Masterclass Lite Case Study
Challenge: To challenge established processes and procedures and drive efficiencies across the company to compete better in the face of challenging overseas competitors.
Solution: Thanet Press embarked upon a Vision in Print (ViP) Masterclass Lite improvement programme.
We often walk our customers through our plant, and always make sure we show them the newly improved areas which teams have worked on. It's a great way to demonstrate that we are passionate about our business. - Pete Griffiths, Manufacturing Manager
In just a few years, there has been a bold change in the printing landscape. Printers are now an integral part of the communications mix, rather than just experts in their own art. In this fast-moving and ever-changing environment, where not only are press speeds essential, but efficiency, productivity and press utilisation are now key printing metrics, understanding the impact of these changes is crucial to future success.
Thanet press is one of the UK's most established printing companies. Although only founded in 1995, there has been a printing company on Thanet's site for over 200 years. With a turnover of over £6million and approaching 100 employees, the company is a reputable player in the marketplace.
The company focuses on three main areas: Academic security printing, i.e. for exam papers and marking books. Directories - Thanet is one of the few companies in the UK to provide a full service, from data management to delivery. The company also prints and finishes multifold leaflets for the pharmaceutical and beauty industries. Additionally, Thanet also undertakes other commercial work printing magazines for renowned clients such as the British Medical Association.
Introducing Change
The Masterclass Lite programme is part of Thanet's overall drive to change the culture within the company to one where employees take charge of their working environment and implement changes that are long-term and sustainable. Senior management called in Vision in Print to induct its staff in the most up-to-date skills and tools they would need to compete with the best of the best.
David Hurley, Thanet MD said, "The UK's printing industry will not be able to compete with our overseas competitors if it doesn't shake up its act and focus on improving processes. We need to learn how to manage the resources we already have more effectively." The Masterclass Lite programme at Thanet equipped its employees with the tools and techniques to start and then maintain this process. Pete Griffiths, Thanet Manufacturing Manager, pulled together a proactive, multi-disciplinary team for the duration of the programme. "Not only did they work together fantastically to meet the objectives of the programme, but the exercise also helped create a sense of 'Company' as opposed to a feeling that we are just a series of separate departments working under the same roof."
The programme's primary focus was to address inefficiencies on a multifold finishing machine, which had previously been identified as having a poor running time record. With the guidance of the ViP engineer, the team carried out a detailed investigation of the machine, only to discover that their preconceptions had been incorrect, the problem actually lay in the makeready time, which could take anything from 5½ hours to 2 days!
The results
Thanet's enthusiastic team decided to tackle this problem head-on, and focused on getting the machine to run for longer periods of time. The Masterclass Lite programme taught the team the skills to tackle this challenge with confidence. Through the creation of Standard Operating Procedures and an agreement on company-wide quality standards, as well as discovering and addressing other inconsistencies with its new-found Best Practice techniques, the team was able to reduce the makeready time by over 30%.
Rectifying these problems has not only given staff the time they need to tend to other important functions in the printing process, but it has had an impact on bottom line profit. This is mainly due to the ability to increase the capacity of the machine and take on more work. In addition, the company now feels confident that it can offer excellent value for money to its customers, as well as the on-time delivery of the highest quality product possible. thanet press case study 4 techniques to success
The word is spreading
Pete Griffiths recalls, "The majority of our staff stay with us for many years, and so inefficiencies in our processes have become so ingrained within the company that the team faced a real challenge to make their task a success. However, the ViP engineer had tackled these issues before and was able to help the team implement changes with a great deal of success and buy-in from their colleagues.
"Once back in their own departments the team members began introducing colleagues to the new skills and methods that they had perfected on the programme, they even began to tackle other departmental challenges without being prompted."
He continues, "The biggest complement the team received came when their sceptical colleagues could see the success of their initial projects, and started to ask them questions about how and when they could roll the concept out to their departments. After all, everyone wants to work in a better environment."
David Hurley concludes, "The programme has set us on-course to change our culture. Not just to seek a quick fix, but to develop a proactive culture of continuous improvement. We need to remember that success lies in not only improving what we do, but always looking to do it better."