Developments

Businesses and industry groups will be able to access the latest management thinking and research expertise with the launch of the Institute for Business Research at the University of Waikato. The new institute, to be launched at separate functions in Hamilton and Tauranga, draws on the expertise of researchers at Waikato Management School, ranked the number one business school in the country for research quality. IBR Director Dr Stuart Locke says the IBR will work with a range of clients, from industry groups and government agencies to some of New Zealand’s biggest companies, in areas ranging from innovation to economic impact analysis. “The key challenge facing NZ Inc today is how we are going to increase productivity and provide sustainable profitability into the future,” he says. “The IBR offers a significant and internationally recognised depth of research expertise that can make a valuable contribution in this context.” The IBR’s four main areas of interest are business performance and leadership, agribusiness and innovation, business in the service sector, and business in society. Recent and current projects include supply chain integration, the uptake of sustainability practices by New Zealand businesses, the impact of cultural support in the workplace, and adding value to businesses through improved technology investment. The IBR is also home to the Management Research Centre, which in conjunction with the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA), compiles the annual New Zealand Business Benchmarking Survey of more than 5,000 small businesses. It also works with clients to provide tailored business performance studies.   “Through the IBR, we can now offer research, advisory and consultancy services to help businesses and organisations add further value to what they do,” says Dr Locke. Keynote speaker at the IBR launch events is Professor David Hensher, an international authority on urban transport issues and the role […]

The winners of the 2010 New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards were announced in Wellington on Thursday 24 November at a gala dinner hosted by MC Linda Clark and attended by more than 350 people which was held at the Duxton Hotel. The Winner of the 2010 Supreme Award for Engineering Excellence is the Coronet Peak Ski Area Snow-making Infrastructure and Reservoirs by Hadley Consultants Ltd, NZSki Ltd and TechnoAlpin. The Queenstown economy has been significantly strengthened through this collaborative project which enhances the ability of the Coronet ski field to open and remain open as planned for a lengthened and more predictable ski season. The flow-on benefits are evidenced by significant increases in incoming international flights.  Whilst conceptually simple – capturing and using as much as necessary of the water that naturally falls as snow or rain on the ski field region, or is available through groundwater springs – the practical complexities to be overcome were considerable. The mathematical modelling of the water harvesting, storage and use was very detailed. The scale of the pipework and reservoirs necessary, and the need to provide reliable services across a rugged, steep and sometimes unstable landscape and in a highly variable mountain climate were significant. The challenge of storing large volumes of water safely at high altitude was successfully addressed through detailed geotechnical analysis of the land geology. Narrow windows of available construction time demanded a well-planned work programme.  This included detailed protocols in regard to vegetation re-location or reinstatement. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Rob Fyfe took the premier individual title, The William Pickering Award for Engineering Leadership. Rob Fyfe completed his studies in mechanical engineering whilst with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He entered the commercial world in 1987 and held a number of management roles in New Zealand before moving […]

The tragedy at Pike River Coal mine is being felt by the whole country and around the world.  It is rare that New Zealand has an industrial mishap of this magnitude. The mining industry in New Zealand contributes much to the economy. And its close and supportive communities are a lesson to us all. Soon there will be a Royal Commission and other investigations into how this tragedy happened. Let us hope the answers bring some solace to the families, peace to all who have been so deeply involved and accountability. As Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee said “we’re very determined to find out what happened here and how it happened and why it happened.”-Doug Green

Policy changes are needed to cure a declining foreign debt position say the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA). Standard and Poor’s has put New Zealand’s credit rating on negative outlook. Treasury Secretary John Whitehead has already commented that the Government needs to move into surplus faster than is currently forecast and this advice needs to be heeded. NZMEA Chief Executive John Walley says, “John Key’s statement that “nothing has changed” is precisely the problem. Although import consumption has dropped through the recession, the same old policy settings that encourage consumption rather than production are still there; we are not giving our exporters the motivation to earn our way out of trouble.” “We have a policy framework that has caused New Zealand to have some of the highest interest rates in the world, attracting foreign capital, and tax distortions that encourage consumption fuelled by asset backed borrowing.” “While these conditions remain we cannot expect a different result than the one we have seen for the past decades of ever increasing foreign debt.”

