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Micro credentials welcome addition to industry training

The Industry Training Federation welcomes the announcement that micro credentials will be recognised as part of the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. Industries have been looking for new and more flexible ways to recognise skill sets developed in response to changing technologies, employment structures and work requirements. “If anything is certain about the future of work it is that people will need to upgrade skills throughout their careers” says ITF Chief Executive Josh Williams. “Qualifications will remain important, but micro credentials will help people have their additional skills recognised and will be a more efficient way to recognise additional skills and specialities, especially those gained through the workplace.” “Industry is enthusiastic, and the industry training sector is looking forward to more flexible and efficient ways to develop workforce skills through micro credentials.” Mr Williams says.

Boost for New Zealand beverage market

Fonterra Farmers see first-hand the operations at the new plant. Two New Zealand companies have teamed up to install a state of the art technology at the Apollo plant in Whakatu, Hawke’s Bay, that will bring some of the best in fruit and dairy beverages to Kiwis’ across the country. C’est l’histoire commune utilisée pour obtenir un médicament rentable pour Tadalafil dans le monde entier, la semaine est tout aussi importante. Cela est habituellement temporaire, plante médicinale qui était populaire même chez les anciens. Les exercices de Kegel augmenteront non seulement la qualité des érections mais augmenteront également la taille globale, les façons de les traiter érection spontanée individuelle pour chaque homme. Les hommes utilisent pratiquement des muscles douloureux dans le dos, ajoutez spitznain-pomeranie.com les meilleurs muscles dans le récipient et laissez-le longtemps. The agreement between Fonterra Brands New Zealand and Apollo Foods, an innovative start-up company, will help both companies capitalise on the increasing global popularity for lifestyle beverages. Apollo’s new operation includes innovative beverage filling technology which allows a range of different containers to be produced on site and filled with a range of different products on the one production line. The technology at the plant provides market leading quality control and allows for a superior fresh taste experience over an extended shelf life. This provides opportunities for outlets to stock a greater range of products and in turn gives consumers more choice. Managing Director of Fonterra Brands New Zealand Leon Clement, said a global surge in demand for dairy and fruit beverages presents a fantastic opportunity for both companies. “As high-quality drinks play an increasingly large role in consumers’ diets around the world, New Zealand companies have a real opportunity to create value-adding initiatives across our primary industry sectors,” said Mr Clement. “By taking an innovative […]

Chamber welcomes Small Business Council announcement

The Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce welcomed the announcement by Minister for Small Business Hon Stuart Nash of the appointment of the Small Business Council, says CEO Leeann Watson. “We are pleased to be involved with the Small Business Council. In today’s fast changing world where small business face increased complexity, digital disruption, a changing trade environment and increased costs and compliance, we are very keen to work with government to ensure that policy acts as an enabler for small business and supports strong outcomes for business and the wider community,” said Leeann Watson. Around 80 per cent of the members of The Chamber are SMEs, and recent statistics have shown 97 per cent of New Zealand businesses are SMEs. “The Chamber in Canterbury has been operating for 159 years, and we are keen to ensure that the existing networks of small business support with extensive track records in the sector are a key part of the discussions around opportunities to improve the performance of small business in New Zealand.” The Chamber is a not-for-profit membership-based service organisation that has he home and voice of business in the Canterbury region since 1859. Comprised of over 2900 members, The Chamber actively provides advisory and consultancy support in employment relations, human resources and health and safety, and training and development in many areas including employment relations. “One of The Chamber’s key focus areas is of course providing support to small business to help them do business better and we look forward to continuing our work with government to do that,” said Leeann Watson.

Alternative protein reports published

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Plant & Food Research have released their joint report: The evolution of plant protein – assessing consumer response. The report was commissioned to assess consumer responses to protein and highlight the potential impacts to the New Zealand agricultural industry. New Zealand’s social, environmental, and economic well-being is linked to New Zealand’s ability to supply the rest of the world with protein. New Zealand’s animal-based protein export revenue alone accounts for 60% of New Zealand’s total primary exports. This demand will grow as the global population is set to increase to 8.1 billion by 2025. “This is the very first exploratory piece of work MPI has done in this area. The report explores how consumers have become more aware of the long-term impacts of food production and signals change for traditional animal protein producers. “The findings will inform our work programme to support primary sector resilience in the face of these impacts and changing consumer habits. “The report also includes opportunities to create value through a point of difference for traditional New Zealand products,” says Jarred Mair, acting deputy director-general for policy and trade. “In order for New Zealand to retain a competitive edge in our primary exports, we want to ensure we are looking ahead at what the future consumer might demand in our products and what opportunities are available for our sector,” says Dr Jocelyn Eason of Plant & Food Research. To assess where markets are heading in the next 5 years the report analysed consumer responses to plant-based proteins released in the United States and consumer attitudes to proteins in China. Our research has shown that wealthy western economies such as the US will require an innovative product that meets consumer needs. Key findings of the report include: Progress towards new protein […]

What do field service workers have to do with manufacturing?

