Rural Business Development Programme Think Rural.

Rural Business Development Programme

Think Rural

European UnionStructural FundsEuropean UnionStructural Funds

• A Coleraine Borough Council initiative part funded by European Unions Building Sustainable Prosperity Programme

• Designed to promote sales growth and operational efficiencies in rural businesses operating within the manufacturing, engineering or tradeable services sector and employ over 10 employees

Background to Think RuralEuropean UnionStructural FundsEuropean UnionStructural Funds

• Recruitment of at least 15 businesses from the rural manufacturing, engineering and tradeable services sectors with over 10 employees

• Development of 15 Business Development Plans

• 15 businesses from rural manufacturing, engineering and tradeable services sectors complete the programme within one calendar year

• Achieving an aggregate sales increase of at least 10%

• Implementing and administration of discretionary grants to the 15 participating businesses.

TargetsEuropean UnionStructural FundsEuropean UnionStructural Funds

MethodologyEuropean UnionStructural FundsEuropean UnionStructural Funds

•Recruitment

•Profile/Registration of Interest

•Comprehensive business audit

•Business Review Completed

•Mentor sourced

•First Meeting

•Agreed Improvement Plan in place

•Mentoring in progress

•Grant Application

•Evaluation

Recruitment

• Advertisement placed in local press

• Informative leaflet

• BITCNI website and promotional material

• Launch programme through Chamber of Commerce, Collage, Coleraine Enterprise Agency & Invest NI

• Direct contact made with 80 SMEs from the Think BIG Database


Programme Participants

Farlow Engineering

Rooms Dynamic Furniture Ltd

Armstrong Medical

BB Engineering

Lamont Fireplaces

Worldsites

Nevin Electrics

Zing

Causeway Coast Stables

Spanboard

Ballyrashane Co Op

R Beveridge

Smyth Steel

Rainey & Co

TBF Thompson


Pool of Mentors

•Gerry O Doherty - Supply Chain Improvement Team Lead – Invista

•Dr Alan Wade – Unit Operations Manager Invista

•Stuart Pollard - Human Resources & External Affairs Manager Invista

•Mike Carrol - Global Quality Systems Manager, Invista

•Niall Birthistle – Managing Director, Adria


Business Audit

Addressed the following:

Management of staff

Structure of the business

Strategy and objectives

People

Processes

Sales and marketing


Financial management

Environmental management

Health and Safety

IT & communications

Quality awards or systems

Areas of Assistance

•Development of a proactive and strategic approach to marketing

•Implement a basic Environmental Management System

•Strengthen capability of the core management team

•Installation of customer management system

•Improve workflow and operational efficiency

•Introduce business to new exports markets

•Exploit opportunities to utilize ICT, better design and transnational links to develop innovation and management capability

•Improve financial capabilities and review of overheads

•Review route to market and strengthen marketing function


Business Improvement Plans

•Actions which aimed to help overcome the business challenge

•Mentor worked over 3-4 days to address the issues through the Improvement Plan

•Grant applications were also made at this stage in the programme

•The Improvement Plans were submitted along with grant applications


Business Improvement Plans

Sample of an development plan overview

•Management of staff Restructure the leadership team and clarify roles and responsibilities

•Strategy and objectives Kpi`s are not employed. Attend Balanced Scorecard training

•People Set up a formal appraisal systems with clear objectives (SMART)

•Processes Flat and Angle processing line needs control system upgrade to increase UpTime – Project selected for grant support.Production planning and quality control tools are required

•Health and Safety Solvent extraction in the paint shop requires upgrading


Grant Application European UnionStructural FundsEuropean UnionStructural Funds

Each business and mentor was supplied with a grant pack. This included:

•Grant Application Form

•Grant Procedures Document

•Outline Assessment Criteria Document

•Applications were given strict deadlines and had to submit a copy of the Business Improvement Plan

•Grant Applications were scored based on assessment criteria

Grant Application - Proposed Purchases

Rolling machineSanding MachineData LoggerSoftware for CNC machineBio-Energy Trade Access PlatformClean used Oil Burner Warehouse Management SoftwareBar code scanners and hardwarePhase welders and accessories. H& S equipmentAutoCAD and Cardboard Bailer


Purchase new filtration system for washing screen printing screens to eliminate water course contamination.