The New Zealand Herald has picked up on our Acton Tools article from October issue of NZ MANUFACTURER which shows the level of concern for the future of the manufacturing sector. Peter Rocque is a toolmaker who believes that in devaluing the toolmaking trade New Zealand is in danger of being a manufacturer  of only milk and agricultural products. What do you think about this? Is your company experiencing the same issues? We have had some good feedback already on this article which appears on page 1 of October issue. You are most welcome to share your thoughts with us. -Doug Green

The new Techspan Group e-commerce website is now live. The website has been completely redesigned for simple navigation and quick access to all Techspan products. The new Techspan e-commerce website (V4) has a similar look and feel to the previous site, but with highly refined features and functionality. The new e-commerce website is easier and quicker to navigate. Products have been arranged in the 5 core product groups : plastics machinery – plastic welders – ultrasonic equipment – process heating – industrial printing systems. The secure e-commerce functionality provides delivery times and prices, and enables customers to order and pay on-line. The site is distributor friendly, and enables ordering and payment by distributors, or their customers, with deliveries selectable to either the distributor or the customer. High level 3D security systems have been used for the highest level of privacy and security. RSS feeds, YouTube, Facebook, and newsletter blog feeds are also embedded in the site. Product information, datasheets, operation manuals, parts listings, videos, and MSDS sheets are all available on-line. Techspan Group is a 100% privately owned New Zealand company established 31 years ago (1979),  with warehouses in Auckland and Sydney. The company supplies high technology plastics machinery, industrial ultrasonic equipment, process heating equipment, and industrial printing technology – high quality products at competitive prices. On the site you can sign up for the company e-newsletter. next STEP Visit  www.techspanonline.com

Business has been struck almost speechless at the lack of sensitivity of Transpower and other lines companies. Transpower and partners have gone to the Commerce Commission asking for a green light to raise their prices so they can guarantee themselves an almost 12% pre tax, risk free return on capital to upgrade the grid. “Every other business in New Zealand would be very happy to be earning over 8% after tax on their capital right now,” said Alasdair Thompson, chief executive of the Employers and Manufacturers Association. “For a government owned monopoly to request a 12% risk free rate of return shows Transpower has lost touch with its customers,” Mr Thompson said. “The request is to increase prices so they can expect over 8% return on capital after tax, which equates to nearly 12% before tax. ‘The transmission upgrades are necessary and will be paid for by a mix of shareholder funds and borrowing which has to be paid off from future profits boosted by price increases. “But monopolies extracting the sort of return that Transpower wants must be reined in by the regulator. The price increases being sought are grossly unreasonable in a flat and struggling economy. “Business and residential customers alike will be watching closely the outcome from the Commerce Commission.”

A range of Delcam’s CADCAM software, in particular the latest release of the CopyCAD Pro reverse engineering system, is being used by a group of companies in New Zealand to design and manufacture custom-made maxillofacial implants for patients suffering with tumours or major bone loss.   The overall process, which is managed by Computer Generated Implants Ltd, has improved the quality of the results and the speed of recovery. Most of the recent cases have involved patients who have had tumours removed some time ago.  Typically, the reconstructive surgery carried out at the time involved a bone graft using a shaped portion of patient’s fibula.  Aesthetic outcomes were often poor and the patient also had to endure a lengthy period in a leg plaster cast while the fibula healed. in these cases, there was little requirement to design and manufacture implants in a short time frame.  However, for so-called ‘hot cases’, the priority is to dramatically shorten the overall lead time.  Ideally, the surgeons would like to operate well beyond the margins of the tumour and insert the custom-made implant in the same procedure. “We had been using Delcam’s CopyCAD and PowerSHAPE successfully for many years for the design of these types of implant,” explained a spokesman for the group.  ‘The results have been good but the process required a high level of modelling skill and could take days or weeks.  This was not a real problem for historic cases but we really needed to shorten the lead time for the process.   The new CopyCAD Pro release has proved much easier to use and enables us to confidently take on “hot cases’ now.  It is a huge and important leap forward.” The process used by the New Zealand group begins when patient data in either a CT or MRI scan is […]

By Claire Parkes, Managing Director, Clarian Human Resources Many businesses in Christchurch are quickly coming to terms with how to handle their staff resource while their operations are fully or partially closed down. There’s lots of information hitting the media, so let’s cut-to-the-chase with the essentials. 1. Look at your employee agreements – is there anything written about what actions will take place in the event of an emergency or temporary shut-down of operations? If so, you will need to follow these. 2. Are your employees on a fixed number of hours per week or can they be varied on demand i.e. casual agreements? If the hours are fixed, you will need to pay them for hours normally contracted for if they are fit and able to undertake the work. 3. Check your insurance – does it cover payment of wages in this situation? 4. Ask employees if they would be willing to take annual leave during the shutdown period (but be aware that they do not have to oblige where you have not given them 14 days notice). 5. Consider allowing your employees to work from home or another appropriate building if access is possible. 6. Be open with your employees about the financial strain the situation has put on the company and see if you can come to some kind of mutual agreement about reduced hours over a certain timeframe. 7. Direct your employees to compensation through WINZ for loss of income and basic necessities (see http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/individuals/a-z-benefits/civil-defence-payment.html) 8. Contact the Chamber of Commerce to see if you are eligible for compensation recently announced by the government. 9. Ensure you are continuously checking the suitability of your office space against health and safety regulations. 10. Consider whetherÊimprovements to your policies and agreements to cover for any future emergencies can […]