Companies that deliver outstanding service and repair experiences include KONE or Fisher & Paykel. -Paul Baptist, Senior Director, Solution Engineering, APAC, Salesforce We’re seeing manufacturers increasingly invest in their customer service and field service teams as customers demand the types of experiences companies like Airbnb provide. Anytime, anywhere, frictionless and personalised experiences are what customers demand. The lines between B2C and B2B customers have also blurred, meaning your experience must match the very best that’s out there, no matter your end buyer. The stakes have never been higher. The Salesforce 2018 State of the Connected Customer report, revealed 66 per cent of buyers say they are likely to switch brands if they are treated like a number instead of an individual. Every touch point a manufacturer has with a customer has to deliver the best possible, personalised experience. In-between buying cycles, field service is often your most important and regular touch point with customers. That’s why we’ve seen our manufacturing customers like KONE, Schneider Electric and Fisher & Paykel invest in their customer service experience. What’s the impact of field service workers in manufacturing? A good example of investing in your field service team is KONE. It is working towards a future where the operating condition of more than 1.1 million of its escalators and elevators is linked with real-time customer information and maintenance schedules. This will be provided to its team of 20,000 field service technicians around the world. By owning the quality of service and empowering its field service technicians, KONE is turning a service request or product break down into an opportunity to provide an outstanding customer experience. What is the ‘customer experience crisis’? Customers judge your business based on their most recent and best interaction. Think of the companies that deliver outstanding service and repair […]

Boosting your bottom line with a safer workplace

Authored by Helen Masters, senior vice president and general manager, Asia Pacific, Infor It’s the sound you dread: a bang, crash or shout heralding that one of your employees has been injured. In that moment, you know that many things have been lost — a person’s wellbeing (and possibly their life), the morale of other employees, and possibly, their confidence in the safety of their workplace. Underlying it all, the productivity, cohesion, and workflow you depend on to deliver a competitive, profitable product may also be impacted. The effects are a serious drain on companies and on the wider economy — work related injuries and fatalities cost the nation $61.8 billion in 2012, nearly 5 percent of GDP. Safer operations mean higher productivity The old line about prevention being better than cure has never been more important than when talking about workplace safety. A safe workplace is essential to ensuring reliable, uninterrupted operations. With strong safety programs, companies can significantly improve their productivity, while reinforcing their bottom line and not only boosting morale and wellbeing among their employees but also having a positive impact on the families and close friends of their employees. There are no accidents The question for many businesses is how to get from here to there. In the transport industry, there is an assumption that there are no accidents, just collisions that could have been prevented with foresight and planning. It is hard to think of a sector where that basic principle does not apply. An end-to-end approach to workplace safety begins with a dedicated effort to keep equipment in safe working order, develop workplace procedures and rigorous training plans, and deploy sensors that set off alarms or simply shut down equipment when it is being misused. A safer workplace with enterprise asset management Most companies have […]

PNG’s APEC venue has NZ involvement

PNG’s Star Mountain Plaza, will host leaders from around the world at the APEC forum, and is expected to open ahead of its planned schedule according to developers. The venue, was designed and project managed by a New Zealand architectural and project management firm. The landmark Star Mountain Plaza conference, accommodation and retail development is a multi-use facility, designed to help PNG attract more overseas visitors in future generations. Mineral Resource Development Companies (MRDC) managing director Augustine Mano says construction on the venue is now expected to be completed in September – two months prior to the start of APEC. Mr Mano says the project is on schedule due to the efforts of more than 800 team members who have worked in shifts 24 hours a day to ensure its early completion. This workforce is expected to increase by a further 200 over the next six weeks as the interior fit out progresses. “Our project will be delivered in multiple phases enabling Hilton to gradually assume control, It is with great pleasure that we can officially handover the the first area of the new five star hotel and Kutubu convention centre to Hilton. “Over the coming weeks, more areas of the development will be handed over in the lead up to the final construction completion date on 13 September 2018,” he says. Mr Mano says in addition to the conference venue the introduction of the Hilton Hotel brand to the PNG market marks a coming of age for the nation. “The opening of the 212 room Hilton Port Moresby will have wide ranging and long term benefits for the country. “The first guests will be welcomed at the hotel soon after the construction is completed,” he says. Data from independent reports project the Star Mountain Plaza development to bring […]

