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Tag Archives: Robert Vernon Associates

The Retail Store Practice: Understanding the customer experience to secure improvements..

18 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates, Uncategorized

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customer experienced product quality, good business growth, Management Consultancy and Training Development Providers, Robert Vernon Associates

For all buying organisations and their supplier base, especially those working in the international sourcing industry, there is a removal from store practice_edited-1the customer experience and the supply chain. One of the classic examples on the consequences of this removal was in the sourcing of pizza cutters in China about 20 years ago. The local buying team and its vendor produced and supplied the circular knife as per dimensions and colour scheme – except it did not cut!! The team and the factory had no idea what a pizza cutter was! They did not understand the customer experience and probably did not know what a pizza was!

One of the ways to address this removal is to invest in and organise a Store Practice Training programme for co-workers and members of the supplier’s operational management team. The aim of these sessions are to understand, appreciate and help improve the following:

  • The retail and distribution network
  • The customer buying process – the mechanics of the store shelf
  • Understand the customers – Mrs Jones, the kids and her husband!
  • Product and Process Quality Improvements
  • Return as brand ambassadors and customer champions to the office and factory.
  • Start a local supplier development programme at the vendor factory.

My experience of these in-store training programmes was as a 3 days session, based at a retail unit near a distribution centre with opportunities for retail worker and customer interface. The profile of the participants was a mix of buyers, merchandisers, factory operators, supervisors and managers from various suppliers and locations.

The learning outcomes during these days were significant; understanding the product, the packaging requirements, how the stores operated as a sales machines and the application of Good Business Growth  – price, availability, quality and business ethics.

Upon completion of the training programme when everybody returned to their factories or offices, the next important stage of the training was to secure success and a return on investment by implementing a follow up action plan:

  • With presentation to co-workers back at the Office/factory shop floor and about their experience and what they learnt.
  • Create a Customer Champion within their organisation, using the Store Practice training course material as the base for how the Champion and the factory work together.
  • Create an atmosphere of pride, working for and supplying the brand – tied into the 4 Good Business Growth  parameters.

Creating and participating in a Store Practice training  is a considerable time and resources investment. The return on that investment can be considerable in:

  • Improving product quality and development at the suppliers
  • Align all parts in the supply chain to a core set of values and business idea.
  • Open the channels for cost savings and improvement just by seeing what happens in the retail and distribution process.
  • Create a’WE and not us and them..

A Store Practice training programme provides development and improvement opportunities for all participants including the retail co-workers. And finally it secures that pizzas can be cut by a knife that is sold, supplied and made by people who care about quality, price, ethics and is actually available for Mrs Jones and her family to buy.

Quality is defined by customer experience..

13 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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CEPQ, customer experienced product quality, Quality Drivers, Robert Vernon Associates, RVA

CEPQ_LinkedIn Banner

When boiling down to the main parameters for a business to succeed, it has to secure the following; competitiveness, availability, sustainability, good product design and quality. This means a customer offer that provides a well designed, competitively priced product on the store/warehouse shelves, supplied by a company that cares about society and the environment. And of course great product quality?

How can a company move quality further into the business, engaging all operations and not just the Technicians and Quality Managers. Quality is an essential part of good business growth..

Over the last 30 years there have been many quality improvement programmes and concepts developed and implemented. This has seen the use of science/maths equations, black/green/yellow belts and manuals full of procedures and directives. These improvement programmes have made great strides in improving service and product quality. However, they have been and are essentially the tools for quality technicians and managers.

As a business driver Quality needs to be concise and standardised for a more holistic understanding and participation by everybody. This starts with understanding the customer, it is only their experience of a product/service quality that determines success or failure. The best  approach to customer quality I have worked with are the following 4 definitions of Customer Experienced Product Quality – CEPQ:

  1. Durability and Function: What is the performance of the material and components to secure that the product does ‘what it says on the tin’.
  2. Safe to Use: What shall be the product’s chemical and substance content. What is the security of small and loose parts.
  3. Well Designed Product: Clear design briefs and specifications. If the product is part of a range, is it modular e.g. correct dimensions, consistent and true colour/shades.
  4. Customer Friendly: What is the after use appearance, are the buttons, switches etc convenient. Is the packaging sufficient and recyclable. Assembly and installation is easy for the customer.

