InsideOutsourcing issue #6
PP Control & Automation
World-leaders in strategic outsourcing solutions for machine builders.
Closing-out the year in UK manufacturing means evening events and awards aplenty.
We picked up two in November that are both well-received reminders of how important it is to invest in your people.
And speaking of reminders, we’ve entered the final month of the year - a time for reflection, but also forward thinking (More on that later).
But first… Our ‘Top PPicks’ from 1 to 3 for November.
Top PPicks for November 2022
1) A Sharing in Growth Story
Over 18 months ago, PP Control & Automation became the latest manufacturer to be selected for the Sharing in Growth (SiG) transformation programme. This new collaboration would act as a catalyst for further improvement, something CEO Tony Hague and the business was actively seeking.
“Our business wasn’t new to continuous improvement or people and process development. We founded our own in-house training school 20 years ago, we’ve adopted Lean and Six Sigma, created structured training road maps, and we’ve done a lot of work around employee engagement over the years. But we felt we needed a catalyst of further improvement.”
Tony recognises that there’s no point ever thinking you’ve reached your optimum performance; the moment you do that then complacency sets in, things stagnate, and you ultimately find yourselves dropping behind emerging competition.
Continuous improvement is therefore a storybook that never closes. And so, this Sharing in Growth story, is really just a chapter. But a significant one. And one that includes an ‘Inspire’ award.
During SiG’s all-day, All STAR event (15.11.22), a PP C&A team consisting of Ian Knight (CIO), Sean Cayley (COO), Lee Aston (Business Unit Operations Manager), and Scott Ward (Continuous Improvement & Training Coordinator) presented the business’ SiG story and journey so far to other engaged organisations and SiG delegates.
It went down rather well, so well in fact that it helped secure an award that evening for inspirational business transformation.
2) PP+ navigates the approvals maze and helps bring new products to new territories
When working in the electronics and electrical markets, one thing that often comes up and can be an overlooked barrier to growth is that of legislation and the appropriate certification.
Many machine builders find this to be a sticking point, but one of the many benefits to engaging with PP Control & Automation and its PP+ initiative is having access to the right experts and solutions without having to do all the legwork or attempt to go it alone.
In fact, it is widely accepted that navigating the maze of approvals is one that you really don’t want to be attempting alone. PP+ Growth Module Partner, Product Approvals Ltd is a specialist consultancy and testing solutions company with an exceptional track record in guiding businesses through these exhaustive mazes, and in-turn saving manufacturers time and money.
3) Hedinn fishing for efficiencies as PP C&A helps it deliver €11m deal
PP C&A is celebrating a fifth birthday of supplying the fishing sector in style by supporting an €11m project.
PP C&A will provide complete electrical build services on the dual Hedinn HPP-10000s that are destined for Sildarvinnslan, Iceland’s biggest fishmeal and fish oil producer.
“As a strategic partner, PP C&A has access to our whole electrical package, which means it holds a comprehensive understanding of the requirements for each build and any customisation that needs to be incorporated. The workmanship is second to none and wiring faults are virtually non-existent, which gives us great confidence and a significant commercial advantage.”
Other things you may have missed
Sophie’s electric as PP C&A engineer wins major Engineering & Manufacturing Apprenticeship Award
A female electrical engineer at PP C&A, who has already delivered a ￡1m plus new product introduction, was named as the Black Country’s best Engineering & Manufacturing apprentice on the evening of Thursday 3rd November.
Sophie Young beat off competition from across the area to secure the Ladder for the Black Country accolade in front of 285 guests at Wolverhampton Grand Station and has already set her sights on inspiring more girls into industry.
领英推荐
“The Award is richly deserved and shows what you can achieve in a relatively short timeframe. I’m sure this is just the start of what will be an amazing career for one of our brightest young stars.”
Tony Hague commentary on the Autumn Statement
CEO, Tony Hague was invited to add commentary to a Daily Express feature responding to Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement on November 17th.
Somewhat unremarkable and unsurprising for everyone in UK manufacturing. But in truth, there isn’t much to work with.
“However painful, it may be what is needed – especially if it focuses industry’s mind on investment in automation which allows us to up-skill our people and raise productivity.”
Now, when we mentioned at the very start of this newsletter that December is a time for reflection, we meant it. The PP REWIND22 campaign launching 7th December does so in style!
The campaign ‘rewinds’ 2022 to reflect on a disruptive but significant year in UK manufacturing. It will take 10 key stories published over the course of the year and depict them as chart-topping records. Contributions from thought leaders, departments, and communications partners make for a compilation of key ‘tracks’ and songs of disruption, resilience, and opportunity…
Rewind and press play on 2022 (07.12.22)
Keep up on the website, social media, email, and other surprising channels and media with #PPREWIND22. Want to be notified? Subscribe here.
The benefits of strategic outsourcing
Each month, we'll finish the newsletter with a focused benefit to a strategic outsourcing partnership and how the right provider can unlock your growth potential.
This month the focus is managing risk
Managing risk
This is a major consideration and almost a sum total of other benefits. We live in turbulent times and the manufacturing community must find ways of mitigating risks associated with markets that can grow and decline, often swiftly and without warning.
Managing growth is a nice problem to have in theory but recruiting additional skilled resource can be a constraint and bringing in expensive and often unreliable sub-contract labour carries its own risk.
The perfect antidote to risk and the uncertainty that many manufacturers are facing is strategic outsourcing.
With political and economic decisions, the knock-on effect these can have on businesses cannot be understated. The impact these decisions can have on trade can be both dangerous and profitable, but that is what risk is all about.
This uncertainty is certainly transmitting itself into the world of manufacturing, as manufacturers are looking carefully at how they balance short-term pain with the medium and longer-term picture. It is no surprise that an increasing number of companies are looking to mitigate their risk.
Placing this risk with a strategic outsourcing partner is a viable way of avoiding unnecessary pains when it comes to the future of your business.
?See you in 2023!
We hope you enjoyed issue six of InsideOutsourcing.
Your comments and engagements are welcomed, and we look forward to sharing more in 2023 from inside PP C&A, the UK's leading and award-winning strategic outsourcing provider to machine builders and OEMs.