UK
ExcEllEncE
INteRVIeW
It’S hIGh tIMe
FOR
OR INNOVA
INNOVAtION
mace on how they
are changing
london’s skyline
QUALItY
ON the ROAD
tO eXC
X eLLeNCe
XC
how Colas have made
a transformation with
the help of the bQf
INNOVAtION
BUILDING
the
he BUSINeSS
JpCs’managing
director on the
company’s growth
membership magazine of the british Quality foundation MAY 2012 www.bQf.org.uk @theBQF #bQf
What’s
the big
idea?
BQF MeMBeRS ON
hOW tO hARNeSS
INNOVAtION
PROFILe
the NetWORK
W
WORK
CONNeCtION
amey reveal why
they decided to
join the bQf
CONteNtS
membership magazine of the british Quality foundation MAY 2012 www.bQf.org.uk
This issUE
UK
EXCELLENCE
INTERVIEW
IT’S HIGH TIME
FOR INNOVATION
Mace on how they
are changing
London’s skyline
SPeCIAL
INNOVAtION
ISSUe
INNOVATION
ON THE ROAD
BUILDING
TO EXCELLENCE
THE BUSINESS
How Colas have made JPCS’ Managing
a transformation with
Director on the
the help of the BQF
company’s growth
PROFILE
THE NETWORK
CONNECTION
Amey reveal why
they decided to
join the BQF
MEMBERSHIP MAGAZINE OF THE BRITISH QUALITY FOUNDATION MAY 2012 WWW.BQF.ORG.UK @THEBQF #BQF
What’s
the big
idea?
BQF MEMBERS ON
HOW TO HARNESS
INNOVATION
10
21
14
QUALITY
FeAtUReS
18
10 the sky’s the limit
Construction and consultancy
company Mace is transforming central
London with the creation of Europe’s
tallest building and the Olympic and
Paralympic infrastructure
14 We’re just getting started
The pursuit of 5 Star Excellence
has helped transform Colas from a
traditional infrastructure contractor
to a customer-focused service provider
18 Knowledge is power
Business analytics software company
SAS believes that understanding
the past lays the foundations
for a successful future
21 Sign of the times
A focus on quality and a willingness to
adapt have driven impressive growth in
highways maintenance business JPCS
24 Connected cities
New BQF member Amey on their
vision of delivering seamless business
and local authority services
ReGULARS
3
4
9
26
28
32
Welcome
From Chief Executive Joe GoasdouГ©
Agenda
All the latest news
One Question, One Answer
When is the right time to innovate,
and the right time to consolidate?
North of england excellence
Partner news updates
BQF Directory
Our calendar of upcoming
events, courses and workshops
Innovation
Dr Bettina von Stamm examines
the barriers to innovation
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
1
WeLCOMe
Joe GoasdouГ©, Chief Executive of the British Quality Foundation,
welcomes you to the latest issue of UK Excellence, which this time
puts innovation under the spotlight.
Membership magazine of the
British Quality Foundation
The British Quality Foundation
32-34 Great Peter Street
London
SW1P 2QX
www.bqf.org.uk
editorial Liaison Committee
Joe GoasdouГ©
Joe Jennings
Pat Myles
Membership enquiries
020 7654 5000
mail@bqf.org.uk
editor
Jack Kibble-White
jack@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Features editor
Nicola Sinclair
nicola.sinclair@thinkpublishing.co.uk
designer
Alistair McGown
sub-editors
Andrew Littlefield, Cathi Thacker
advertising sales
Alison Fraser
alison.fraser@thinkpublishing.co.uk
0141 946 8708
Publisher
John Innes
john.innes@thinkpublishing.co.uk
Think
The Pall Mall Deposit
124-128 Barlby Road
London W10 6BL
020 8962 3020
The BQF is the community for every
business seeking excellent insights,
tools and experiences to improve.
A company limited by guarantee and
registered in England, no. 2770257.
The views expressed in the
magazine do not necessarily reflect
those of the BQF. All information is
correct at the time of going to press.
В© 2012 the British Quality
Foundation. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in part or in whole
by any means without written
permission of the publisher is strictly
forbidden. The publisher accepts no
responsibility for errors, omissions
or the consequences thereof.
ISSN 1460-1095
UK Excellence is published four
times a year and is printed on an
environmentally friendly FSC/
recycled paper produced from
sustainable forests and PEFC
approved pulps.
innovation is the
only way forward
nnovation can be a
frightening word.
It suggests change
and, what’s more, that
the nature of that change
could be something that impacts directly
upon your current work practices, or
your particular area of expertise.
Innovation can also worry those who
seek to ensure their organisation produces
high-quality output. Innovation can rock
the boat, push you out of your comfort
zone and create extra work.
But if you don’t want your business to
stagnate and fall behind the competition,
innovation is unavoidable. What’s more,
if you have a proper management
framework in place, innovation can become
something that has only positive impacts
upon your business – and its culture.
As you may have guessed, innovation is
the theme for this issue, and we’ve taken
the time to consult some real experts in
the field. On page 10 we talk to international
construction and consultancy company
Mace, which is currently transforming
central London with the creation of
The Shard, Europe’s tallest building.
Its approach to innovation is collegiate,
and it’s paying dividends, with its work on
I
The Shard in particular featuring a
number of construction firsts.
The pursuit of 5 Star Excellence has
taken Colas on a journey from traditional
infrastructure contractor to a high-quality,
customer-focused service provider. Within
these pages, its Business Improvement
Manager, Deborah King, explains how it
has implemented change, and gives us
an insight into innovations yet to come.
Peter Shone, Managing Director of JPCS,
has also written for us this issue, and he
reports on how his organisation has
expanded to become a ВЈ10m turnover
highways maintenance and renewable
energy company. The role that accreditation
programmes have played in allowing JPCS
to change and grow has been critical.
Elsewhere, we take a look at business
analytics software company SAS UK,
which believes that innovating for a
successful future relies on understanding
existing data, and we profile public services
provider Amey, which has recently become
a BQF Premier Member.
Whatever innovation challenges
your business is facing, I trust you
will find something in this issue of
UK Excellence that will provide you
with some insight and inspiration.
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
3
nEWS
RAIL OPERATOR ENDORSES Excellence model // GLAXOSMITHKLINE'S JAPANESE CO-VENTURE
WORLD NEWS in BRIEF // HEADLINES // R4E ROUND-UP // CLIVE JEANES OBITUARY
п‚Ґ
Agenda
Go-Ahead endorses Excellence Model
New report reveals the potential
of medium-sized businesses
n February, Go-Ahead Group
PLC announced its half-year
results. Go-Ahead is one
of the UK’s leading providers of quality
public transport and a BQF
Premier Member.
During the announcement,
Go-Ahead Group PLC Chairman
Sir Patrick Brown delivered a ringing
endorsement of the EFQM Excellence
Model. “In order to help identify
continuous operational improvement,”
the Chairman said, “the Model is
now embedded within all three of
our franchises. The Model also
helps to measure delivery against
strategic goals, brings consistency
to management style and
drives innovation.”
The company currently operates
three rail franchises: Southern,
Southeastern and London Midland.
The Model is used by the train
companies as a basis for selfassessment, to help identify
opportunities for continuous
ongoing improvement and to measure
delivery against strategic goals.
