The organisation that formerly provided help for West of England manufacturers has been officially named as part of a consortium that will now deliver the service on a national basis.
SWMAS, originally the South West Manufacturing Advisory Service and more recently MAS-SW, has teamed up with accountants Grant Thornton, consultancy Pera and the WM Manufacturing Consortium to form the Manufacturing Advisory Consortium (MAC).
SWMAS was originally part of a nationwide network of organisations that worked closely with manufacturers to improve their performance, including troubleshooting, advice and establishing best practice. Hundreds of businesses benefited from SWMAS's visits, which included introducing zero-waste and just-in-time manufacturing techniques to many traditional manufacturers. Many of SWMAS's advisers had previously worked in industry.
The organisation has been chosen by the government, as part of MAC, to run a new national programme which will focus on helping small and medium manufacturing businesses to grow.
The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) was officially launched yesterday by business minister Mark Prisk. It has been estimated that it will help to generate £1.5bn in economic growth, 23,000 jobs and safeguard 50,000 jobs.
Mr Prisk said: “Manufacturing contributes half of Britain’s exports and has much higher productivity than the rest of the economy so it is essential to our plans for growth. That is why we are taking steps to ensure our industrial base is thriving as part of a strong and balanced UK economy.
“The new Manufacturing Advisory Service will play a key role providing tailored advice to businesses helping them to grow and thrive, with a specific focus on helping SMEs improve competitiveness and unlocking their growth potential.”
Grant Thornton’s head of government infrastructure advisory Karl Eddy, who leads MAS, added: “This type of programme is vital to support Britain's businesses and economy in growth. MAC is driven by a passion for dynamic, innovative business and has proven experience in delivering advice for growth. As we drive this historically successful programme in to a new era we encourage business leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs in the manufacturing sector to contact a local advisor to find out more about how MAS can deliver real benefits for their business.”
Small manufacturing businesses will also have access to a new initiative recently-announced by the government to improve the global competitiveness of UK advanced manufacturing supply chains. The fund of up to £125m will cover the whole of England and will help to support the UK supply chain, encourage new suppliers to invest in the UK and support economic growth.
To find out more visit www.mymas.org or by call an advisor on 0845 658 9600.
MAS will offer:
Level 1 (inquiries)
Provided by a small team of experienced advisors, this service will ensure detailed local knowledge supported by an enhanced website offering a range of online support packages.
Level 2 (Manufacturing Review)
A one-day (two days for more complex businesses), on-site specialist manufacturing diagnostic review. MAC will use a new diagnostic tool based on the principles of Manufacturing Excellence developed in conjunction with the Warwick Manufacturing Group which includes comparisons against best-in-class..
Level 3 (Events)
Training and networking events, including best practice visits. These will be an integral part of delivering the Business Improvement actions identified at Level 2. This will be complemented by a Sustainable Improvement Community using best practice social networking tools to provide peer-led best practice examples and lower cost forms of self help.
Level 4 (Consultancy)
The three-tier Level 4 project structure is:
MAS Foundation Service: Funding up to £1,000 (or a maximum of 50%) towards an improvement project – targeted at companies who need basic low level help.
MAS Step Change Service: Funding of up to £3,000 (or 50% maximum) towards a more significant improvement programme.
MAS Transformation Service: Funding of up to £10,000 (or 50% maximum) for a strategic change to the business.
Level 5 (Referrals)
MAS advisors are responsible for identifying partner organisation support but retain responsibility for referral until it is demonstrated and confirmed by the client that the partner organisation has addressed the client need.
Supply Chain
Focus on helping SMEs diversify into advanced manufacturing supply chains; helping OEMs and their supply chains develop better relationships and greater efficiency; helping groups of SMEs in supply chains or clusters interact more effectively.
It will use the tools available through Levels 1 – 5 with custom implementation packages assembled to suit client needs delivered by a team of dedicated supply chain experts.
