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Tech isn’t the Hero, it’s the plucky sidekick

Frank Phillips, Director, Fulcrum NZ The Tale of Two Manufacturers Imagine two companies, both manufacturers here in New Zealand, standing on the brink of change. Company A embraced digital technology not just as a solution but as a stepping stone to reshape their operations. They invested in data analytics, IoT, and automation, with a clear vision to enhance their product offerings. They didn’t see tech as a shiny new toy; they saw it as a tool to make existing processes more efficient, reliable, and insightful. As a result, they grew sustainably, adapting each new piece of tech to complement their strategy. Company B, on the other hand, rushed into the world of digital with stars in their eyes and a sense of FOMO. They adopted everything from machine learning to augmented reality but hadn’t mapped out where these would fit into their overarching business vision. Within two years, they were drowning in tech debt and bloated processes, with digital “solutions” that solved nothing but looked impressive in investor presentations. The difference? Company A used tech as a supportive actor, not the main character. Company B? They gave tech top billing without considering how it fit into the wider story. The lesson here? Industry 4.0 should be the sidekick in your journey—not the destination. Tech as a Strategy or a Sidekick? It’s tempting to make Industry 4.0 your main strategy—after all, the tech is exciting! But if you’re all about tech and not about your business goals, you might end up with a whole lot of digital flash and little substance. In manufacturing, the real heroes are efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction. Industry 4.0 tech—be it sensors, AI, robotics, or data analytics—is just the toolkit to help us get there. For New Zealand manufacturers, it’s about knowing that “the “cool factor” […]

Scott Aylett, SEA Electrical a winner

Scott Aylett from SEA Electrical, a Master Electricians member, received a bronze for the Emerging Business Award at the recent Excellence Awards. A bit more about him here…

South Auckland logistics facility to support future infrastructure projects

A new multimillion dollar green logistics facility in South Auckland will help boost access to steel construction materials needed for New Zealand’s major infrastructure and renewable energy projects. Latest Government data shows more than $120 billion has been forecast to be spent on infrastructure by the Crown, Crown entities and KiwiRail over the next five years.[1] The investment is designed to address New Zealand’s infrastructure deficit and prepare the country for future challenges, including population growth and climate change. Key areas of investment include transport, regional infrastructure, resilience and emergency preparedness, public buildings and schools. Dean Brown, CEO of Asmuss Group, says with over 1,400 infrastructure projects valued at $10 million or more planned in the coming years, improving the construction industry’s supply chain capacity will be critical to the efficient delivery of these projects. He says the new $25 million, 15,400m2 purpose-built logistics facility at Drury South Crossing can store over 12,000 tonnes of steel, around 2.1 times the steel volume used in the Auckland Harbour Bridge. “Most of New Zealand’s structural steel needs are met by overseas suppliers and developing the capability to manage the rapid distribution of large volumes of these materials will help ensure that materials are sourced, transported, and utilised effectively to avoid delays. “The operating model at the new facility has been designed to move high volumes of steel across multiple bays simultaneously, significantly improving operational efficiency and customer service deliveries. “In practice, this could see us unload 1,000 tonnes of steel, around 42 truckloads, from the port in a matter of days. By introducing greater redundancy and reducing any supply chain bottlenecks we can help support the development of New Zealand’s infrastructure in a shorter timeframe,” he says. Brown says seven high-capacity, 32-metre-wide anti-sway gantry cranes can move large quantities of steel safely […]

Q & A: Frank Phillips, Managing Director, Fulcrum

We have all heard of our ‘productivity problem’. Adopting proven and well understood technology – not the bleeding edge risky stuff – will be key to tackling it. Anyone in manufacturing who has tried to search for technology solutions to solve a particular challenge knows the rabbit hole it can become. The associated lack of confidence in vendors (particularly when there’s no in country support) follows; so it goes in the too hard basket and progress stops. All this in a nation where Number 8 wire pedigree and ‘build it yourself’ solutions start to proliferate. This distracts from core business focus and can be a black hole of investment to develop and maintain. What does Fulcrum do? We save time; give confidence and ultimately help manufacturers get stuff done! Fulcrum connects New Zealand manufacturers to New Zealand technology partners. Part of this is a simple self-service platform, but we also act as your part time CTO, prioritising and advising to make sure the right things get done by the right partners. In New Zealand we have all the skills, knowledge and technology for manufacturing to thrive, but we often don’t do a great job of talking about it! Fulcrum works with manufacturers and primary industries of all sizes. We often find that our on-boarding and follow up sessions allow us to act as an unofficial ‘part time CTO’ – helping manufacturers to prioritise, build the foundations of their digital transformation and work with the right partners to deliver it. We’ve been conscious when onboarding Technology partners that their can be a right size fit to consider. A specialist contractor working independently may be the right fit for one manufacturer in agility and cost, but not right for another where long term support agreements are needed. Digitisation is the way forward? […]