“There can’t be many greater signs
of organisational commitment to the
Model than having the Chairman of
your PLC talking about its benefits in
your company report,” says BQF Chief
Executive Joe GoasdouГ©.
rail franchises
in numbers
I
ВЈ1,537.8m
Combined annual revenue
373m
Annual passenger journeys
10,267
Average number of employees
ABOVE:
Go-Ahead
operate UK
rail franchises
including
the Gatwick
Express
RIGHT:
Southern Trains
Big in Japan
GlaxoSmithKline and
Daiichi Sankyo collaborate
to form Japan’s largest
vaccines company
remier member
GlaxoSmithKline
has announced that
it has signed an agreement
with Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.
to form a joint venture, which
is expected to create the
P
4
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
850
Number of trains
number one vaccines
company in Japan.
Christophe Weber,
President Designate
of GlaxoSmithKline
Vaccines, commented, “This
collaboration marks another
step in our strategy to build
our presence in key growth
markets and will create the
first and largest company
dedicated solely to vaccines
in Japan. We are very
pleased to be partnering
with Daiichi Sankyo, a
highly regarded company
and an established leader
in Japan. Both companies
have strong track records
in commercialisation and,
in combination, will
create further significant
economies of scale in
the development and
distribution of vaccines.”
Completion of the
transaction is expected
in the third quarter of
2012, subject to
regulatory approvals.
WORLD NeWS BRIeF
вћЉ SAO PAOLO
2
1
3
brazil’s service sector
expanded at the fastest
pace in more than four
years in february, a
survey by hsbC bank
and markit economics
showed. the growth
rate is the strongest
since July 2007.
Reuters
Modest services growth keeps
UK on track for Q1 pickup
The dominant service sector
expanded less than expected
in February, a recent business
survey showed, but the
economy still looks on track for
modest growth in the first three
months of this year after
shrinking at the end of 2011.
Daily Mail
Welcome
to London...
Southend!
Capital’s sixth international
airport opens in essex after
ВЈ100m makeover
It used to be Britain’s third
busiest airport, until London
Stansted opened its gates and
took all its business. Since then,
the ancient runway at Southend
Airport has lain almost dormant.
But the airport is making
a comeback thanks to
a ВЈ100m makeover.
CNET
App Store downloads top 25bn
After announcing that its
App Store reached 25 billion
downloads, Apple said that
it has awarded Chunli Fu
of Qingdao, China, a $10,000
iTunes Gift Card for
downloading the app that
put the marketplace over that
mark. According to Apple,
Fu downloaded Where’s My
Water?, a Disney game.
inmarch, premier
wen Jiabao said China
would cut its growth
target for the first time
in eight years, from
8% to 7.5%, to make
its economy
more “sustainable
and efficient”.
вћЊ CANBeRRA
australia’s government
has said it will reject a
push by the united
states business lobby
to give companies
greater legal rights in
trade disputes under a
new trans-pacific trade
liberalisation pact.
operating in England and Wales,
Thames Valley employs over 700
staff, with more than 60% working
directly with offenders. This includes
work in six prisons, five approved
premises (hostels), 12 magistrates’
courts, three crown courts and their
main office locations. In their most
recent Offender Management
Inspection report, the Trust scored
above average in all areas inspected.
headlines
The Guardian
has Bank of england been right
to keep interest rates at 0.5%?
It’s three years since the Bank of
England reduced interest rates
to a record low of 0.5% in an
attempt to get the UK economy
back on track. It’s clear that
there have been winners and
losers, so has the Bank been
right to keep rates at this level?
вћ‹ BeIJING
HHHH R4e
HeRTFoRdsHIRe PRoBaTI
a oN
aTI
R4e round-up
R4
All the latest Recognised
For excellence achievers
HHHHH R4e
Hu
uLL CoLLeGe
Hull College has successfully
renewed its 5 Star accreditation with
an impressive performance. With an
annual enrolment of around 30,000
students, the College is one of the
largest schools of its type in the UK.
Students study a wide variety of
further and higher education
courses, from A Levels to NVQs,
Foundation Degrees and Degrees,
full-time or part-time, in subjects
ranging from Business, Engineering,
and Performing Arts to Health and
Social Care.
HHHHH R4e
THaMes Va
TH
V LLeY PRoBaT
a IoN
aT
One of the 35 probation trusts
Hertfordshire Probation Trust works
with offenders given a community
order by the courts or released from
prison on licence. They have offices
in Hertford, Stevenage, St Albans
and Watford.
This success is in addition to
Sue Urwin, one of the Trust’s
probation officers, receiving an
MBE for her Services to Offenders
in the New Year’s Honours List 2012,
which is further acknowledgement
of its high standards.
HHH R4e
CHILd dYNaMIX
aBoVe:
Childcare is
an important
business area
Clive Jeanes OBe
Clive Jeanes sadly passed away on 25
February 2012. Throughout his distinguished
career, Clive was renowned for his leadership
in the field of quality and business excellence.
As European Division Managing Director
of Milliken, he was at the forefront of the
industrial fabric maker’s development of
quality management for 22 years, until his
retirement in 1995. He led Milliken Europe
to the European Quality Award in 1993,
Child Dynamix is a local
organisation and charity working
in the City of Hull and surrounding
areas for children, young people
and families.
It has been serving these
communities for over 11 years,
initially as part of the Hull
Regeneration Scheme on the
Preston Road Estate, and for the
past seven years as a social
enterprise and registered charity
working across the city and into the
East Riding of Yorkshire.
four years after its US parent won the
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
A giant on the North West England
business stage, he was a board member of the
North West Development Agency, Chairman
of CBI North West, Deputy Chairman of
Governors of Manchester Metropolitan
University and founder Chairman of
Excellence North West. Clive was also a good
friend of the BQF and chaired our UK
Excellence Awards jury for a number of
years. We will miss him.
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
5
nEWS
BQF ON TWITTER // NATIONAL EXPRESS SETS PUNCTUALITY RECORD // EDF ENERGY WORKSHOPS FOR 18-24 YEAR OLDS
C2E ROUND-UP // CHEMRING RADAR CONTRACT // ANTON VALK JOINS BQF // MISSING GADGETS
FOLLOW
THE BQF
ON
TWITTER
@TheBQF
is our official Twitter
feed, and will keep
you up to date with
our latest news.
Sample Tweet
“Innovation
lessons from
The Artist
http://bit.ly/xlme7z”
Helping Brighton
young things
Premier Member EDF Energy works to help young
unemployed people develop new skills
Success for
National Express
A new UK punctuality record is set
by one of its train operators
QF Premier Member,
National Express Group has
been celebrating the news
that its train operator c2c has set
a new UK punctuality record for
a franchised train operator.
Network Rail’s figures show
that c2c achieved a record-breaking
96.9% for their Public Performance
Measure (PPM) train service
performance over the last 12 months
up to 4 February 2012. In doing so it
broke its own UK record for the
highest annual punctuality by a
franchised train operator (96.7%),
which it achieved in 2010.
B
6
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
“These figures are great news for
c2c customers,” says Julian Drury,
Managing Director, “and
show the continued hard work
and attention to detail we put
into providing the highest level of
customer service that we can. c2c has
been setting records for the past three
years and this new record continues
our upward year-on-year trend.”
RECORD-BREAKERS
Earlier this year the latest National
Passenger Survey (NPS) figures for
Autumn 2011 showed c2c achieved
91% overall customer satisfaction – the
fourth survey over the past two years
in which c2c has achieved this score.
