< PreviousRELOCATION & INWARD INVESTMENT20Business Link www.blmforum.netBUSINESSUP YOURFREE Business Advice SessionsTuesday 1 July, 17:30 - 19:30 at the Business Hive, 13 Dudley Street, Grimsby Friday 25 July, 08:00 – 09:30 at e-factor, Enterprise Village, GrimsbyTuesday 5 August, 14:30 – 16:00 at Humber Seafood Institute, EuroparcFriday 25 July, 08:00 – 09:30 at e-factor, Enterprise Village, GrimsbyTuesday 5 August, 14:30 – 16:00 at Humber Seafood Institute, EuroparcSpark up yourbusinessAre you looking to invest at least £5,000 in capital assets,research and development or training and apprenticeships?Are you a business, large or small in North or North EastLincolnshire, involved in any of the following sectors?• Renewables• Engineering• Ports and Logistics• Chemicals• Digital• FoodIf so, there could be funding grants from £5,000 from theRegional Growth Fund available to help you. You would need tobe able to match the grant fund – so, for example, if you put in£5,000, there could be up to £5,000 to help you.You can find out more online, or alternatively, drop in to one ofour sessions over the next six weeks to talk to someone. Additionalgeneral business support is available free via Humber Growth HubAdvisors Kevin Franklin or Tim Maddinson on 01472 252780.The drop in sessions are:Friday 25 July, 08:00 – 09:30 at e-factor Enterprise Village,Prince Albert Gardens, GrimsbyTuesday 5 August, 14:30 – 16:00 at HSI, EuroparcGive the team a call on 01472 324602 for an initial discussion orvisit www.nelincs.gov.uk/rgf. Grant funding available is subject to eligibility.The UTC will without doubt help revive our town centre andgive young people a fantastic opportunity to learn.”Keeping talent in the areaOne of our region’s biggest remaining challenges is attractingand retaining top quality employees, university graduates andtalented and experienced individuals in the area. A Yorkshire-based recruitment agency recently revealed thatopportunity, diversity and prospects are the top priority forexperienced manufacturing candidates searching for a new job. According to Elevation Recruitment, the opportunities withinroles tops the wish list, followed closely by the reputation of thebusiness and product, and the salary on offer.John Bohan from Elevation says: “There is no doubt that themanufacturing industry has really started to recover, withcompanies increasingly looking to recruit for newly created roles,and existing job roles opening up as a result. Businesses aregrowing, and so demand for quality candidates is growing too. “Now, experienced manufacturing experts are in a position toconsider every aspect of a job – and as we have foundopportunities within a role top the list of priorities.”James continues: “The popularity of this year’s GlobalManufacturing Festival – with speakers including Airbus andJaguar Land Rover - is indicative of the opportunity for SMEsright here in Yorkshire to compete on an international scale;and with so many quality candidates looking to develop theircareers it is the ideal time for businesses to show what theyhave to offer in order to recruit an experienced team that willhelp drive growth.”There’s plenty to be proud of in the region and the attitudenow seems to be one of optimism and celebrating the talentwithin our borders in order to entice further inward investmentfrom those outside. Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are known fortheir inclusivity and the welcoming nature of its businesscommunity as well as its populace. This makes for a killercombination and could well be the reason why so muchbusiness is being done here today.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/AUREMARMuch is being done to create jobsthat appeal to young people inorder to ensure the workforce inour area remains strong.18-20:Layout 1 30/6/14 09:18 Page 3www.keigarhomes.co.uk 01652 631939When you’re ready for something special...p Impressive Locationp Viewing By Appointmentp Fantastic Specificationp Oak Doors Throughoutp Glazed Stair Balustradep Many Free Choicesp Quality Neff Appliances2 Bedroom Luxury Bungalow withSunroom & Double Garage £269,0004/5 Bed Spacious Homes from £365,000p Underfloor Heating to Ground Floorp Choice of Colour to Each Roomp Experienced Interior Design Advicep Help to Buy Availablep Part Exchange ConsideredTETNEY - St Paul View, Church Lane, DN36 5JX21:Layout 1 30/6/14 14:13 Page 1MADE IN HULL22Business Link www.blmforum.netThe Made in Hull celebration eventrecognised the variety of goods andservices produced in Hull thatdemonstrate pioneering thinking. Thekey speaker at the event was Barry DoddCBE and served to highlight the city’swell-earned reputation for innovationand manufacturing. The judging panelincluded representation from theBusiness Week organising committee,Streets Chartered Accountants,Bluestorm, Hull University BusinessSchool and Business Link magazine.The prizes celebrated the innovationthat’s always existed in Hull. The Madein Hull for Many Generations award, forexample, honours those companieswho have enjoyed continued successover many years, while the To Be MadeIn Hull prize highlighted the mostpromising new ideas that should go onto enjoy huge success.Made in Hull consisted of fivecategories in which businesses andproducts could be nominated. JamesPinchbeck, Marketing Partner at StreetsChartered Accountants, says, “Made inHull is a new event for Humber Bizweekwhich aims to celebrate Hull’sexcellence in manufacturing. Itrecognises not only the artisanproducer but also those business thatsupply global markets.