Beyond the Status Quo: Rethinking Workforce Development for a Competitive Future

David O’Connor, Head of Emerging Markets, The Learning Wave As a nation, we take pride in our innovation and adaptability. However, when it comes to workforce development, we still find ourselves lagging behind. The challenges are clear: a widening skills gap, ongoing productivity issues, a growing need for both transferable and technical skills, and businesses struggling to meet global competition demands. Are we ready to push boundaries and adopt effective solutions for today’s workforce and tomorrow’s needs? Or are we content to tinker at the edges of a broken system? Recent conversations suggest the latter. So, what can we do? It’s easy to blame outdated educational structures, funding issues, inter-agency hurdles, and slow policy changes. But are we truly held back by the system, or are we reluctant to challenge the status quo? Current structures, though well-intentioned, often miss the mark when it comes to evolving business needs. We need a shift towards flexibility, continuous learning, and strong industry partnerships. We must stop waiting for the government to solve the skills gap; we require more business-led initiatives. Relying solely on government action is unrealistic and short-term thinking. Instead of waiting for mandates or funding schemes, the government should incentivize businesses with tax breaks for upskilling and training their staff. The business community must lead the way. Organisations can – and should- drive change by partnering to source and fund necessary skills training. Many companies recognize the value of investing in their workforce, and there’s an opportunity to create a coordinated, industry-wide effort that harnesses the best training available. Small businesses often claim they can’t make an impact, but we can transform isolated successes into a nationwide movement. Collaboration among businesses is key to creating a more agile and responsive training ecosystem that meets the needs of both employers and their […]

Holidays Act reform – let’s get it done once and done right

By EMA Head of Advocacy and Strategy Alan McDonald It’s hard to think of a piece of legislation that has needed reform for as long as the Holidays Act. Successive governments have been aware of longstanding concerns over the Act among workers, employers and payroll providers alike and promised to fix the issues. But they have also largely failed to deliver any meaningful change. Businesses have long been calling for the Holidays Act to be scrapped and rewritten, saying it’s too complicated and is costing businesses time and money. Unfortunately, the approach to addressing those issues has been largely to ignore the main problems and tinker with existing legislation, adding further complexity. The main issue for many employers was how the Act calculates annual leave, public holidays, sick days, and bereavement leave. With the rise of different styles of work, it was challenging to accurately figure out how much workers were owed. The previous government had a go at reforming the legislation, and in March 2020, Cabinet endorsed in full the 22 recommendations for improvements to the Act made by a tripartite Holidays Act Taskforce. However, the draft bill was far too complicated and didn’t see the light of day. Now, the coalition government is attempting to reform the legislation and an exposure draft on the Holidays Act Bill was released for targeted consultation in September. The EMA was one of the organisations tapped to review the exposure draft and provide feedback. We’ve worked with select members of the EMA to make sure we canvassed a range of opinions across the business community. We also recently tested out thinking with around 500 members on a webinar and they largely agreed with the direction of our approach as it provides something efficient and simple for employers to operate. We have been under a non-disclosure agreement as […]

Feeding the Machine

From: September issue of NZ Manufacturer www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz The Hidden Human Labour Powering A.I. Callum Cant, James Muldoon, Mark Graham For readers of Naomi Klein and Nicole Perlroth, a myth-dissolving exposé of how artificial intelligence exploits human labour, and a resounding argument for a more equitable digital future. Silicon Valley has sold us the illusion that artificial intelligence is a frictionless technology that will bring wealth and prosperity to humanity. But hidden beneath this smooth surface lies the grim reality of a precarious global workforce of millions labouring under often appalling conditions to make A.I. possible. This book presents an urgent, riveting investigation of the intricate network that maintains this exploitative system, revealing the untold truth of A.I. Based on hundreds of interviews and thousands of hours of fieldwork over more than a decade, Feeding the Machine describes the lives of the workers deliberately concealed from view, and the power structures that determine their future. It gives voice to the people whom A.I. exploits, from accomplished writers and artists to the armies of data annotators, content moderators and warehouse workers, revealing how their dangerous, low-paid labour is connected to longer histories of gendered, racialised, and colonial exploitation. A.I. is an extraction machine that feeds off humanity’s collective effort and intelligence, churning through ever-larger datasets to power its algorithms. This book is a call to arms that details what we need to do to fight for a more just digital future.