It also won the inaugural �Golden
Whistle’ for the best punctuality
amongst all train operators during
2009, with an average of 96.3% –
this is a record the train operator has
broken many times since then. As
well as the UK record for annual
punctuality, c2c also holds the record
for UK train operator punctuality for
any four-week period, with 98.8% of
trains achieving PPM.
oung people across the South East are
getting a helping hand, as BQF Premier
Member EDF Energy joins with Albion in the
Community to support the unemployed.
EDF Energy are running a series of practical
workshops providing vital skills to 18 to 24-year-olds,
to help them get into the job market as part of a new
partnership with Brighton & Hove Albion Football
Club’s Albion in the Community scheme, supporting
their Want to Work programme.
Y
FIRST WORKSHOP
The first workshop, run by 11 EDF Energy managers,
was joined by 15 young people at EDF Energy’s office
in Portland Road in Hove during February. The
workshop focused on how to write an effective CV
and covering letter, role play scenarios on group
assessments and interviews, and provided advice
and techniques for future employment.
The young people were selected through Albion
in the Community’s Want to Work scheme, the
charitable arm of Brighton & Hove Albion Football
Club. This scheme benefits many thousands of
people, providing places on courses and advice
from major employers like EDF Energy.
2.5%
The drop in
the number of
new UK cars
registered in
February 2012
compared
to the
same month
in 2011
+
C2e
RouNd-uP
Chemring on the
business radar
Subsidiary organisation to work with
world leader in missile systems
IITEK, Inc., a subsidiary of
the Chemring Group PLC,
has announced it is
proceeding into a collaboration
agreement with MBDA Italia (a
world leader in missile systems). As
part of the agreement, NIITEK will
provide multiple Ground Penetrating
Radar (GPR) kits, integration and
training services in support of the
Italian Army Route Clearance
package Counter-IED program.
“We are pleased that MBDA chose
NIITEK’s battle-proven GPR to
produce a multifaceted detection
capability for the Italian MOD,” said
N
Juan Navarro, President of NIITEK.
“This integration will provide an
enhanced suite of sensors to the
soldiers in support of the route
clearance mission. We look forward
to contributing our GPR fielding
expertise in support of MBDA’s
success in this endeavour.”
MBDA is the only group capable of
designing and producing missiles
and missile systems that correspond
to the full range of current and
future operational needs of the three
armed forces (land, sea and air).
In total, the group offers a range
of 45 missile systems and
countermeasures products already
in operational service and more than
15 others currently in development.
I want
my MP3
New report reveals ВЈ1.5bn of technology
is lost in the UK every year
A recent report published by O2 Recycle
reveals that over 6.2 million Brits lose at
least one tech gadget, including mobile
phones, MP3 players, sat navs and
laptops, every year. With 17.5 million
gadgets mislaid around the home or in
CXK
the charity CXk
(formerly Connexions
kent & medway)
recently renewed
their Committed to
excellence (C2e)
accreditation,
BQF Premier
Member
Chemring is a
global group that
specialises in the
manufacture of
energetic material
products and
countermeasures.
As a worldleading defence
company it is
involved in
advanced
development
programmes
in the UK, United
States, europe
and Australia.
With strong
growth in
threat detection
systems,
electronics now
represents 40%
of its revenues.
their long-term
strategy is
to maintain
a balance
between hightech electronics
and energetic
products.
public places, the UK is sitting on a
potential cash bounty of ВЈ1.5bn if
every item lost was reclaimed and
recycled instead.
Whilst 29% have no idea where they
lost their gadget, the findings show that
Brits are literally leaving cash lying
around, with one in six (59%) losing their
gadget in a public place and 33% saying
it is somewhere in their home.
Millions of consumers are counting
the cost, as half of those surveyed never
find their lost gadgets and only 6%
claim for them on insurance.
demonstrating their
passion and
commitment to
improving their
performance.
the organisation
has over nine years
of experience in
providing services
for young people
and supporting
them into education,
employment
and training.
New to BQF
Rail operator Chairman joins our
Board of Directors
he bQf is pleased to
announce the appointment
of anton Valk to the bQf
board of directors.
mr Valk is the Chairman uk
of abellio group, the international
subsidiary of dutch state-owned
rail operator nederlandse
spoorwegen.
abellio operates the merseyrail
and northern rail franchises in
partnership with serco and was
recently awarded the greater anglia
franchise. the company also
operates buses in london, and
trains and buses in germany and
the Czech republic.
T
ToP Loss
LoCaTIoNs
• Bars and clubs –
ВЈ85m
ВЈ8
5m worth
of gadgets
• Taxis – £43.5m
• Parks – £44m
GoNe GadGeTs
• 5.2 million phones
• 2.7 million MP3 players
• 2.5 million cameras
• 1.7 million game consoles
• 1.7 million sat navs
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
7
THE INNOVATION ISSUE ONE QUESTION, ONE ANSWER
In each issue of UK Excellence we take a business question and go in search of an expert
solution. This time the answer comes from Sam Stacey, Head of Innovation at BQF Premier
Member organisation Skanska UK.
When is it the right time to
innovate, and when is it the
right time to consolidate?
I
nnovation is about
responding effectively to
one’s environment. For
a business this means
responding to the needs of
customers, and to the economic backdrop.
In times of recession, meeting the needs of
customers becomes even more challenging
because there is less money to go around.
Another current factor – certainly for
construction, which is the sector I work
in – is the underlying pace of change that
is accelerating due to globalisation and
technology. So given the current recession
and underlying trends, now is the right
time to innovate.
IF IT AIN’T BROKE…
But how far should innovation be taken?
Certainly businesses need to prioritise: to
innovate in some areas, and consolidate in
others. The adage �if it ain’t broke don’t
fix it’ has some merit, and yet Apple has
become hugely successful by taking the
opposite approach. At Skanska, we
target innovation in areas that particularly
demand it, while remaining open to
inspired ideas in any field.
Where it gets harder is in developing an
understanding of the problems that need
solving. It is necessary for innovation teams
to gain deep knowledge of customers
and/or project delivery teams, and for this,
close relationships are required. Those
relationships will show where innovation
is needed. Where we have already learned
to do something effectively, consolidation
is the right approach.
RISK MANAGEMENT
A key constraint in deciding when to
innovate is risk. Even when the imperative
to innovate is clear, some solutions will be
riskier than others. At Skanska we have
established a system to assess and manage
“Even when the
imperative to
innovate is clear,
some solutions
will be riskier
than others”
the risk throughout the development of an
innovation. Where significant investment
is proposed we use a Dragon’s Den-type
approach to decision making, with dragons
drawn from a range of senior roles.
The dragons also make an informed
judgement about the appetite for
change, which can be a more
significant factor than the required
level of investment.
Finally, deciding when the time is
right to innovate requires access to
expertise. That was the key driver
behind Skanska’s decision to set up a
UK-wide Innovation Centre in 2010.
The Innovation Centre stays abreast
of industry trends, and maintains
close links with academic and other
organisations. It is the cross-fertilisation
of expertise and creativity that completes
the answer to the question.
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
9
the INNOVAtION ISSUe
over the next 14 pages we speak to BQF members about
innovation within their businesses. Plus we consider the risks
and rewards that come from doing something different.
ThE sKY’
K s
KY’
ThE liMiT
International consultancy and construction company
Mace is transforming central London with the creation
of Europe’s tallest building and, as part of CLM,
delivering the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
Games. Nicola sinclair hears how innovation is at the
heart of their success
Mace’s biggest
current project
is The shard, due
to be completed
this year. a
at 1,016
feet it will be the
tallest building
in europe
10 MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
1998: launch of Dubai operation
begins international expansion
2001: senior management buyout
keeps company independent
2002: new facilities management
division completes service offering
2008: company is rebranded
2012: moves to new global headquarters
A
commitment to the pursuit of
a better way is the foundation
from which Mace has risen from a
small construction management
company to a multinational industry leader.
