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Monthly Archives: April 2015

The Company Resource Strategy

29 Wednesday Apr 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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Business strategy development, Process control, resource management

Material strategy

For many years I lived and worked in South Asia in one of the main industries of the region – textiles. In this region textiles is vertically integrated from the raw material supply of cotton, to weaving, processing and stitching. Textile industrialisation and high volume supply from South Asia has been a post war success. At the same time on the Sub Continent  the supply and quality of water, a major resource in the textile process has moved into a UN classification of stressed!

The option of moving this business away from the region is not the best solution for either the buyers or South Asia. To address this issue all textile factories and their customers need to develop water strategies: There is no future for the textile industry without a strategic approach from all partners for the use and discharge of this vital resource.

A resource strategy cannot be developed in isolation, it needs all the stakeholders to participate. Its not just about the buyers sourcing from operations with effluent treatment plants or FSC timber supply for example.

What are the main headings of a resource strategy:

  • The product range designed and developed to secure the best use of the resource in the product and its production.
  • The raw material: specified and purchased from secure and sustainable sources that minimise the use of the resource.
  • Production: Lean and efficient with process control at the heart to optimise the use of the resource.
  • Waste Management: Systems in place and managed on a professional level with an ambitious goal of zero discharge.

The above should be in a framework to secure at least the following in the supply chain:

  • the input – the design, raw material and production techniques  (the buyers responsibility)
  • the process – production that secures the resource ( the factory responsibility)
  • the output –  safe and clean discharge management and supervision.(the utility supplier)

Whatever the resource; be it water, timber, oil, etc. There has to be a high level, wide scope approach across the supply chain. This helps to achieve a clarity of vision and the necessary investments in machines, material, manpower and money by all stakeholders – it must be an holistic strategy.

As an example; take a look at the mind map developed below for home textile product supply from Bangladesh . If you have not done so already perhaps this could help you get started on a strategy in whatever critical resource you are currently working with..

Water Stragey map 1

  • Written by Mark K.Astley
    Mark K. Astley

The Cost Down Activity

23 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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Cost Down programme, Price with a meaning, production costs

cost down 3

Profit is a result of making good business growth; its not the why a company exists. The company values, service performance, good product quality and a competitive offer is The Why!

In order to secure continued success, a company should conduct regular practical value mapping exercises that are locally organised. They are to be viewed by participants as a positive activity, driving the business forward rather than being a threat to individuals and organisations within the supply chain. My main experience and success in this kind of activity was through the Cost Down Toolbox which involved analysing materials, manpower, machines and of course money.

The framework and process of activities in the Cost Down Toolbox are:

  1. Secure Buy In –  Why Cost Down and everybody is on-board.
  2. Production/Process Walk Through
  3. Warm up exercise – get the creative juices flowing
  4. Design and component analysis
  5. Create draft action plan
  6. Production/Processing Analysis
  7. Finalise Action Plan – confirm responsibilities, lock in activities and time lines.
  8. Completed within the same day – providing a creative and challenging environment.

The Cost Down shall facilitate the understanding of cost structures, design/product tear down risks, process mapping and out of the box/creative thinking. The  participants in these activity should include vendor,buyer,logistics and factory/process representatives including company board members if possible.

The tools to be utilised and made available during a Cost Down are:

  • Factory/Operational Process Control results
  • Product and Production Risk Analysis methodology and results
  • Customer Experienced Product Quality viewpoints
  • The Learning Box methodology and team activity results
  • Sub supplier management reports
  • The Democratic Design Viewpoint

Irrespective of whether its the buyers, the factory/processor or sub suppliers the outcome of a Cost Down activity shall be aligned to:

  • Improved retail opportunities for all
  • Costs reductions, not profit reductions
  • Increased volume and efficiency opportunities
  • Increase the supply chain partnerships including logistics
  • Create opportunities for Price with a Meaning and Sympathetic Pricing..

The cost-down program is a road map to achieve cost reductions and performance improvements. It is a partnership process using teamwork, transparent communications and problem-solving techniques. The objective is to secure, continue and provide the key success factors of good business growth for all   supply chain stakeholders.

Mark K. Astley:  Robert Vernon Associates – working with and training on The Cost Down Toolbox..

The Company Board – Securing Good Business Growth

13 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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board of directors, Business Growth, company directors

Good Business grpwth board

Like everything else, the leadership for good business growth comes form the top. Most of the business case studies on inspirational leadership concentrate on individuals – what is their management philosophy, their strategies, what kind of superman or wonder woman are they!!

The company board of directors and non executive directors very rarely get a look in and when they do its usually negative e.g. in the UK the HSBC board were subjected to a humiliating and extremely uncomfortable public interrogation on what the hell have they been doing to combat unethical practices by the bank’s investment division. In the case of one of my previous employers Tesco, the whole board in the last year has been practically replaced.

With the current questions about the effectiveness of Company Board’s, I decided to embark on a small investigation to determine what these collections of individuals should actually be doing to secure good growth for a business. This investigation involved attending training courses, individual discussions with existing board directors, recruitment specialists and actually reading the UK Corporate Governance Code.

The board of directors play a vital role in Good Business Growth, not a lip service but leadership in the set up, vision and the running of the company:

1. The basic elements that a company board works with are the 4P’s of Policy, People, Profits and Principles. This is done with a diverse board membership; representing society and the company customer base. Behaving with integrity through honesty and transparency, whilst avoiding ‘groupthink’..

2. To secure a sustainable business the board of directors should provide the company with the following:

  • Leadership through a collective responsibility that constructively challenges and develops proposals on strategy.
  • Effectiveness as a group with balanced skills and experience, using a rigorous self evaluation on their performance as a board. The members should contribute sufficient time to the role. Be a worthy and transparently appointed group of executive and non executive directors.
  • Secure Accountability through fair and balanced assessment of the business. Understanding and managing risk with internal controls.
  • Promote long term success of the company through a formal and transparent remuneration package for the directors.
  • Create a dialogue and relationship with shareholders that is mutually understanding and encouraging to achieve the business objectives.

3. In relation to Good Business Growth, what does this mean for the board when working with the executive management team of the business.

  • Work with strategy and long term sustainability – secure the ‘Why’ in the business.
  • Secure the business Code of Conduct and Company values.
  • Understand the Customer Experience of the product or service.
  • Help develop strategy and business longevity product through the use of Democratic Design and Price with a meaning.
  • Understand and guide the company Responsibilities in the Supply Chain.
  • Understand the Risks in the business and how are these risks being identified and eliminated.
  • Determine the right KPI Tools to judge the business in terms of good business growth, remuneration and legal requirements.
  • Use Process Flow Charts to understand the operational parts of the business on a one page holistic view.
  • Where practical understand and follow up the operational management tools employed in the business.
  • All types of auditing activities within the business are followed up. The long term goal should be to secure legal, ethical and profitable practices are assured through business processes rather than auditing.

The board cannot go into operational detail, that is for the executive management team. However, the above points can create a framework to apply in their agendas, reports and information packs used in the regular Board of Directors meetings.

4. The company board should be nurturing the success of an organisation through;

  • Enabling the love of all its stakeholders
  • Securing a company set of core values, policies and operating systems.
  • Helping to create a broader purpose to the corporate vision
  • Create the conditions for a humble, modest and self effacing business leadership
  • Promoting emotional leadership in the business
  • Aligning the business incentives and culture

In Conclusion: a company board shapes culture, provides a conscious leadership and  secures business functions/capability. It should be able to read the signals and join the dots when reviewing performance and understanding the risks in the real world. By doing this the board secures the 4P’s and achieve Good Business Growth..

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