Leadership Development – showing the real return on investment

NZ Manufacturer July 2024 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu David O’Connor, Commercial Manager, The Learning Wave While it is a comparatively easy exercise for businesses to show the Return on Investment on additional plant or machinery, being able to crunch the numbers of the real impact of leadership development training has traditionally been seen as more subjective, and made even harder when faced with the current headwinds of tight economic conditions. Businesses that continued to prioritise investment in their people during the earlier 2020s are now repeating the rewards of increased leadership bench strength, higher levels of staff engagement, and little or no employee churn. And many of our clients can now confidently calculate the return on their training investment. Much was made of the ‘Great Resignation’ during 2020 and the impact this would have on businesses losing their best talent, we all know businesses that stopped leadership development training while others doubled down on their investment to upskill their leaders. It is interesting that the commentary around the great resignation disappeared from HR and business reporting without much noise at all, and has been replaced with plenty of articles on the VUCA era – a trendy managerial acronym short for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. In this VUCA era, it is reported that businesses need leaders – at all levels – with strong resilience, who can actively engage a wide and diverse group of staff, manage multiple projects and demands, and have a curious mindset to be able to lead their teams through constant change. So it is the businesses that continue to invest in their people leaders who will be reaping the rewards in the VUCA era, and being able to not only retain their top talent but also have a bench of talented leaders ready […]

Women Going Places: Breaking barriers: Paving the way for women in tech

Read July issue here: Women Going Places July 2024 by Media Hawkes Bay Limited – Issuu Isabel Naidoo, Chief People Officer at Wise, New Zealand. Despite progress and international efforts in diversity and inclusion, the technology industry remains a male dominated space. We still see imbalances from graduate intakes, through to seasoned executives, and it’s a trend that’s yet to significantly shift. With only 27% of the New Zealand tech industry made up of women, it’s apparent that more needs to be done to attract and retain female talent in the industry. For women who do choose to pursue a career in the tech industry – they may be up against a range of problematic challenges: from pay inequity and a lack of representation, to gender bias and the inevitable act of balancing a career with family. And sadly, for a lot of working women – some of these challenges span far beyond just the tech sector. While some steps toward closing the gap have been made – truly meaningful progress is happening at a glacial pace. According to The World Economic Forum, it will take more than 150 years to close the global economic gender gap. The world is currently losing out on approximately $12 trillion USD of global GDP, and frankly – we cannot afford to wait over a century to close the economic gender gaps while still calling on more women to join the tech-force. It’s crucial the tech industry takes on more responsibility to foster an inclusive culture where women and other underrepresented talent are supported and empowered. Strategies for taking control and driving progress It’s not just enough for women to consider what’s in their best interests, we need to be a part of an industry which does the same. The progressive nature of the […]

The Tohu App – how cultural mapping can boost industry growth!

From July issue of NZ Manufacturer magazine www.nzmanufacturer.co.nz By Dr Troy Coyle, HERA CEO Our engineering, construction and manufacturing sectors are struggling to find talent. We need to be far more inclusive so we can unlock the potential of a diverse future workforce and all the benefits they bring to our mahi (work). I have for some time spoken about this based on my own experience, being female. I have fast realised that wāhine Maori are even more under-represented and indeed Māori generally. The reasons as to why women and Māori (and Pacific for that matter) are not attracted to these sectors are varied and complex. However, one key issue is that high school children (and even down to intermediate and primary) are not engaging with STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Mātauranga Māori). They are not aware of the plethora of disciplines in STEMM or the future careers that are available to them. They don’t know how exciting, engaging and rewarding careers in these disciplines can be and how they contribute in so many different ways to inter-generational wellbeing. Importantly, they don’t know what will match with their own individual wants and needs from a future career. For Māori, this requires a matching process where rangatahi (youth) can identify careers that map to their values in a kaupapa Māori way. If there is one thing we have learnt at HERA over our years holding space for Matauranga Māori, it is that Māori need to be engaged in a Māori way. Prevailing career matching tools do not consider cultural differences and they don’t consider a person’s values either. They often simply match a person to a career based on their perceived academic aptitude. This fails so many of our rangatahi and leaves many behind. It also, likely, pushes rangatahi towards […]

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