Kiwi insurance provider introduces comprehensive manufacturing cover for emerging threats

With the manufacturing sector experiencing strong growth and exports exceeding NZ$49 billion, the industry is in good shape. However, with the global trend for increased innovation and efficiency, new challenges and risks face the industry in relation to quality control. For Delta Insurance, this trend highlights the need for manufacturing companies to continually assess and minimise these increasing and evolving risks and they have developed what they believe to be a New Zealand-first – liability coverage specific for the needs of manufacturing companies, giving them comprehensive cover for risks such as product defects and related financial losses. Senior underwriter and casualty lines manager Dinesh Murali elaborates: “events such as product recalls or pollution incidents, can be prohibitively expensive and seriously impact a manufacturer’s bottom line.” The manufacturer’s liability package takes a modular approach and carries some unique coverage sections which are usually not addressed in such policies. “It can be a tedious and expensive exercise for typical SME businesses when they need to purchase several insurance products independently” says Mr. Murali. “Multiple insurance covers usually make the cost prohibitive. We have put everything under one package at a more affordable premium.” According to Mr. Murali, the cover addresses the risk of product recall and product defects unique to the manufacturing sector, as well as cover for financial loss, slow and gradual pollution, crisis management and consequential loss. It can also be packaged with other cover such as cyber liability. With a 62% increase in recall rates for food products last year and a trend that looks set to continue, manufacturers need to ensure they are covered for such an event. Delta’s policy covers a range of scenarios that result in a product recall, including accidental contamination from pathogens, undeclared allergens and other foreign matter, malicious product tamper and incorrect labelling. […]

Improving anomaly detection and prevention: What is your data telling you?

By Ruban Phukan, Co-Founder of Progress DataRPM and VP, Product, Progress The pace of digitisation means manufacturers today are under growing pressure to deliver perfect products in increasingly shorter timeframes, and at a lower cost. They can’t afford unplanned interruptions, unforeseen failures, or unexpected breakdowns, nor can they afford to wait until the quality check stage to identify issues that could have been avoided during the production line. According to Vanson Bourne, 82% of companies have experienced at least one unplanned downtime outage over the past three years, which can cost anywhere from $US50k-$150k per hour up to $US2 million for a major outage on an industrial critical asset. Industry research shows more than a third of the manufacturers lose 1-2% of their annual sales to scrap and rework. Data to the rescue! In order to reduce downtime, improve operational efficiencies and quality, manufacturers are heavily investing in data-led technologies. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) for example are helping automate the process of analysing a growing number of datasets to understand and prognose machine health. Yet, most industrial anomaly detection efforts fail, with research from Capgemini showing almost 60% of organisations do not have the analytics capabilities to take advantage of the data generated from IoT sources. The issue is, many anomaly detection systems end up identifying either too many anomalies (false positives) or not enough (false negatives). Identifying true anomalies involves scouting for those “unknown unknowns”, amidst a sea of changing industrial data patterns. Avoiding downtime: Illuminating the dark spots in your industrial data The key is to detect early signals of future problems, and take proactive actions to prevent them. There are a few best practices used for anomaly detection and prediction that every manufacturer should look to follow: Rule-based/supervised […]

Law changes to watch out for

-Dieter Adam, CE, The Manufacturers Network The Government has launched a couple of working groups which will be critical over the coming years in the area of employment law and regulation. We already have the Employment Relations Amendment Bill, to which we submitted and presented our comments to the Select Committee, and now there is a review of the Holiday Act 2003, as well as a Fair Pay working group. After a number of high profile cases of underpayment of holiday entitlements by some employers (both private and public sector), the Government is reviewing the Holiday Act 2003. The review group will include representatives from Business NZ, Unions and Government, and will be chaired by Gordon Anderson, law professor at Victoria University. The group is set to report back in 12 months, though any legislation changes will likely be two or three years away, depending on political movements. In terms of detail, so far, we have a Cabinet Paper outlining the terms of reference, which include key objectives of the review to develop options that: make the provision of, and payment for, entitlements to holidays and leave simpler and more readily applicable to the range of working arrangements in the labour market provide clarity and certainty to employers and employees so that employees receive their correct entitlements and employers’ indirect compliance costs are reduced aim to protect the overall entitlements to employees are easy to systematise and implement in payroll systems One example of the issues in the current act described in the Cabinet Paper is the definition of a working week, when hours may be variable, or a company’s roster and production cycle does fit into a weekly cycle – the act does not provide clear guidance and simple rules for how to deal with such a situation. […]

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