Mace was founded in 1990 when a small
team of construction professionals decided
to strike out on their own, taking a whole
new approach to delivering for clients and
putting them at the core of the business.
“The prevailing mood in the construction
industry was adversarial in terms of how
it engages with clients,” explains Jon
Adshead, Quality Assurance Director for
Construction. “We don’t hold with that.
Mace takes a more collaborative approach,
working closely with the client to deliver a
great quality of product and service.”
“Sometimes, delivering to that standard
also means challenging the client’s planned
approach,” adds Mike Cantwell, Quality
Assurance Director for Consultancy.
“It’s easier when we’re involved in the
consultancy side of a project to have a
productive conversation and collaborate,
rather than just being handed plans and
getting started.”
Indeed, Mace has expertise in a vast
range of services spanning the entire
property and infrastructure lifecycle –
from initial planning and costing through
consultancy and construction to legacy
and facilities management.
GoING FoR GoLd
Take for example Mace’s appointment by
the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), the
organisation responsible for creating the
infrastructure and venues for the London
2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Mace was involved with the project from the
earliest stages of London’s bid as host city,
providing advice and expertise on how the
capital could deliver the necessary sporting
and logistical infrastructure. It went on to
win a series of small commissions before
partnering with CH2M Hill and Laing
O’Rourke to form the CLM consortium,
which was appointed the ODA’s delivery
partner for the Games in September 2006.
Together CLM has been responsible on
behalf of the client for the delivery of the
venues and infrastructure on the Olympic
Park, covering project management,
programme management and construction
delivery. It’s an epic project, encompassing
the 500-acre Olympic Park, the Olympic
Village with 17,000 beds (and 3,600 homes
in the legacy phase), the 80,000 seat
Olympic Stadium, together with the Aquatic
Centre, Basketball Arena and Velodrome.
“Mace was present when London was
planning the bid, we have gone on to manage
infrastructure development and we will take
the project right through to the legacy
phase,” says Jon. “We have a strong track
record in delivering highly ambitious,
unique projects, and taking on contracts
with such a high profile helps us to attract
the best talent and demonstrate our role as
an industry leader.”
VeRTICaL CITY
Construction projects don’t come much
more high profile than another of Mace’s
major UK contracts. At 1,016 feet The Shard
will be the tallest building in western
Europe. Described as a �vertical city’ by its
architect, Renzo Piano, The Shard will
provide around 600,000 square feet of
office space, hotel, residential apartments,
restaurants and viewing galleries in London
Bridge Quarter. Floors 2-28 will house
offices, giving way to restaurants on 31-33,
the UK’s first Shangri-La Hotel on 34-52,
residences on floors 53-65 and floors 68-72
being dedicated to an observatory with
unparalleled views across London.
Again, Mace as the main contractor
working to client Sellar Properties is not
“taking on projects
like the Shard or the London
eye drives innovation at
every step of the process.
We’ve learned a lot along
the way, and that’s how we
build quality.”
Mike Cantwell, Quality Assurance
Director for Consultancy, Mace
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
11
Karol KozlowsKi / shutterstocK.com
MACe tIMeLINe
1990: company founded by professionals
seeking �a better way’
1992: consultancy side founded
THE INNOVATION ISSUE
Mace by
numbers
3,000+ 65 ВЈ925m
number of
employees
countries of
operation
project turnover
for 2011
The Shard is
served by the
highest crane
ever to operate in
the UK, the TC7
Innovation
at The Shard
Jump Lifts
Mace has installed the UK’s first jump
lifts at The Shard. Developed by KONE,
jump lifts are a self-climbing elevator
system that provides an alternative
to exterior hoists, improving
efficiency and safety. The lift uses the
building’s permanent shaft during the
construction phase and moves higher
or �jumps’ in the shaft as the building
gets taller. It allows workers to construct
the shaft at the higher levels while the
lift continues to operate at lower levels
beneath a protection deck.
Top-down construction
This method of construction allows a
high-rise superstructure and its subbasement to be built simultaneously. The
foundation walls and ground level floor
are constructed before workers dig down
to excavate the basement. Since the
building’s structural support is already
in place, construction on the upper
floors can continue at the same time.
tallest crane
The Shard
is served
by the highest
crane ever to
operate in the
UK. The TC7
crane sits on a
platform attached to
the outside of the building at the 55th
floor. As the building goes up, the crane’s
frame is hydraulically lifted (�jumped’)
and new sections added to make it taller.
The latest jump has taken the crane to a
height of 317 metres, with the driver’s cab
situated at 280 metres above ground level.
The crane is now a full 36 metres above
the current height of The Shard itself.
Trial run
Another innovative feature of The
Shard construction has been the trial
pre-fabrication of the top few floors at
the steel fabrication yard prior to coming
on site. Engineers created the structure
to the optimal size in order to reduce
the amount of work carried out by
contractors at height. This minimised
the risk of injury and helped iron out
any quality issues early in the build.
12 MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
only responsible for delivery of this
ambitious structure, but also for the wider
London Bridge Quarter development,
including neighbouring office development
the Place, and works in London Bridge
Station. It is even delivering London’s
Emirates Air Line (cable car) scheme for
Transport for London, which will cross
the River Thames from the Greenwich
Peninsula to the Royal Docks. All this,
from a company that has already delivered
such iconic projects as the London Eye
and Edinburgh’s multi-award-winning
RBS headquarters.
“The great thing about taking on all
these projects is that it drives innovation at
every step of the process,” says Mike.
“We’ve learned a lot along the way, and
that’s how we build quality.”
No to yes men
The Shard in particular has given rise
to a number of innovations for the UK,
including the use of jump lifts, top down
construction and the highest spire crane
in the UK (see panel at left). Mace attributes
its ability to pioneer new processes to the
quality of its people.
“The kind of people we recruit are
prepared to challenge the status quo and
go the extra mile,” says Mike. “That goes
right back to the vision of our founders,
to do things differently in pursuit of a better
way. We run a suggestion scheme to
encourage employees to come forward
with new ideas, and our team knows
they have the freedom to speak their
minds – we’re not interested in �yes
men’ here.”
Mace prides itself on having one of the
highest rates of training completion in the
construction industry, and it even runs its
own business school in parallel with its
training scheme – with courses open to
the supply chain as well as internal staff.
“It’s all about individuals, and getting the
best we can from them,” says Jon.
Factory safe
For Mace, providing the best experience for
individuals is about more than training – in
an industry that involves heavy loads,
dangerous materials and working at height,
safety is absolutely paramount. Mike
explains that, “The company operates on a
principle of �Safety first. Second nature’ that
aims to drive a more behavioural approach
to health and safety. That means changing
people’s behaviour so that it becomes
second nature to do things safely, and they
understand the reasons behind it rather
than simply doing it because they’re told to.”
Within five years, Mace aims to take its
health and safety standards from being
industry best practice, to world-leading.
To achieve this, it is creating a safety
culture based on five attributes:
■Standards – systematically raising
standards as they’re exceeded, and
measuring this consistently at all
work environments.
■Leadership – establishing leadership
groups at every level to ensure
engagement, understanding
and communication.
■Engagement – involving clients, designers
and the supply chain at all stages of the
project lifecycle to maximise success.
