Most manufacturers, MAS maintains, need only make simple changes to make a real difference to their bottom line.
But the organisation is concerned that many wood and timber firms are not taking advantage of the help on offer which has generated more than £224m in added value for manufacturing businesses since April 2002.
Kettering-based DA Watts & Sons said MAS helped increase its competitiveness in the manufacture of pre-fabricated teak decking kits and related products for the high-end marine market, resulting in output increasing by 30% over the past 12 months.
“We’re a lot more focused now,” said Jim Watts, the company’s sales director. “The fact that MAS started by giving the company a health check meant that we had to go back to basics. And the basics are often something we forget about. The findings challenged our existing thinking and helped us look at the way we were operating through fresh eyes.”
The British Woodworking Federation (BWF) said MAS has already helped several of its members increase productivity and improve efficiency.
“There is much the joinery industry can learn from other manunfacturing sectors and using MAS is an ideal way of tapping into that expertise,” said Richard Lambert, BWF chief executive.
For more information visit www.mas.DTI.gov.uk.