Using the above 4 CEPQ headings, a company can devise their own points to secure according to their customer’s profile, operational and product range requirements. Once devised, these CEPQ points are then used as integral inputs for design/development, manufacturing and quality assurance management.

Irrespective of which Quality management systems a company employs i.e. ISO 9000, Six Sigma, TQM, Lean Manufacturing etc. – Quality is defined by the customer experience. Therefore CEPQ shall drive all these systems and similiar used in the supply chain.

Everything is connected; achieving a competitive price, secured availability at point of sale and a sustainability for the product and the company is difficult without assured quality. Implementing and securing good Customer Experienced Product Quality is vital to secure for any company’s Good Business Growth..

RVA helps business to achieve Good Business Growth, please contact us for further details and discussions on how we can work together.. Mark K. Astley – Robert Vernon Associates Ltd.

Democratic Design for Good Business Growth…

05 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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40 dollar chair, action, Apple Inc., democratic Design, good business growth, Robert Vernon Associates

Democratic Design_aIt starts with designing a great product at a low price. There is skill in designing an architect’s chair for 4000 dollars, but the greater skill is in designing a chair of fantastic form and function for 40 dollars!!

Democratic Design is all about giving the majority of us in the Developed world a great quality product at a low price. Good form and function should not only be for the rich.

In the Developing world Democratic Design is about using the right sustainable materials and production techniques that secures good working conditions, wages and environmental security.

The drivers to secure democratic design are:

Design: Adapted to high volume and efficient production with innovative design – aiming to achieve a low priced product.

Raw Materials: Choosing the right materials and processing techniques to secure a sustainable and low cost supply.

Production: Safe and compliant working conditions with no danger to the environment. An efficient and effective factory.

Quality: Conforms to the requirements and specifications.

Installation: Good final assembly and installation techniques at the product’s point of use – a vital step in the design process.

It is not an easy path to take. Its about achieving a balance in the above drivers. It’s not always evident in cheap brands and is never apparent in the exclusive high price designer products. The big name fashion designers are celebrated on the cat walks and in glossy magazines, but the real heroes of design are those that can achieve Democratic Design.

If you would like to know more about this and Good Business Growth, please contact us for an initials discussion on how we can help your business..

Code of Conduct: The DNA of an organisation

12 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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action, code of conducts, DNA of a company, Drivers, needs, Robert Vernon Associates

Customer or Organisation’s Code of Conducts are now in all parts of the supply chain. They have been an integral part of the office or factory noticeboard for well over 10 years..

Behind the code of conduct document is the reality of compliance to a raft of legislation, directives, procedures, maintenance plans and HR reports. To handle this requires departments and specialists in various operations. This is a necessity, but it must not be allowed to become a silo of function, working in isolation to its own plans, responsibilities and reporting mechanisms, with the rest of the operation being grateful that they don’t have to deal with all that stuff!!!

A code of conduct should be in the DNA of a company. Based on Robert Vernon Associates many years of varied experience  we have concluded that essentially there only 4 basic elements in any code and all businesses and their operations should be managing these elements, irrespective of customer or legislative requirement:

  1. Secure Social Conditions at the workplace
  2. Secure environmental performance and improvement
  3. Secure operational health and safety work
  4. No Child Labour in the factory

Breaking down a code of conduct into basic elements helps to simplify what at times can be something either too abstract, marketing verbage or too technical and detailed. Simplifying with basic elements as communication drivers for the workforce will help secure and achieve engagement and ownership in the operation. This helps to identify the needs, which can then be prioritised and delegated. Once the needs are clear then actions can be devised on the shop floor to handle non conformances or operational improvements, instead of plans being drafted in the supply chain office or company headquarters by Sustainability Teams.