■Behaviour – introducing new behavioural
processes to embed health and safety
standards in every aspect of the business.
■Environment – ensuring sites and offices
consistently apply and implement health
and safety standards.
The drive behind this is to make Mace
�factory safe’. Mike explains, “It’s about
achieving the same levels of safety on top of
The Shard – over a thousand feet in the air in
an uncontrolled environment – as you would
in the controlled situation of the factory.
We have an excellent health and safety
record but we’re striving to go further.
The same approach applies to quality.
If we are to drive quality we need to look at
how to achieve the same standards on site
as we would achieve in the factory. That’s
where the BQF becomes useful to us.”
Mace was attracted to join the BQF by
the quality of the other member
organisations. “We saw lots of blue-chip
companies you would associate with
excellence; organisations at the leading edge
of their game,” says Jon. “We wanted to be
recognised alongside them. Many of our
people attended the networking events, which
fed into our own improvement programme.
The quality of the speakers is very high and
there’s an interesting range of topics covered,
which inspires us to share learning across
departments and keep pushing further to
deliver the very best we can.”
With The Shard currently running on
time and on budget for completion in the
summer – right in time for the London 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games – it seems
that Mace is already well on its way to
proving its credentials as an industry leader.
“This will massively increase our profile and
show us to be at the forefront of
international consultancy and
construction,” says Mike. “It puts us in a
strong position to win new customers and
enhances our reputation with our existing
clients. Most importantly, innovative
projects like The Shard push us to find new
solutions for new problems, something that
drives us forward as a business. It makes our
people feel proud to work here.”
Read more at www.macegroup.com/
projects/shard-london-bridge
THE MACE
VALUES
Safety first. Second nature.
We make the well-being of our people
our top priority by nurturing a behavioural
culture that lives and breathes health and
safety on every project.
Client focus
We have built an agile and fast-paced
business culture, one that supports our
commitment to put customer focus at the
core of our business , bringing them
customised solutions and certainty
of delivery.
Pursuit of a better way
We attract, develop and retain people
who have the courage to challenge the
status quo, the passion and insight to
bring new ideas to the table, and the
enthusiasm to see them through.
Integrity
We lead by example, take responsibility
for our actions, and always behave in an
honest and transparent way to the benefit
of our clients and the industry.
Opportunity
We strive to maintain a collaborative,
engaging and creative environment in
which our people can thrive. For our
clients and our communities, we create
opportunity by evolving intelligently in
response to our clients’ needs and to the
changing environments in which we work.
One Mace worldwide
We deliver a consistent, quality
international service, sharing knowledge
across borders and gaining valuable
global perspective.
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
13
the INNOVAtION ISSUe
WE’RE JUsT
GETTinG
sTARTED
The pursuit of 5 Star Excellence has helped
transform Colas from a traditional infrastructure
contractor to a high-quality, customer-focused
service provider – but it is not stopping there
U
K infrastructure service provider
Colas has been awarded the
coveted 5 Star Recognised for
Excellence (R4E), after six years
of determined effort. The work put in to
achieve the award has helped to transform
the company’s performance even in a
recession and has contributed to the recent
successful relaunch of the business.
“The challenge doesn’t stop there,” says
Business Improvement Manager Deborah
King. “Using the feedback from the R4E
assessment, we have set five improvement
targets for this year.” The targets are:
в– Increase the level of benchmarking
в– Encourage a collaborative approach
to innovation and improvement
в– Develop tools and techniques to measure
the efficiency and effectiveness of
key processes
в– Develop a consistent approach to reward
and recognition
■Improve communication – top down
and bottom up
The Colas board has a UK Excellence
Award firmly in its sights – an accolade
it believes will put the firm in the very
top flight of excellent companies. Once
implemented, these five targets will help
to maintain the 5 Star rating at the next
assessment in 2013, edging the impressive
535 score from 2011 up towards the
number required to win the UK Excellence
Award. It’s a considerable challenge:
Deborah admits it could take three
years just to get to 600. The business
is already reaping the benefit from the
14 MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
work it carried out in these areas for
the assessments. In one of the deepest
recessions to hit its sector, Colas has
still succeeded in increasing its core
turnover, and it understands that further
improvement will contribute to the next
step change in performance.
JouRNeY oF CHaNGe
Colas is currently operating in a very
competitive market and being able to
demonstrate to clients that excellence is
at the heart of the business is an important
differentiator. The company provides
specialist services and products to the
UK’s highways and airfields sector. It
manages and maintains highways including
surfacing and street lighting, and is
regularly resurfacing runways at Britain’s
airports. Highways spending in particular
has halved in the current economy and
innovation and efficient delivery of �more
for less’ is the mantra for any firm in the
sector wanting to maintain and win work.
Colas’ current turnover is £270m and
the firm employs around 1,900 people,
including project managers, engineers and
operatives. The business is part of Colas SA,
a ВЈ12bn turnover French operation, which
is itself owned by business giant Bouygues.
The recent relaunch of the UK company
was designed to underline Colas UK’s
strength and clearly rebrand the business as
an intelligent solutions provider rather than
a traditional surfacing contractor.
This was recognised by the R4E assessors
who said: “The company has the feel of a
firm that is on a journey of change… into a
more modern, outward-looking, intelligent
“The assessors hadn’t seen many organisations where so many people in a
business didn’t just welcome change but wanted to be involved in it”
Deborah King, Business Improvement Manager, Colas
Colas has
overhauled its
performance and
believes it is now
on the road to
excellence
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
15
the INNOVAtION ISSUe
MAKING It hAPPeN:
10 AChIeVeMeNtS
1 Finance – making supplier
invoices paperless.
2 Procurement and partnering –
development of a corporate and local
business model to identify areas of
high spend, market difficulty and risk.
3 Health and safety – the �Driving
through Roadworks’ campaign,
which highlighted to the general
public the hazards that the Colas
workforce experience on a daily basis.
4 People – introducing service and
annual lea
leave entitlement to further
align all Colas employees’ terms
and conditions.
5 Customer service – development of a
new customer survey that will help
Colas deliver a tailored service.
6 Corporate strategy – deploying action
teams of senior managers to pursue
the company’s �Strategy for Growth’
in the day-to-day business.
7 Performance management – the
development of a performance
management framework that allows
all employees to understand how
they personally contribute to the
overall strategy.
8 Knowledge management – the
development of a Knowledge Risk
Matrix which identifies the
knowledge and relevant skills that an
individual employee has, together
with the level of risk of loss of
that person.
9 Internal communications – the
development of the Operatives
Forums. Feedback has resulted in
design changes to operational
vehicles and tools to improve their
safety and ease of use.
10 Environment – development of
robust monitoring of greenhouse gas
emissions to calculate a carbon
footprint for Colas which can identify
areas for reduction.
16 MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
contractor with the strength of a major
global group behind it. It is aware that
in doing this it is important to fuse the
best of the old with the best of the new
and not lose all the distinctive strengths
that define Colas.”
The company’s vision is to �deliver
growth through intelligent infrastructure
solutions, excellent service and inspired
people’. When the assessors were
thinking about �distinctive strengths’,
it was the Colas people who were
top of the list. They are well trained,
talented, loyal, professional and
passionate about the business.
“The assessors said in verbal
feedback that they really hadn’t
seen many organisations where so
many people in a business didn’t
just welcome change but wanted
to be involved in it,” says Deborah.
“We have 80 people directly involved
in our Make it Happen teams that
are driving the excellence process.”