“We have been especially pleased withthe number of nominations which totalmore than sixty and serve to showcasethrough today’s celebration event thediversity, innovation and creativity ofthose manufacturing in Hull.”Kath Lavery, Chair of the BusinessWeek Steering Group, says, “Now in itstenth anniversary year, Bizweek goesfrom strength to strength. Made in Hullhas certainly been both a specialaddition to the week and a showcaseevent. It has played a key part inrecognising the talents, excellence andingenuity of Hull’s business community.The nominations have includedeverything from specialist independentretailers, through to social enterprisesand the larger enterprises. All have aspecial story to tell and are greatambassadors for Hull.”The winners of Made inHull have beenannounced at acelebration event at theKC Lightstream Stadiumas part of HumberBusiness Week’s tenthanniversary celebrations.Business Link’s editorSteve Fisher was invitedto be on the panel ofjudges who had the toughtask of selecting some ofthe city’s mostimpressive companies.Celebrating talentMade in Hull22-23:Layout 1 30/6/14 09:29 Page 1Business Link 23www.blmforum.netMADE IN HULLThe roll of honourThe winners in the various categories were...Made in Hull Sold Locally – East Coast BicyclesMade in Hull Sold Nationwide – Aunt Bessie’s and IdealBoilersMade in Hull Sold Overseas – Shipham ValvesMade in Hull for Many Generations – John Good GroupTo Be Made in Hull – Bags of RagsMade in Hull for the People of Hull – BloodfastA list of all of the businesses that were nominated is availableat www.madeinhull.org.uk. Business Link congratulateseveryone who took part!PHOTOS BY STUART WILDE PHOTOGRAPHYMade in Hull for the people of Hull - BloodfastTo be made in Hull - Bags of RagsMade in Hull for Many Generations - John Good GroupMade in Hull and Sold Overseas - Shipham ValvesMade in Hull and Sold Locally- East Coast BicyclesMade in Hull and Sold Nationwide- Aunt Bessie’s22-23:Layout 1 30/6/14 09:30 Page 2BUSINESS SCENE24Business Link www.blmforum.netDean Wann, Leigh Hall and RichardFarrar, Directors of Brayford Hotels,with Tony Worth, Lord Lieutenant ofLincolnshire, and Gethin JonesFlt Lt Alun “Peps” PepperIan Walter of JH Walterhosting the auctionAttended by 175 guests and hosted by TV personality Gethin Jones, the black tie eventfeatured a champagne reception and evening meal before an auction compered by Ian Walterfrom JH Walter. Entertainment on arrival was provided by string quartet SilverWood and, later inthe evening, by Beat Street International.The initial fundraising target was set at £25,611, set to reflect the number of BomberCommand Aircrew who lost their lives flying out of Lincolnshire and adjacent airfields. Theextensive auction lot list featured money-can’t-buy experiences with the RAF Falcons, the RedArrows and at Waddington Air Show, plus a six night luxury stay in Dubai and Marjan Island.The showcase lot, a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Canada to fly in the Canadian Lancaster, the onlycivilian passenger carrying Lancaster in the world, was auctioned for an incredible £15,000. Gethin Jones says, “I am privileged to be part of this wonderful event to remember thedevastating number of aircrew and ground crew who lost their lives as part of the RAF BomberCommand. It was sure to be an emotive evening, so close to the home of where the majority ofthese brave and courageous people were based. They shall never be forgotten”.Tony Worth, Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire and Chairman of the Lincolnshire BomberCommand Trust says, “The money raised will help contribute to delivering a lasting tribute to thebravery of those who served in Bomber Command, from all over the world, and ensure thatgenerations to come can learn about the contribution to the war effort made by them”The evening was supported by a number of local businesses including Ruddocks, Stuart WildePhotography, Flowers by Suzanne, Peachy Productions, Ambience Venue Styling and BourneTextiles.To view and purchase these and other photographs from the event, please visitwww.stuartwildephotography.com.An electricatmosphereDoubleTree by Hilton Lincoln helped raise over £35,000 for theLincolnshire Bomber Command Memorial with their flagship event,The Electric Ball and Business Link were privileged to be part of it.24-25:Layout 1 30/6/14 09:33 Page 1Business Link 25www.blmforum.netBUSINESS SCENEPHOTOS BY STUART WILDE PHOTOGRAPHYFrom business conferences to cocktail parties and weddings, our downtown hotel is ideal01522 565197 / 565180www.lincoln.doubletree.com24-25:Layout 1 30/6/14 09:33 Page 