The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) has appointed Phil Jones as head of supply chain development, in its bid to help manufacturers increase efficiency and growth throughout their supply chains.
Based in the South West, Phil will be focused on looking for supply chain opportunities that will help both SMEs and large enterprises develop their businesses. He will work across all sectors but with a particular focus on targeting advanced manufacturers with high growth potential, and helping them create a sustainable supply chain that will provide a solid base for future growth.
Phil has a degree in mechanical & production engineering and a Six Sigma master black belt. Prior to joining MAS, he spent three years at Vestas Wind Systems, the world’s largest producer of wind turbines, where he built and ran its aftermarket supply chain. Before this, Phil spent 16 years in the aerospace sector at General Electric and Honeywell Aerospace.
Phil said: “The opportunity to join MAS and work closely with UK manufacturers is an exciting challenge. MAS have a breadth of resources and capabilities to support manufacturers and I want to help ensure that these are utilised throughout the supply chain and in line with companies’ needs.”
With vast experience in aerospace and wind energy, Phil thinks the South West is ideally placed to take advantage of supply chain opportunities within both of these sectors. He said: “The aerospace sector is very strong in the South West and the low carbon, green energy sector is also an emerging market. Manufacturers in the region are well positioned to capitalise on cross sector opportunities to develop supply chains in both of these areas.”
Phil also believes manufacturers could benefit from focusing on processes as well as products. He added: “A lot of companies dedicate time to refining or developing products and less time is spent on service opportunities or operational efficiency. The results from our latest South West Barometer reinforce this with product price (85 per cent) and product ranges (75 per cent) the most popular choices when it came to identifying what respondents plan to measure and review over the next six months. Manufacturers could benefit greatly from implementing process improvements that would ultimately filter through the supply chain to increase customer satisfaction, retention and growth.”
Simon Howes, MAS area director for South England, said: “Phil’s extensive background throughout the value chain from sales and operations to continuous improvement will help manufacturers connect with the best support available from MAS. We are very pleased to welcome him to the team.”