On the practical front, Deborah
has broken down into bite-sized
units just what the teams and
individuals need to do, which
has made the process manageable
and achievable. “I am happy to
spend a day drilling into what
is required and tailoring it to
individuals so they know what
they each have to deliver,” she
says. “I put the effort in to give
them just what they need to
make a difference.”
soCIeTY IMPaCTs
To make the leap to 5 Star R4E from
the four stars the company was awarded
in 2009, the company realised that the
�society’ category was the one to focus on.
It is a tricky one for all businesses but its
potential impact is significant. “Society
impact is all about the company image
and society’s perception of the business,”
Deborah says.
Colas’ school
visits and other
community
initiatives have
enhanced its
societal impact
BACKGROUND
Colas is an ambitious, award-winning business, delivering sustainable solutions for the design, building and
maintenance of the UK’s transport infrastructure. It has unrivalled expertise based not only on its long history,
but also on the strength it derives from being part of the world-leading International Colas Group.
“A structured
business
improvement
model ensures
everyone in
the business
understands how
they contribute
to our success”
Lee Rushbrooke,
Chief Executive, Colas
On the communities’ front, the firm
has been sponsoring events and charities
and in particular is proud to be a corporate
sponsor of road safety charity Brake.
The work with the charity backs up
the road safety message that Colas
champions though its own �Safer Attitudes
in Driving’ campaign.
The company’s employees have also
taken time out to visit schools and help
with events such as careers speed dating,
career clinics and �Are You Ready for
Work?’ workshops.
With the concerted efforts of Tania
Nicholas, Head of the Communities’
Make it Happen team, the company saw
the society scores leap 20% in the 2011
assessment. “I was delighted the team
made a contribution towards that leap,”
Tania says. All along, Deborah adds, the
BQF has been a huge help in preparing the
business for the assessments. “It helped us
choose which levels to go for, assisted me in
establishing our step-by-step programme
and plan for the assessments. BQF was
invaluable,” she says.
The impetus to go for R4E recognition
came from Colas’ client the Highways
Agency which had introduced its own
scheme to assess suppliers. “We started
down the journey as required by our
client but very quickly realised the benefit
to the business of a structured business
improvement model,” explains Colas UK
Chief Executive Lee Rushbrooke. “What
I really like is the strategic alignment we
get through the business. Our process
ensures our strategy translates through
performance indicators, business measures
and personal performance targets. This
means everyone in the business understands
how they contribute to our success.”
In Lee’s view, evidence of excellence is
something all clients should be demanding.
“The market is changing and customers
should be insisting on more from their
providers – not simply accepting
accreditation to standards such as ISO 9001,
ISO 14001 and BS 18001, but instead looking
for excellence.”
Find out more at www.colas.co.uk
“
WhAt
A the
At
ASSeSSORS SAID
“There is evidence of an open
and transparent approach to
dealings with clients and a growing
culture of creativity in developing
new and improved products and
services for them.”
“Leaders understand the business
drivers and have taken decisions
to enhance the capabilities needed to
develop the organisation.”
“There is a culture of involvement,
innovation and entrepreneurship
including regular operatives
Forums that successfully encourage
front-line employee engagement.”
“There is a defined policy to build
longer-term sustainable relationships
with a reducing number of carefully
selected suppliers, and evidence of
actively supporting some through bad
days so that they will still be with Colas
in the good days.”
“Health and safety is embedded into
the thinking of employees.”
ReACtION
“This is an outstanding achievement
of which the Colas team should be
very proud. ”
Joe Goasdoue, BQF chief executive
“There is no doubt that following a
structured business improvement
model has developed Colas into
an �excellent organisation’.”
lee rushbrooke, colas uK
chief executive
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
17
the INNOVAtION ISSUe
KnOWlEDGE P
is POWER
Business analytics software company sas uK believes
that understanding the past lays the foundation for a
successful future – and with the help of its talented
workforce, it’s making some impressive progress
rior to the internet age, if you used
the term �data analysis’ in business
circles the chances were you’d get
little more than a blank stare. Few
companies understood the intrinsic value of
their data, and the very real contribution it
could make to effective decision-making.
All that changed with the explosion and
rapid development of new technologies.
Suddenly, data meant more than the
order book – it came flooding in in the form
of customer profiles, online analytics and
social media as well as sales records.
Founded 35 years ago, SAS was one of
the first businesses to recognise the
opportunities in data, and it has been
a market leader in business analytics
software ever since.
“Ultimately, we take the data a company
generates and use clever analytic and
statistical techniques to make it more
valuable,” explains David Smith, Influencer
Relations Manager in SAS UK’s marketing
team. “We work from the premise that
making sense of the past enables a business
to make the right decisions now and plan
ahead for the future.
“For example, if you take our customer
Waitrose, one of their biggest challenges is
determining how much stock to order so
that they can meet customer demand
without having lots of waste. Our software
takes the data and provides a forecast that
can make a significant difference to their
bottom line.”
FLeeT oF FooT
SAS has customers from a range of sectors,
with many in the financial services and
retail industries, and is responsible for
a number of innovations. In financial
services, credit card fraud is a growing
problem, and fraudulent activity is
sometimes only detected after the suspect
transactions have gone through. Software
developed by SAS scans transactions in real
time against a number of criteria (location,
amount, time and so on) and returns a fraud
detection score based on a comparison with
the customer’s usual spending behaviour. If
the transaction is thought to be fraudulent,
it’s halted before the payment is processed
and the card instantly cancelled.
“These are very clever technologies that
highlight how data can play a very powerful
role in a business’ success,” says David.
“SAS was one of the founding companies
in this relatively new area, and as a private
enterprise we have the benefit of being more
nimble than some of our competitors,
allowing us to respond quickly to the
growing market. One of the most exciting
18 MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
BACKGROUND
SAS is the UK’s leading provider of enterprise intelligence software and services, with more than 35 years’ experience. SAS UK has
more than 600 staff working in six offices, and is part of a global network headquarted in the US, and spanning more than 400 offices
worldwide. In 2011, SAS achieved 12% growth globally, with global revenues reaching a record $2.725bn.
opportunities for SAS arises from the
massive proliferation of data we have seen
in recent years – analysis suggests that
global information is doubling every two
years, and by 2020 data may have grown by
50 times. This so-called �Big Data’ – where
the volume, velocity and variety of data
cannot be handled by traditional computing
systems – presents a huge opportunity. As
experts in analytics software, SAS is able
to use such data to carry out Big Data
analytics. It can also use systems that
generate results much faster than
previously using High Performance
analytics. This effectively allows businesses
to use their data to make accurate, informed
decisions far quicker than ever before.”
“the BQF is a
good fit for us –
its principles and
strategy underpin
our approach”
Guy Butler,
Head of Business
Improvement,
SAS UK
sTaNdING IN THeIR sHoes
In 2009, SAS UK joined the BQF in a bid to
map its progress and take advantage of the
improvement tools and processes. “We’re
on a journey, and it’s important to us that we
benchmark our progress and maximise our
learning along the way,” explains Guy
Butler, Head of Business Improvement.
“The BQF is a good fit for us – its
principles and strategy underpin our
approach and the Excellence Model is a
very powerful tool that we’d like to explore
further in future. We’ve been to a number
of networking events, and come away with
real, practical advice from organisations
who are facing the same challenges as we
are. It’s useful as well as inspirational.”
The first step of the journey for SAS
UK was to transform its Quality and
Information Security Team into the new
Business Improvement department.
