Business Improvement Programme – Redcoin
Redcoin are a Jersey based IT Security Value Add Distributor covering both the Channel Islands and UK territories. Working through an established channel of Resellers, they deliver Industry leading technologies, services and support to a wide range of customers. As a family run business, they store great we pride their Industry and technological knowledge, relationships and approachability.
Business Improvement Project
The company’s decision to apply for the Business Improvement Course with Jersey Business was driven by a desire to continually improve as a Company and Individuals. They recognised that they had inefficiencies of Muda, but required the Direction and Education offered in the course to act as a catalyst to operational improvements.
Project Analysis
Following module 1, the Redcoin team very quickly got into the programme and mapped out a typical job flowing through the business cycle from Lead Enquiry to Project Schedule after invoicing. The improvement team involved all staff once they were back in the office and created high levels of energy and enthusiasm. The mapping activity escalated at a fast pace as it was placed on the main office wall becoming a working document to visualise how work was flowing through the company. This became a central point for improvement as all staff gathered data, documented how activities were being carried out, where the bottlenecks were and how resource was being consumed at various points along the journey. Timings were recorded around key areas of interest along with measures of inefficiency related to the “7 wastes”.
As the team completed module 2, they had realised the potential to make their data more visual by producing a series of Pareto Charts and these were discussed at the on-site facilitation meetings taking place between modules – some very enlightening and surprising data was now being digested and understood buy the wider team. This created a series of light bulb moments where everybody could see the potential for improvement.
The mapping activity was further progressed as the team began to build a new map showing the same customer journey, but this time in a future state demonstrating how the process could work when actions have been taken to reduce waste, reduce bottlenecks and smooth out resourcing to maximise team capacity.
Implementing Improvements
The mapping activity is a new visual that will now become custom and practice within the business. The technical programming team are using this visual to constantly analyse and communicate with as they develop the new CRM system that is being developed using lean and agile principles, cutting out unnecessary steps by listening to the people in the process. This is having a profound affect on the business culture. They project has also led to a “5S” philosophy being adopted across the office:
- Sort – (Seiri) – Eliminating unnecessary items from the workplace.
- Straighten – (Seiton) – Focusing on the efficient and effective methods.
- Shine – (Seiso) – Reviewing and improving the new method to maintain the change.
- Standardise – (Seiketsu) – Creating a standard to make the changes the new norm.
- Sustain – (Shitsuke) – Defining a new status quo to ensure the changes are embedded
The team have begun to address many of the inefficiencies that have been identified in the mapping activity and these are displayed on Cause & effect (Ishikawka) diagrams. Implemented improvement include:
- Eliminating incorrect asset details and descriptions
- Updating asset records
- Reducing inaccurate data entries
- Clarifying SLA’s
- Improving random and unclear qualifications
- Developing shared mail boxes
- Using screen sharing for technical issues
- Managing absenteeism
- Clarifying order to quote matches
- Reducing defects on quotes
- Simplifying deal registration processes
- Reducing lead times on quotes
Business Benefits
In a small family business, it is important to demonstrate how overburdening workloads on key resources can stifle growth and create major bottlenecks. Redcoin have used the Jersey Business Improvement programme to make significant inroads into addressing this and this has led to freeing up of resources to spend more time on the strategic development of the business without hindering day to day operations, in fact it has enhanced it.
Team quote / experience:
“This programme has provided a great level of personal development to allow us to drive improvement into the business. There was a good balance between verbal and practical engagement and the exercises demonstrated to us how we could put theory into practice.”
Alex Blackwell, Redcoin CEO
The aim of the business improvement programme is to support established organisations to become more efficient and to deliver sustainable growth that will create market competitiveness and a solid operational platform for the future. It is managed by Jersey Business, funded by the Government of Jersey and delivered by Accelerate.
If you would like to get involved in a future programme contact us at [email protected]iness.je