Workplace literacy: The hidden lever of performance
Adam Harvey, Business Performance Partner – Manufacturing, The Learning Wave We all know the story: New Zealand productivity lags behind much of the OECD. For years, it’s been in reports, debated at conferences and written in board packs. You feel it when the same issues resurface, rework creeps back […]
In God we trust: All others bring data
David Altena is Head of Growth & Partnerships at SmartSpace.ai & Co-Founder & Host of The Better SMB Podcast. david@altena.solutions Rob Bull is Director of the New Zealand Lean Academy. rob@nzla.nz Edwards Deming’s line has been quoted so often it risks becoming wallpaper. But for New Zealand […]
Uncertainty and opportunity for Kiwi exporters
By EMA Head of Membership and Export, Simon Devoy With the global trading environment shifting rapidly, uncertainty is the new normal for Kiwi exporters. The latest developments around tariffs from the Trump Administration show just how quickly the rules can change, and how vulnerable small, open trading economies like […]
Busy Isn’t Productive: The Hidden Cost of Broken Flow
A practical reset for factories stuck in firefighting, batching and workarounds. By Neil Robinson, a Senior Business Consultant with Argon & Co (Auckland) specialising in productivity improvement, Lean systems and capability building. A Six Sigma Black Belt and experienced facilitator, he helps manufacturing teams make flow visible, stabilise performance […]
Find a Business Partner – DIY or Not ?
Mike Warmington, Director, Platform1 New Zealanders often like to try their hand at projects especially when it comes to DIY jobs around the house. We pride ourselves on having a can-do attitude. This can transcend itself into business when owners are looking at exit planning strategies. It may sound […]
Q & A Stephanie Fry, General Manager, Stratmore
Stratmore is proud to be a 100% New Zealand owned and operated, family business, with over 71 years expertise in building and construction products supply. Stratmore manufactures and distributes premium, high-performance products for construction and repair and provides comprehensive consulting for the New Zealand construction industry. Stratmore is also […]
Power Politics: How high electricity prices are squeezing NZ Manufacturers in an Election Year
By Sean Doherty,Manufacturing Commentator | NZ Industry Trends New Zealand’s electricity market is producing two parallel realities. For the country’s four major generator-retailers, business has never been better. For manufacturers, the same market is steadily destroying the economics of making things in this country. If the balance is not […]
Prevention is the strategy for performance in infrastructure delivery
From March issue, NZ Manufacturer magazine Stephanie Pretorius, Managing Principal, Argon & Co Infrastructure projects operate under relentless pressure: tightening margins, rising complexity, public scrutiny, and near-zero tolerance for delay. Yet many delivery environments still default to recovery — catch-up programmes, overtime, task-force escalation — only after performance has […]
Unlocking productivity: The National Launch of the 35 by 35 Business Performance Programme
New Zealand’s productivity challenge is well documented — but what if lifting performance across small and medium-sized businesses could be systemised, measured, and accelerated at scale? That is the ambition behind 35 by 35, a national business performance movement designed to help New Zealand businesses lift productivity, capability, and resilience […]
University programme expands to help manufacturers go digital
New funding will enable a University initiative to help more small manufacturers access affordable digital technology and improve productivity. Key facts The Government has committed up to $475,000 per year for three years from 1 April 2026 to expand the University of Auckland-led Digital Manufacturing Light programme. Digital Manufacturing Light […]
NZ’s economy to take three decades to double without intervention – OECD Data
New OECD data shows NZ’s economy will take more than 30 years to double in size unless major structural and cultural changes are made to how organisations operate. The modelling shows New Zealand’s real GDP, currently at US$216 billion, is not expected to double until 2055.[1] While the nation’s economy […]
The world wants Kiwi manufacturing: Turning acquisitions into advantage
By Sean Doherty,Manufacturing Commentator | NZ Industry Trends Global investment is reshaping the future of Kiwi manufacturers—and the outlook is surprisingly positive. It has been a historic couple of years for New Zealand’s manufacturing and food processing sectors. From Invercargill to Auckland, a remarkable string of large manufacturing companies have […]
From data to decisions: getting more value from sustainability measurement
From February issue, NZ Manufacturer magazine The way manufacturers measure sustainability is changing rapidly. New tools, improved data and AI-enabled platforms mean businesses can now measure far more than they could a few years ago. Carbon, circularity, risk and supply chains — the list keeps growing. For manufacturers, this often shows up as long lists of metrics across plants, products and suppliers. Energy and fuel use on the factory floor, raw materials, packaging, transport and supplier emissions are all in scope. Without clear priorities, teams can spend months collecting data without clarity on what to act on first. Measuring everything is rarely practical, and it is not the goal. What matters is measuring the right things, at the right level of detail, to support decisions that reduce risk and create value. As Jeff Vickers, Technical Director at sustainability firm thinkstep-anz, puts it plainly: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” He also cautions that “we need to focus our efforts on measuring what matters most so that we don’t get lost in the detail.” Why focused measurement leads to better outcomes More data does not automatically mean better decisions. The real value comes from measuring what matters and using it well. A focused approach to measurement helps organisations: Keep priorities clear: A small set of meaningful metrics makes it easier to see what matters most and act with confidence. Put effort where it counts: Time and budget are spent on data that actually changes decisions, rather than information that sits unused. Protect credibility: Reported numbers are understood, can be explained and are clearly linked to actions being taken. Meet expectations: Measurement focuses on the issues regulators and investors care about most, reducing the risk of blind spots. This approach avoids the risks of over-measurement while strengthening insight, trust, and performance. […]