Productivity

-David O’Connor, Head of Emerging Markets, The Learning Wave In the evolving landscape of the manufacturing sector in New Zealand, the adoption and successful implementation of smart technology are undeniably key drivers of productivity. However, without parallel investments in upskilling the workforce, the potential gains from such technological advancements may be left unrealised. At a recent industry event, a business owner shared their experience of raising significant capital to introduce cutting-edge technology in their food manufacturing business. The implementation, however, came to a halt as it became clear that the existing staff lacked the necessary skills to operate the new systems, which led to multiple challenges to meet production requirements. This scenario raises the question: Is this an isolated incident, or a reflection of a broader trend where businesses overlook the critical need for workforce readiness in their technology strategies? Investment in both areas —developing your talent and adopting the new advanced technologies— must be seen as complementary rather than separate business strategies. Business leaders must ensure that their HR and training teams are fully integrated with their Operations and IT efforts, creating a seamless approach to lifting staff capability that aligns with technology implementation plans. When these efforts are given equal priority, they create a cycle where skilled and engaged workers drive technological adoption, and in turn, the technology enhances the capabilities and productivity of the workforce—a win-win situation. One client likened their smart technology experience to “buying a Ferrari but then handing the keys over to kids on their learner’s license in full knowledge that they would crash it’. While this analogy might be an apt description of their workforce’s current skill level, it also serves as a cautionary tale for business owners. The cost and potential setbacks of implementing advanced technology without a focused and skilled workforce […]

-Mark Devlin New Zealand’s rural sector is set to benefit from a multi-million dollar marketing investment by one of the country’s largest wool carpet manufacturers, designed to address misconceptions about the natural fibre and grow exports. New Zealand is the world’s third largest producer of wool, accounting for 9% of global production, however, the country’s export revenue from wool is projected to fall by 3% to $380 million over the coming year.[1][2] The planned $2 million plus advertising investment from Bremworth is believed to be one of the highest ever from a Kiwi company to support a wool product brand. The spend will also provide a financial boost for local print, billboards, online and broadcast media titles, in an otherwise flat local advertising market. The company has appointed New Zealand’s largest independent media agency, Together, to help develop and implement a series of new campaigns for the domestic and trans-Tasman markets to help elevate wool flooring. The move follows ongoing upgrades to the manufacturer’s supply chain, which are expected to lift production volumes and help meet growing domestic and global demand for Bremworth’s wool carpet. Rochelle Flint, chief brand and product officer of Bremworth, says it is hoped one of their largest-ever investments in developing their brand will also help stimulate demand for New Zealand wool and help address the decline in domestic production. She says their research shows while three-quarters of homeowners would prefer to have wool in their homes, a similar proportion are not actually purchasing wool – with synthetic flooring continuing to dominate the market. Flint says with their expanded supply chain now in place, manufacturing volumes can be scaled significantly in response to demand, presenting an opportunity to increase conversion and grow market share in both the domestic and Australian markets. “Our research has identified a […]

NZ Manufacturer July 2024 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu In business, first impressions matter. New research by NZ Manufacturer business advisor and Impact PR director Mark Devlin has found many of the country’s manufacturers are failing to manage their online reputation – an oversight that could have repercussions for their growth.  For manufacturers, business relationships can be multi-faceted and, given the technical nature of the industry, at times they can also be highly complex. Whoever your target consumer is when you enter a business relationship at some level, even a rudimentary transactional one, you need them to have confidence in your brand from the outset – a promise you can deliver in a way that aligns with their understanding of what constitutes value. If you fail to reassure a potential customer that you can adhere to this expectation, your chances of entering a relationship are greatly diminished. I recently toured a local manufacturing facility where I was shown a piece of cutting-edge technology destined for the export market that was worth around $1 million. This is not an insignificant amount of money to spend on a single product and it occurred to me that if I was buying something of that value from an overseas company I would want to have the highest level of trust in that firm. This begs the question – how does a manufacturer create digital ‘trust signals’ so that when a potential customer, employee or other stakeholder begins to research their company, it provides the requisite reassurance necessary for them to move to the next stage of interaction and purchase? While all manufacturers have customers, few would have walked in their digital shoes to understand what they see during any initial desktop research process. At the same time, an even smaller number of […]