were also using UK-based Diametric specialists as quality problem-solvers in international operations – “because we solve the problems quicker.“
With the Internet now providing consumers and company clients with a host of useful product or service information, markets were increasingly customer-led, said Campkin. Manufacturers needed to be able to offer, perhaps for free, much more in terms of insight and knowledge in order to gain and retain customers. “Perhaps manufacturers need to become publishers. They need to be trusted voices of authority, the thought leaders. Companies will die unless they are prepared to open themselves out in this way.“
Sean Wright
Developing ’outcome thinking’ was also important, said Campkin and Langley since helping staff understand the true value of the their work outcomes, boosted morale, company pride and employee engagement.
Walker mentioned a client who insisted all Taylor Made staff working on his IT projects should tour his factory. “He needed us to understand the impact, the outcome for his business if one part of his production line stopped.“
Steele suggested mentoring rather than management roles could be very valuable appointments. Empowering older workers to pass on their advice and knowledge through coaching and mentoring could be extremely rewarding for both them and the younger employee who was keen to learn and progress.
Campkin pointed out that coaches and even mentors were common in the
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Should we make more of the ’Made in Britain’ brand?
Campkin explained that Thomas Sanderson manufactures its conservatory blinds in Waterlooville, near Portsmouth, and window shutters in the Midlands. “We very much major on the fact that we are UK-based ’Made in Britain’ manufacturers.“
Walker: “The ’British quality’ brand is an under-utilised strength that we have within manufacturing, but those that are using it successfully are growing well in UK and overseas markets.“
More could always be done, but he had high praise for UKTI. “They can make a business, through their worldwide assistance with exporting.“
The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) was also commended by the roundtable and the Government’s recently-announced trading links with China were mentioned as supportive.
“We struggle because, with more than 300 John Burbedge
Government grants could be extended more widely she suggested and Campkin highlighted development grants as the most favoured support.
Can we share our knowledge and experience more?
Campkin said that collaboration with local colleges and universities on real-life business projects was one solution to achieving viable commercially beneficial R&D. “We need some poachers turned gamekeepers; people from industry fronting up the college and university projects.“
White: “We have been looking at manufacturing in 2020. How many manufacturers are future fit? Our research, being published early next year, has already revealed the need for an eco-system – access to universities, advisers, industry forums, peer groups etc – an enabling network for knowledge transfer.
“It is incumbent upon us in the advisory community to help facilitate creation of that eco-system approach.“ Was there a role for the Solent LEP in that eco-system? “Probably, but different manufacturers will need different eco-systems,“ added White.
The Roundtable was left thinking: Maybe the Southern Manufacturing 100 should lobby for the establishment of such eco- systems?
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – DECEMBER 15/JANUARY 16
employees, we are too big,“ said Campkin explaining that UKTI and MAS tended to help smaller companies in establishing their export credentials and operations. “There are lots of really great initiatives out there, but they are not available to us, so progressing can be difficult.“
Arnott agreed that larger companies did get “rather set adrift“. The LEPs, MAS, and UKTI bodies were doing good work, but their focus on early exporting experience meant “we are losing the opportunity to push those larger companies on another step.“
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