A sustainable, compliant, efficient business depends upon everybody working together to achieve good business growth. The company Code of Conduct informs all stakeholders about an organisation’s values – in essence why they exist! They are no longer marketing gimmicks to be dusted down when the customer or senior managers plans a visit. Compliance to the requirements is vital for the customer offer. It needs to be assured 365 days a year not just on audits. Therefore engagement by everybody in the business is vital. Even if you do not agree with our 4 basic elements find your own, as a way of communicating and securing involvement. Avoid the silo of functions where its only one specific department or team that knows or thinks it knows what’s going on!!

Robert Vernon Associates can help turn your company’s code of conducts, values statements and supplier compliance requirements into reality. Making them not just the DNA of your company but that of your Supply Chain. For more information and a discussion please contact us..

Mark K. Astley

E6 Enterprises appointment

08 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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autonomous power drives, Business strategy development, management and leadership consultancy, Robert Vernon Associates

RVA announces its appointment as management consultants to the autonomous power generation company:

E6 Enterprises

 

 

Robert Vernon Associates will provide guidance, input and assistance in the following:

  • Business Strategy Development
  • Management and Leadership Development
  • Research and Development finance and marketing management
  • Sustainability Management

E6 Enterprises are the developers and innovators of the of the Lower Energy Drive Array – the pat pending ‘Simkarray’ system.

Everybody should be a Risk Manager!!

27 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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product risk analysis, production risk analysis, risk analysis, Robert Vernon Associates, suppy chain

shutterstock_123603859In all businesses there are risks; from the small service delay to the major catastrophe!!

Unfortunately most of us think of risk in terms of the major disaster and by the way its a professional risk managers responsibility to calculate and determine what ‘could’ happen.

This kind of thinking is costing the supply chain a lot of wasted time and resource. For the sake of a few minutes, lifting up our heads and looking beyond current challenges, we can very easily use the concept of risk management in quick and easy ways to avoid future issues in the supply chain or the product..

Identifying a potential hazard for your product, social/ environmental compliance and supply chain operation can be done through various team meetings. Once hazards have been agreed then the following elements in determining the risks are vital to unlocking the potential benefits:

  • How Serious is it (death being the most serious)
  • Frequency ( how many times it could happen)
  • Can it be detected ( Can the hazard be seen)

Formal risk analysis has mainly been the domain of the engineers and number crunchers and has not been used enough in practical ways by operational teams. Its worse in the UK where the above 3 elements have not always been applied, resulting in some poor and very often media ridiculed decisions in governmental departments. (no more conker fights in the schoolyard).. This has resulted in 40% higher costs for UK health and safety management when compared with Germany.

All parts of the supply chain can on a daily basis conduct simple but formal risk analysis. They can easily determine the hazards and then using the above 3 elements calculate the risks and what preventive actions if any, are to be prioritised and implemented!! This need not be complicated, time consuming or costly to do!! The savings and improved service levels will be tremendous in terms of; improved cost management, vendor efficiency, employee job satisfaction and customer service levels.

Find the best, simple and effective method for your organisation to conduct risk analysis; try not to use the engineering and number crunching solutions. Its probably best to avoid the methodology used by UK government departments!!

As part of our Good Business Growth training offers, RVA conducts PRAS – Risk Analysis training. With all our training courses, this is conducted in a very practical and fun way.. Please click here for more details.

Mark K.Astley

Example: How to handle a possible child labour incident..

21 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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factory management child labour incident, handling child labour incident, process flow charting, process flow: child labour at factory, Robert Vernon Associates

shutterstock_198620522When operating and buying in developing countries, companies must be well prepared for various eventualities. One of the most sensitive and extremely urgent to resolve is discovering Child Labour in a factory. Our own experience  in this matter has not been positive; with confusion, delays and extensive disagreements on the evidence discovered and actions to be taken. On two occasions in the past 6 years it became necessary to stop production and hold deliveries until the issue was resolved.