2CONTROL & AUTOMATION26Business Link www.blmforum.netNo manufacturer expecting to thrivecan justify the continuation ofinefficiencies and unnecessary manualprocesses. Automation needs to becarefully considered and planned if it isto prove cost-effective and show ahealthy return on investment.Of course some automation projectsare primarily focussed uponminimisation of manufacturing risk,either in terms of operator error ormanual handling risks to personnel. Nocompany can afford to throw resourcesat risk management, there is still anessential cost element which should ofcourse be minimised, but nevercompromised.In many risk managementapplications, limited finances are anoverriding factor, so much so that suchprojects are often compromised, leavingsome of the identified risks unmanaged,due to poorly prioritised or insufficientfunds.One high profile example of this isAutomated Coding and LabellingVerification, specifically targeted bymany retailers to eliminate date codingand packaging errors.As product and packaging variableshave increased exponentially in recentyears, leading to complexity, shorterbatch runs and frequent productchangeovers, mistakes are bound tooccur where the risks are managedmanually. It’s only a matter of time, andsome argue that the longer amanufacturer produces under manualcontrol without non-conformance, thegreater the risk is of having one.Excellent Codes of Practice have beenproduced by some retailers to encourageautomated coding and labellingverification. If implemented to the letter,following a valid risk assessment, sucherrors should become a thing of the past.Where such automated systems areinstalled and non-conformances stilloccur, it’s usually because shortcuts havebeen taken to reduce capital outlay.Automated systems are also more widelyused to improve efficiencies and reducelabour costs. Often, companies sailheadlong into automation primarily toreduce labour costs. Reducing labour costs, especiallycontract labour, will usually be one of thecost benefits of successful automation,but other measures are also importantsuch as: conformance to plan, right firsttime quality and overall equipmenteffectiveness (OEE).As Roy Green of Harford Controlexplains: “So many automation projectsfail or fail to achieve the anticipatedbenefits because people don’t ask theright questions at the outset. For example,we have seen projects focussed entirelyon OEE or NME (net machineeffectiveness) without first asking whatthey will do with improvements made. “They often ask: “If efficiency increases,does this mean we will produce the samequantity but with fewer paid workinghours? Or are we one of the enviable fewwho can sell all that we make and use theefficiency improvement to make morewithin the same time?”“Another pitfall is to automate part of aproduction line without fully thinkingAutomation seems to be a commonly-held belief, in theindustry, as always the right approach. Consideration shouldhowever be taken to avoid pitfalls that many will never haveencountered, previous to embarking on mechanisation. Is automationa panacea?PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/NIKKOLIA26-27:Layout 1 30/6/14 10:44 Page 1Business Link 27www.blmforum.netthrough the consequences of theimprovement. Unless the whole line is seenas an integrated entity, then frequently theautomated investment only serves to pushthe bottleneck further along the line withoutactually improving overall efficiency. Aworking knowledge of Constraints Theorycan often be a benefit in such situations.”Roy continues: “Even ‘clear win’automation projects can often be donemore effectively for little or no moremoney. For example, an automated codingand labelling project implemented primarilyto satisfy a retailer demand can also bemade to deliver beneficial information todrive performance improvement. It is hardto justify automation solely to eliminatepaper from the factory floor. Similarly, it can be hard to justify anautomation project solely to collect andanalyse line performance data such as lineefficiency, OEE or quality, but all theseadditional benefits can be delivered on theback of automated coding and labellingprojects which can transform a costlydemand into a very cost-effectiveperformance improvement system.Key to successful automation, especiallywhere computerisation is involved, is todevelop a more questioning approach. RoyGreen suggests that ‘The ‘Five Whys’approach works very well, but moreimportantly, greater cross-functionalinvolvement and beginning with the end inmind can be crucial prerequisites forsuccessful outcomes.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MORENO SOPPELSAAutomate for profitharfordcontrol.com For example, where a risk orperformance improvement opportunity isidentified, a number of questions should beasked such as:• What effect will this project have uponthe whole business? • Will this project improve overallperformance or simply move the problemto some other part of the enterprise?• How will this look to the EngineeringDepartment, the Technical Department,Quality Assurance, Production and Planning?