“We wanted to breathe new life into the
department, and set out to ask people across
the business what they, as our internal
customers, want from us. ”
The rebranded Business Improvement
team recruited a matrix of �champions’, who
were tasked with driving the improvements
identified by senior managers in each core
area of the business. One of the key
initiatives was to prepare departments for
their ISO certification (SAS UK holds ISO
27001, 9001 and 14001), and the champions
applied a tailored approach to each area.
“Each department was consulted on
how they personally wanted to tackle
accreditation in their own area,” says Guy.
“We find that this flexible approach delivers
a greater response. If we can’t stand in the
shoes of our colleagues or customers we’ll
lose people.” The project was a success,
with the auditors returning a glowing
report and all 13 champions winning gold in
the company’s internal Inspire Awards.
sas uK’s
beautiful
headquarters
in Marlow,
Buckinghamshire,
are an inspiring
place to work.
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
19
the INNOVAtION ISSUe
to deliver tangible improvements with them.
“We then launched an �Ideas Scheme’
to get our colleagues contributing
improvements, and promoted the
programme with cupcakes, postcards and a
giant inflatable light bulb in the atrium! We
got 100 ideas, and implemented around 20
of them. It really highlighted people’s
commitment to making things happen.”
Base Camp Three aims to drive deep and
lasting change that delivers real value for
the business, and instead of launching a
multitude of initiatives in tandem, the
Business Improvement team has identified
Support Services (incorporating HR,
finance, IT and other back office functions)
as a starting point. The more efficient they
are, the greater the value they can offer
colleagues in the front office. Five
champions have so far received in-depth
training in everything from persuasion to
process improvement and strategy.
“We wanted to get people
thinking and inject a bit of
fun into the process”
Guy Butler, Head of Business
Improvement, SAS UK
a FoRCe FoR CHaNGe
Base CaMP
Motivated by the first flush of success,
SAS UK defined three �Base Camps’ to work
towards. First was to get the business
improvement message out there. The
champions organised a launch event in the
atrium of SAS’s stunning UK headquarters,
and created blogs, cartoons and viral
videos, even encouraging colleagues to take
to social media to generate some buzz.
This approach mirrored the champions’
own introduction to the process, where each
received a briefcase full of motivational
DVDs and books such as The Goal about
turning around the fortunes of a factory.
“We wanted to get people thinking and
inject a bit of fun into the process,” says Guy.
Base Camp Two was to maintain the
momentum across the company, again with
reference to ISO accreditation. Claire Lee,
Business Improvement Consultant,
explains: “It’s our job to worry about audit
and accreditation, so we changed the boring
old terminology and gave it a new spin for
the business. Terms like �observations’
became �improvement opportunities’. We
asked managers to tell us about their pain
areas and we got six champions trained up
1
SAS UK’S
eIGht
StePS tO
IMPROVeMeNt
Making sustainable
improvements to your
business requires
a methodology.
sas uK have boiled
that process down to
eight essential steps
20 MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
2
7
doCuMeNT
WHaT CuRReNTLY
HaPPeNs
aGaINsT THe
MeasuReMeNT
TaRGeTs
seCuRe
sPoNsoR
aNd GeT
BuY-IN
ReseaRCH aNd
MeasuRe THe
oPPoRTuNITY
Find out more at www.sas.com/uk
5
3
deCIde
WHaT
THe Issue Is
It’s this positive working culture and focus
on talent development that has consistently
ranked SAS as one of the world’s best
employers. In the US, SAS has for three
years running held a top three position in
Fortune magazine’s annual survey of the
best places to work. In the most recent
Sunday Times rankings, SAS UK climbed 51
places to number 14.
“SAS is a very people-centric business,”
says Guy. “Many of our people have been
here for 20 years or more and there’s a
fantastic culture that we can tap into. In
driving improvement, we can’t adopt a �to
do’ attitude – it absolutely must be a �work
with’ approach. Our people are a force for
change, and we want to empower them
to play their part. If we can have a little fun
along the way, so much the better.”
4
FoRM
THe
TeaM
MoNIToR
aGaINsT
TaRGeT
MeasuRes
6
desIGN aNd
IMPLeMeNT
THe FuTuRe
soLuTIoN
8
CeLeBRaTe
aNd CHaMPIoN
ouR suCCesses
the INNOVAtION ISSUe
BACKGROUND
JPCS is a nationwide construction and engineering services contractor. Formed in 1993 to surface footways and carriageways, the contractor
was quick to innovate, developing specialist microasphalts designed to treat all surface conditions. Such innovation has fuelled the company’s
growth; it now provides services in highway maintenance, sign installation, civil engineering, solar photovoltaic installation and data collection.
siGn OF ThE TiMEs
A focus on quality and a willingness to adapt have driven
impressive growth in highways maintenance business
JPCs. MD Peter shone shares their story
J
PCS has expanded to become a ВЈ10m
turnover highways maintenance
and renewable energy company –
a direct result of using accreditation
programmes as building blocks for growth.
Despite the economic downturn, we
have recorded year-on-year revenue
growth of 15% for the last three years,
and are forecast to generate a similar
increase in the next financial year.
We deliver innovative products and
services to maintain Britain’s roads and
pavements, as well as ground-mounted
solar photovoltaic technology to generate
low-carbon energy. A third operating
division delivers civil engineering projects,
including work on railway infrastructure.
Receiving a Jury Commendation in the
UK Excellence Awards was especially
fulfilling because it is testament to our
ethos of developing our business through
a culture of continuous improvement.
I believe our ongoing success is due,
in large part, to the processes and practices
implemented to achieve recognition.
The Model is recognised internationally
as a rigorous test of a company’s capability,
and the UK Excellence Award is one of the
most widely respected accolades any
organisation can receive.
PRaCTICaL TooL
I founded the business back in 1993 and
realised from the outset that we needed
to win local authority work in order to
thrive, because councils require
demonstrable evidence of a contractors’
credentials. This meant success hinged on
accreditation, which quickly became
integral to our operational activities. Our
accreditations include Quality Assurance,
which we first achieved in 1994, followed
by Investors in People two years later.
Environmental Management came in 2000
and Health & Safety Management in 2002,
before we embarked on our Excellence
Model journey at the end of 2006.
These accreditation programmes have
always been used to develop the business
in a practical, value-adding way – not as
fashionable add-ons – which means we have
a highly progressive and deeply embedded
continuous improvement ethos.
JPCS is now a substantial private business
with a workforce of 120, and a blue-chip
client base that includes the Highways
Agency, Balfour Beatty, British Gas and a
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
21
THE INNOVATION ISSUE
JPCS’
4
KEY VALUES
host of local authorities across the country.
Based in Malpas, Cheshire, we have satellite
offices and depots in Gloucestershire,
Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire and
East Sussex.
Paving the way
It wasn’t always like this. The original
business was a scruffy footway slurry
sealing operation, and my initial ambition
was to turn it into a company that did
the work to really high standards.
I was only 18 and went out to work on
pavements with a gang. It was by actually
doing this that I saw on the ground how the
process worked – or, more to the point,
didn’t work. I got the end-user’s view of
the product’s limitations and, just as
importantly, I got a perspective on the
potential opportunities that could flow from
these limitations. This was one of my first
lessons in business – and it’s just as relevant
to the way we run our business in 2012.
In those early days we used an outmoded
kind of footway slurry that would only set
when the sun evaporated the water in it,
so your operations were limited by the
weather. However, new cationic slurries
were becoming increasingly available and
I soon recognised the opportunities of
using these new products.