Customer Management System

Overhead travelling Crane

Customer Management System

Advertising & Marketing

Case Study 1 - TBF Thompson & Gerry O Doherty

Area of Assistance

Environmental Improvement

Impacts

Large amounts of cardboard and waste oil recycled along with wooden pallets and ink and toner cartridges

13% reduction in solid waste to landfill

Grant enabled purchase and installation of waste oil burning space heater – waste has been turned into valuable fuel


Area of Assistance

Process Improvements. Mentor to spend time with trainee managers looking at ways they could examine processes and management operations

Impacts

Smyth Steel has recruit up to an additional 5 operatives

Increased throughput by up to 20% during 2006

Grant enabled the purchase of software for the CNC Machine


Case Study 2 - Smyth Steel &Dr Alan Wade

100% of participants reported that their primary objectives for participating on the programme were met


Programme Evaluation

•To improve awareness of environmental issues

•Identification of and addressing restraints in the business

•Financial assistance

•Looking at personal development planning for key management personnel

•To gain a detailed overview on how dome of the bigger engineering companies have evolved and progressed

•To reduce waste

•Increase further sales growth

•Organization of projects

•To enable the faster processing of a new line and the creation of new jobs

Impact AreasEuropean UnionStructural FundsEuropean UnionStructural Funds

0 2 4 6 8

Frequency

Process

Customer Impact

Finances

Learning & Growth

Imp

act

Are

as

Biggest Impact on the Business

Series1


Quotations from participants

‘It gave me an introduction and point of contact with, a now large Southern Ireland engineering firm’ Chris Rainey, John Rainey & Company

‘[My mentor] was experienced and skilled and we got on extremely well. He shared a wealth of knowledge with us and was a great help’ Fiona Campbell, R Beveridge Engineering Ltd

‘[Our mentor] was very supportive and helpful. He had good down to earth business skills and was very easy to talk to’ David Curry, Worldsites

‘Our mentor had a good grasp of our type of business and the areas where improvements could be made’ Alan Farlow, Farlow Engineering

100% of participants reported that they have achieved a sense of focus or refocus within the business:

‘Targets to meet, goals in place’ Millar Lamont, Lamont Fireplaces

‘We are now studying new projects with improved zeal and more focus has been given to how they should succeed’ Mark Bell, BB Engineering (NI) Ltd

‘[We now have] a greater focus on improving turnaround and receiving assistance from other members of the team’ Karen Yates, Zing Design & Print

‘We feel we have moved forward’ Geoffrey Nevin

‘[We are] extending the system to cover other areas of our business’ David Faulkner, Ballyrashane Co-op

Quotations from participants European UnionStructural FundsEuropean UnionStructural Funds

Most Enjoyed Aspects of the Programme


Most Enjoyed Aspects of the Programme

Financial Support

Ease of theprogramme

Effeciency of allinvolved

Mentor's advice

Outcome ofmentor's advice

Upgradingsystems

‘[What we enjoyed most was] receiving support for what would have been a 100% hit by the company. This made the decision easier to make and we benefited earlier’ Donna King, Armstrong Medical

Think Rural Outcomes against targets

•16 SMEs audited – 107% target achieved

•15 mentor matches

•15 Business Development Plans

•14 grants awarded of up £3,000

•12% increase in sales has been reported by participants - 120% of target achieved


Added Value – additional benefits to SMEs

•More Strategic focus

•Production planning and process development

•Generation of management information and decision making

•Improved communication and staff morale

•Approx £90,000 was spent by participants as part of the grant award and an additional £43,000 was provided by the Council as grant aid

•480 Hours of mentoring advice provided (3-4 days per SME)

•11.5 jobs created

•Cost savings of 12% reported

•Huge environmental Improvements


Additional Benefits

•TBF Thompson - now use their Think Rural mentor as a consultant helping them achieve Environmental Standards since they have implemented an environmental management system through Think Rural. Recently featured in Sustainable Ireland with mentor

•Nevin Electrics - now compact and burn their waste instead of burning it.

•Zing - now have a 96% on time delivery which has dramatically improved as a result of the mentoring advice. It has been improved by 40%. Mentoring helped Zing achieve Green Dragon Accreditation. Using the skills of the team more.


Additonal Benefits European UnionStructural FundsEuropean UnionStructural Funds

•Smyth Steel have asked their mentor to offer his services on a consultancy basis to continue some of the work carried out through Think Rural. They have refocused on some lapsed practices.

•Rooms Dynamic made a 6% saving on waste reduction.

•Rainey and Co are now more confident to deal with any up and coming problems.

•Lamont Fireplaces have taken on 3 new staff and more additional staff could be recruited in the future

Additional Benefits European UnionStructural FundsEuropean UnionStructural Funds

•BB engineering have taken on 5 new staff. They are now studying new projects with improved Zeal and more focus.

•Spanboard are currently taking part in the Migrant Worker Business Support programme and are undergoing a complete review of their HR function.

Thank you


Rural Business Development Programme Think Rural.

Documents

Transcript of Rural Business Development Programme Think Rural.