• How will this project help ourConformance to Plan?• What benefits does this project offerour customers, workforce, managementteam and what impact does it have onbottom line?• How will the benefits be measured andsustained?• Will we need to raise our in-housecapability to support and maintain the newtechnology?Roy concludes: “We believe that if morequestions of this nature were asked beforecommencement of costly automationprojects and if more of the businessfunctions were involved in the process ofanswering these questions, some projectswould doubtless not go ahead, but thosethat do go ahead would provide far moresatisfying outcomes and a better/fasterreturn on investment.”This is an edited version of anAutomation White Paper provided by RoyGreen of Harford Control Ltd.26-27:Layout 1 30/6/14 10:44 Page 2SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT28Business Link www.blmforum.netWith the proximity of Yorkshire andLincolnshire being integral to businessacross the UK, as well as overseas, it’sno surprise to find that several areas inthe region are striving to improve bothinfrastructure and delivery of supplychains that are not only fully-functional,but market-leading too. Talk of supplychain hubs, combining road, air, freightand more mean this area of the UK isbecoming, by far, the best-equipped todeal with increasing demand.Thankfully, the funding is in place fora lot of companies to improve their lot,in fact a new fund has recently beenintroduced wherein companies can nowbid for a share of £100 million from agovernment scheme to help themstrengthen their domestic supply chainsand help bring manufacturing back tothe UK.The funding will provide research anddevelopment support, skills training andinvestment capital and encourage majornew suppliers to ‘reshore’ in the UK. Itcomes from the AdvancedManufacturing Supply Chain Initiative.Five previous rounds of AMSCIfunding have secured nearly half abillion pounds of public-privateinvestment for 44 projects in the UK.Business Secretary Vince Cable says:“A strong manufacturing sector is vitalto a balanced economic recovery, and Iwant to ensure that Britain’s supplychains are up to the task of supportingthe sector in the long term.“Our industrial strategy, which hasgiven business the confidence to invest,is paying dividends in the reshoring wehave seen so far. We will continue tosupport businesses to secure morehighly skilled jobs and a strongereconomy. The £35 million project aimsto create nearly 5,000 jobs in the supplychain.”Terry Scuoler, pictured, ChiefExecutive at EEF, the manufacturers’organisation, says: “This is anotherwelcome boost for Britishmanufacturing, which will have apositive impact on the wider economy.Our own research shows that in the lastthree years, one in six companies havere-shored production back to the UKwith many turning to a UK-based supplychain for parts and components. Highvalue manufacturing creates jobs andwealth here so I’m delighted to see thegovernment getting behind it.”To underline this on a more locallevel, a county council-led programmedesigned to encourage small-to-medium sized enterprises in Lincoln,Boston and East Lindsey to buy andtrade locally, SUPPLY will run throughTime tosupplyWith more focus on a streamlined and integratedapproach to the supply chain across all business in ourregion, funding and innovative projects both large andsmall are having an impact.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PHIL MACD PHOTOGRAPHY28-30:Layout 1 30/6/14 09:20 Page 1Business Link 29www.blmforum.netSUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENTSeptember 2015, providing support freesupport to eligible businesses.Not only will the project help smallerLincolnshire companies connect withone another for buying and trading, butit will also help them prepare for andfind opportunities to become suppliersfor the county’s largest private andpublic sector businesses.As Councillor Colin Davie, ExecutiveMember for Economic Development atLCC, tells us: “We want local companiesto thrive, and a good way to do that isby helping them discover theopportunities that areright there on theirdoorstep.“We also want to encourage them tosupport one another by buying locallywhere possible.“SUPPLY will provide a combinationof one-to-one support and workshops,through which SMEs will develop morecost-effective purchasing practices, aswell as making sure they have the rightapproach for winning contracts from thecounty’s biggest organisations.”In partnership with ProcurementLincolnshire and the Greater LincolnshireLocal Enterprise Partnership,Lincolnshire County Council successfullysecured £251,000 from the EuropeanRegional Development Fund to helpstimulate the Lincolnshire economy bydeveloping and supporting supplychains within the county’s key sectors.As part of the project, SUPPLYLincolnshire will assist eligible30 PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/GILLES LOUGASSIYour worldwide freight and logistics partnerT: 01709 529709 www.daviesturner.co.ukPIONEERS IN SERVICE SINCE 187028-30:Layout 1 30/6/14 09:20 Page 2Next >