Very often company instructions are available to guide buyers and factory suppliers when a possible incident of child labour is found on the factory floor. However, like most things when these directives are more than two pages, the stakeholders are not familiar enough with the instructions. Valuable hours and days can be lost before all parties become aligned in agreeing and resolving the situation – in some cases this does not even happen if the situation drags on too long!!

The most important point when suspected Child Labour is found is to put the safety and well being of that person at the front of everything. All decisions must be made with this mind-set firmly secured.

RVA have witnessed and has been frustrated at the failure of stakeholders to get to grips with the requirements and the decisions to be made. This has been mainly due to the lack of understanding on how the situation should be handled and processed. To address this, Robert Vernon Associates have produced a one page Process Flow chart to handle a possible Child Labour report. It is based on various existing company instructions and our own experience in capturing all actions and decisions to be made; providing work colleague and suppliers a simple guide to know and understand beforehand what to do, or if an incident does happen then a tool to use and guide everybody in a transparent and efficient way.

We hope below is useful for any international sourcing and factory operations to adapt and utilise. We also hope it proves the power of flow charting as a communications tool. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further details and assistance in developing robust international sourcing tools and guidelines. The example below is just one part of our Good Business Growth operational tools package.

cl-flow-chart-_what-to-do4

 

The Cost Down Programme – CDP

14 Friday Nov 2014

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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Business Development, CDP, Cost Down programme, good business growth, reduce costs not profit, Robert Vernon Associates

Robert Vernon Associates announces a new one day activity to its expanding programme of Good Business Growth training and facilitation courses:

THE COST DOWN PROGRAMME: CDP

shutterstock_117821158

Introduction:  A one day activity programme, conducted on the production floor to identify and reduce article and production costs in a win/win situation for buyers and suppliers.

The Course Objectives: Secure current business and improve potential future volume levels by finding ways to reduce the price for the final customer, improve costs for the retailer and improve profitability in the supply chain.

The CDP is highly activity based, conducted on a client’s nominated production floor.. For more details please take a look at the activity details in this link..One Day on site training course_CDP.

If you and your company are interested to run Cost Down activities in your factories or in your suppliers please complete the contact form.

 

 

 

Create a Supply Chain Virtuous Circle..

31 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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good business growth, Robert Vernon Associates, supply chain, virtuous circle

Linkedein Circle ed1Securing a competitive offer is getting tougher!

The basis to achieve and a have successful competitive offer are the 4 parts of Good Business Growth:

  • Securing the product to specification – Quality.
  • Delivery on time in the most cost efficient way – Availability.
  • Socially and Environmentally assured – Code of Conduct compliant.
  • A Low Price with a meaning – a functioning, well designed, guilt free product that is available on the shelf for the customer to buy.

All the above are integral – they are linked; if one goes down then the business is at jeopardy and if the buyer/vendor’s are not careful they can quickly go into a vicious circle. However, at the same time if one of the 4 parts performs to a higher level then it will in turn help bring the rest of the business to a level of continuous improvement – a virtuous circle.

From the design, merchandising, production, and compliance teams through to the logistic operations they all need to be aligned. If they work, plan and KPI separately in the above, they will create a vicious circle. Avoid this through the application of Good Business Growth and create a Virtuous Circle.

Mark K.Astley

RVA: Training Providers

17 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by mkastley in RVA Updates

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brand protection, Business Growth, Management Consultancy and Training Development Providers, Robert Vernon Associates, Training Courses

RVA Trainers  have over 40 years combined experience working with global retailers and suppliers  operating across the Far East and Europe. Work with them through our series of training courses exploring ways to improve performance and minimise risk in the fast developing and ever demanding world-supply market. These courses are highly activity-based, learning in a fun, informative and interesting way. See the list of training courses below..

 

shutterstock_96175697 - Copy

The Current Programme of Training Courses Offered by Robert Vernon Associates:

1. PRAS: Risk Management

2. CEPQ: Customer Experienced Product Quality

3.  CofC: Code of Conduct Management

4. Good Business Growth: 1 Day Senior Management course.

5. Good Business Growth: 2 day Training Course Autumn_Winter 14

Please use contact form below for more course details including location and costs..

 

 

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