Post grad expertise generates 66% lead time saving

When business is at a crossroads, you’re ready to take the plunge and develop a new opportunity, quite often, the main thing holding back progress is knowledge. Having someone on hand to help with a transitional period, without having to recruit them fulltime, could be a real bonus - which is precisely what Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, or KTP, offer.

“I first heard about the KTP initiative through an article in a business magazine,” says MD of Vista Panels (a glass reinforced and plastic doors manufacturer), Keith Sadler. “We had a need within the business to change what we where doing if we were going to have a future, we knew we had to embrace lean principles but did not know where to start.”

KTPs are a government initiative that links business to specialised help through a partnership with an academic institute (in this case Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU)).

An academic at LJMU and a KTP adviser teamed up with Keith to find a student with particular expertise in Lean techniques, who could step in and apply it to the business.

“They held our hand all throughout, including all the form filling,” says Keith.

The process, however, wasn’t trouble-free. “Information was difficult to get hold of. And I got passed around a bit, but once I got involved directly with LJMU it could not have been easier.”

Placing the right people in the right business can be hard: “We interviewed twice, but it’s imperative that the correct student is chosen,” explains Keith because joining the KTP scheme is a big upheaval to everyday practice. They selected post-grad student, Mark Bibby, who was able to maintain access to and support from the University faculty at all stages.

“In order for Mark to assess how we could better make use of our resources, we had to hold a lot more meetings. And time was the real cost.”

A beneficial disruption in the end: there has been a 66% reduction in production lead time, weekly capacity of door units increased from 230 to 285 units and a 61% reduction of shop floor inventory.

Keith says: “As a result we now have increased space, more products per man per hour, ongoing training, reduced stock and a lead time reduction of 10 days (15 down to five).”

The added floor space created by Mark in the current premises means Vista Panels has also been able to complete an acquisition of a main competitor, increasing turnover by £2 million.

KTP has had a positive impact on everybody: “Seeing the workforce buy into the changes, then gaining the savings that followed has been the best part,” says Keith.

Victory, of course, is mainly to do with the right people coming together. “Mark is an absolute diamond. He fitted in with management, culture and workforce. That might not have been the case.”

Mark fitted in so well he recently accepted a full time position.

The value of tapping into the skills and knowledge that exist within the UK’s academic institutions is something everyone can tap in to believes Keith. “KTP’s are the best kept secret around. More people need to know about them. I would definitely recommend getting involved. It is a cost effective way of improving your business.”

To find out how you could get involved in a KTP go to the KTP online website.


Did you know?

KTP’s can last can last anywhere between 10 weeks to three years.

Vista Panels KTP student, Mark Bibby, won Business Leader of Tomorrow at KTP Awards in March 2009.