Adam Harvey, Business Performance Partner – Manufacturing, The Learning Wave

Running operations today feels like living in two realities at once.

On one hand, you know the plant has to modernise. The systems are creaking, customers want more for less, and digital tools promise the efficiency you need.

On the other hand, you look around the floor and think: “My people aren’t ready for this.”

That’s where we see so many transformations stall. The roadmap is clear, the tech is lined up, the investment made, but the people who have to use it don’t feel confident, don’t trust it, or don’t see why it matters.

And then the numbers don’t move. Dashboards gather dust. Automation creates frustration. The new machine sits there like an expensive ornament.

Argus chose a different path. One that not only delivered the transformation but unlocked double-digit lifts in productivity and quality along the way.

Technology set the stage, people made it work

After engaging LMAC to run a SIRI readiness survey, their plan was clear: invest in digital tools, shop-floor intelligence, automation, and smarter integration. Dsifer built the data backbone. Design Energy explored automation. The roadmap was solid, and the tools were lining up.

The Board and GM believed in the vision, but crucially, they also believed that the only way this transformation would stick was if they first invested in their people.

They knew that tech doesn’t run the factory, people do. Dashboards don’t drive performance if no one looks at them. Automation doesn’t add value if the team doesn’t trust it. New systems don’t solve problems if people are too nervous to use them.

That’s why Argus called us. “We need you to work with our people and get them ready for this transformation.”

We built people’s confidence so they trusted the new systems and pushed for better numbers.

We worked with frontline staff and supervisors to build:

• Mindset – openness to change and resilience in the face of it.
• Confidence – to speak up, ask questions, and share ideas.
• Collaboration – solving problems together instead of in silos.
• Connection – seeing the link between daily choices and Argus’s bigger goals.

These weren’t nice-to-haves. They were what made the difference between a plan on paper and a change you could actually see on the floor.

From reluctant to ready

Argus’s people are largely Pasifika. Proud, hard-working people who come to work every day with energy, reliability, and a passion to do the best job they can. But many hadn’t had a chance to build confidence with digital tools. Speaking up at work didn’t come naturally, especially in a culture where keeping your head down can feel safer than putting your hand up.

They were ready for the change ahead, but like many of us facing something new, they weren’t always sure what it meant for them or how they could best contribute.

Fast forward, and the shift has been remarkable. Once given the chance to build their confidence and skills, they showed just how much they could grow and achieve.

Teams who once had little idea how their daily output stacked up were suddenly tracking their own numbers, pushing to beat yesterday, and taking real pride in seeing their progress on the visual boards. Data once ignored became motivation.

Digital dashboards and automation gave visibility. But capability building gave ownership, and ownership is what drives performance.

Confidence grew too. People who were nervous even speaking in small groups stood tall and presented in front of their peers and even Argus’s Chairman with humour, pride, and belief in their own ideas.

Supervisors who once avoided tough conversations now had the skills to set expectations clearly and back their people at the same time.

This wasn’t about “teaching tech.” It was about building the mindset, confidence, and communication skills that made the tech matter.

The impact on performance

Because Argus backed their people first, the results went further than anyone expected. Real results that showed up in the company’s bottom line.

• Productivity lifted — Argus saw an 18% increase across key lines, driven by teams taking ownership of their own numbers and acting in real-time.
• Quality improved — with a 23% drop in rework and defects as workers felt confident to speak up about issues early.
• Engagement grew — 90% of participants reported greater confidence with digital tools, and supervisors noted sharper, more proactive conversations on the floor.

Most manufacturers hope digital transformation will deliver one of these gains. Argus achieved all three.

And they didn’t carry the load alone. With $250K of government funding supporting the programmes, Argus went further, faster, without blowing the budget.

Digital dashboards, data lakes, and automation set the stage. But it was the mindset, confidence, and collaboration skills of Argus’s people that unlocked the results.

A lesson for every manufacturer

Argus could have done what so many have done before: roll out the tech, hope everyone catches up, and scratch their heads when the numbers don’t move.

Instead, they backed their people first. And because of that choice, they didn’t just get the transformation they planned for. They got more.

The message is simple: technology sets the stage, but people make the play.

Argus proved it with double-digit lifts in productivity, real gains in quality, and a workforce that now owns the change, all achieved with government funding.

So here’s the challenge:

Are you betting everything on the tools?

Or are you ready to do what Argus did, and unlock the real engine of transformation?

Because the longer you wait, the more it costs you.