MANUFACTURING MENTORS SOLVE THE PROBLEM

RTC North and one of the region’s top performance improvement firms have teamed up to help several local manufacturers turn their business around.

Under the RTC North best practice mentoring programme, part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 8 north-east companies recently embarked on an improvement programme in Problem Solving. Working in conjunction with leading northern manufacturing consultancy, Forward Vision and mentoring company Calsonic Kansei, the programme provided the companies with a wealth of knowledge and practical assistance.

Several of the firms involved recently attended a feedback day to receive their certificates and announce massive improvements to their business as a result of their participation in the scheme.
Since undertaking the six-month programme, EdwinTrisk Ltd’s production management has learned pathways to quantifying problems and preparing data to present to its client and improve quality standards in production. It has since managed to produce a one hundred percent quality improvement in the powder coating process, and win back a previously lost client contract in full. The client has also further doubled its future contract, making the business a projected 100% increase in extra turnover next year.

The programme has benefited the company’s capabilities by allowing Trisk Ltd to develop a higher product spec so that it can now tender for further contracts such as MoD work.
Other companies in the programme included Ringtons, Joyce Loebl, Bison Bede, E&R Polymers and PSI Global, who all reported an improvement in their performance, and costs savings to their business.

Martin Newman, consultant at Forward Vision, said: “A mentoring programme such as this is a fantastic way for local SME manufacturers to get outside the four walls of their plant and see how others do things. They have all learnt some excellent skills in identifying and managing production problems, and made bonds with other manufacturers for future support and information sharing.
“I was delighted to see many had quantifiable results from taking part in the programme, including some impressive surges in quality benchmarks, production and turnover. Some participants will be creating new jobs for the region’s manufacturing base as a result of what they have achieved.”
Neil Radbourne, best practice manager at RTC North, said: ”Mentoring schemes are helping our SME manufacturing base develop ways of working by learning from those companies in this area who are exemplary in their manufacturing management. It has been both a valuable programme for the companies who took part, and the host mentors Calsonic who have been able to share their expertise with other companies to great effect.”

The Mentoring Programme in Problem Solving is one of many run by the RTC North including Health & Safety, Continuous Improvement and Environmental Management. The programme is backed-up by a series of Best Practice Visits, where manufacturers gain the opportunity to visit the region’s top factories to learn from the best such as Alvis Vickers, Renham & Wade and SCA Tissue Mill among others.

For further information on RTC North or any of the Mentoring Programmes and Best Practice visits please contact 0191 516 4400 or log onto www.rtcnorth.co.uk