Cationic slurries are set by a chemical
reaction and can be used in almost any
weather. They seal, protect and waterproof pavements. I could see that this
was an ideal product for repairing really
damaged areas and started using it to
rejuvenate pavements, while also carrying
22 MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
в– We listen
в– We encourage initiative
в– We have pride, respect and courtesy
в– We enjoy working together to create success
out value-adding enhancement work, such
as kerb repairs, weed-killing and lifting
stop taps and BT covers, to tie into the
thicker new slurry surface. This qualityfocused process was effectively a miniature
regeneration of a footpath – and it quickly
set us apart from our competitors.
Their prices were much cheaper, but our
work would last five times longer. This was
when it became clear to me that clients will
pay a premium for genuine quality because,
ultimately, it’s the more cost-effective solution.
We continued to build and develop the
business throughout the nineties and had
significant success when the cable TV
companies and local authorities required
pavements to be dug up and resurfaced.
Again, we prospered by concentrating on
quality – resurfacing the entire
pavement, not just the trench area.
whole business through the five enablers
working together, and the whole team can
be totally involved in prioritising these
enablers. The Model also helps people inside
and outside the business to gain a clearer
understanding of what we do. This isn’t
to say they need to know about the Model
itself, but rather the effect it has on the
way the business operates, through
seamless growth.
When describing this, I often use the
analogy of ants moving a pile of dung from
one place to another. The ants aren’t aware of
any great changes in their working patterns,
but suddenly they realise they have achieved
a significant goal. The Model works in
much the same way – it doesn’t strangle your
business with complex processes, but keeps
everyone on track in a way that doesn’t
intrude on your operational activities.
The accolade means a great deal for the
business in terms of enhanced reputation
and as a driver for growth and development.
It is clear recognition of how far we have
come. Everyone working every day to
continually improve has made us a winner,
without striving for a trophy, and this also
links into the ant analogy.
Among the winners of the UK Excellence
Award were Siemens, a multinational
corporation, and a school and college. I
think this says a lot about the inclusivity and
comprehensiveness of the awards process.
There are no airs and graces and you are
judged solely on your performance, no
matter who you are. It’s totally transparent
and totally credible and this fits very well
with our business culture.
It has come at a time when we are
expanding our sustainable energy activities,
for example with solar PV farms and our work
with hospitals, and I believe it will continue
to drive fresh business opportunities.
Fleet of foot
Seamless growth
A strong example of how business
improvement programmes translate
into tangible growth was our
Environmental Management
accreditation in 2000. This acted
as a catalyst for our involvement in
sustainable energy and led directly
to the development of our groundmounted solar PV business, which
now represents about a third
of our revenue.
We first engaged with
the Model in 2006, and
immediately recognised the
benefits it can bring. The
Model allows me to see the
The final – and most important –
outcome of our receiving the Jury
Commendation is that it adds value for
our clients and represents a foundation
for further success, creating another
building block in our programme of
continuous improvement.
This means developing our
products and services, while keeping
in touch with our roots as a
dynamic and flexible SME.
We regularly compete for
highways maintenance
contracts with large
corporations and can do this
because we have the
wherewithal to deliver to
“Our commendation is testament to our ethos of developing
our business through a culture of continuous improvement”
Peter Shone, Managing Director, JPCS
clients’ requirements as a result of agility in
the marketplace. This sets us apart from
many of our larger competitors who aren’t
structured to take initiative and make fast
entrepreneurial decisions.
In the last 10 years the government has
totally outsourced highways maintenance
across the UK and this has resulted in
unwieldy organisations and businesses
competing for work. JPCS, on the other
hand, has the fleetness of foot and the
ability to spot an opportunity and
successfully deliver it – if necessary,
diversifying in order to do so.
We are determined to preserve and
build on the family-run company feel
and owner-managed business style that
our customers value.
Real opportunity
Looking ahead, there is no shortage of
challenges in any of the sectors in which
we operate, but the flipside of challenge is
opportunity and we are confident that we
can continue to develop our activities
on a number of levels.
In the sustainable energy industry,
the main challenge is the volatility in the
solar PV market, which always seems to
be waiting for judicial reviews and decisions
on feed-in tariffs. I certainly hope that we
will soon be able to focus on delivering
projects driven by the government’s
Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC),
rather than being distracted by regulatory
obstacles and burdens.
On the highways maintenance side, we
would like public sector term maintenance
procurement to be more accessible to
SMEs, so that genuine expertise and real
knowledge isn’t compromised by tendering
procedures or barriers to entry.
There is a real opportunity for SMEs
to add value to their operations. Over the
last 18 years, we have passed hundreds of
thousands of homes and this has given
us a good idea of what people’s needs
are. This goes right back to my earliest
experiences of going out with a gang to
work on pavements. If you stand on the road
wearing a yellow jacket, people will come
out of their homes and give you the sort of
end-user feedback that money can’t buy.
Our plans and hopes going forward are
fairly straightforward. We want to be a
great business and we’d like to have a bit
of luck. We will develop and learn with
our people, while recognising the
importance of generating cash in order
to keep the business profitable.”
Read more about JPCS at www.jpcs.co.uk
Our Excellence
model journey
Peter Shone (centre), seen here with host
Louise Minchin and Professor John Murphy,
accepted a Jury Commendation on behalf of
JPCS at the BQF Excellence Awards in 2011
W
e started our Excellence Model
journey at the end of 2006 and
it’s fair to say that we were a little bit
daunted by what lay ahead – even
though we had experience of a number
of other accreditation schemes. As it
happened, our concerns could not have
been more unfounded: the Excellence
Model process is very accessible and
immediately makes things easier and
simpler on all sorts of levels.
We were instantly able to structure
our teams around the Model’s five
enablers – leadership; policy and
strategy; people; partnerships and
resources; and processes, products
and services.
These were aligned to the four results
– customer; people; society; and key
results – in a way that helped us to
develop and structure our business
improvement plans.
For me, as an individual business
manager, the Model has been
instrumental as a personal growth and
developmental tool because it always
has the answer when things aren’t going
as well as they should.
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
23
NeW MeMBeR PROFILe
BACKGROUND
Amey inspects and assesses the state of the nation’s railways. It also repairs and enhances key areas of the UK’s road and rail
network and maintains key public buildings and spaces such as airports, schools, parks and offices. Amey employs around
11,000 people across 200 locations and has a proven track record in delivering outstanding stand-alone services.
amey’s
involvement
with motorways
dates back to
the 1950s
Can you tell us more about Amey?
Amey works across all public service
infrastructures – a quarter of people
in the UK use Amey services on a daily
basis. We inspect and assess the state
of the nation’s railways; repair and enhance
key areas of the UK’s road and rail network;
and maintain key public buildings and
spaces such as airports, schools, parks
and offices. Our USP is the breadth of
our capability, and our ability to work
in a very fluid and connected way.
Why did you join the BQF?
Amey is always seeking to innovate and
improve, so when I started in my role here
last summer I could see a number of benefits
from joining the BQF. The main attraction
for us is the opportunity to benchmark our
progress against other strong organisations
and share best practice.
What are the next steps?
We hope to engage with other BQF
members to work together on addressing
specific business challenges. We’re
particularly keen to explore the best way of
constructing a knowledge management
system that enables us to innovate across
diverse areas and multiple sites.
What are the values that drive
your business?
We have developed five guiding principles
based on what our people believe about
the company: customers, a powerful team,
protecting people, performance and profit,
and winning. It’s my job to support the
development of that culture, and deliver
sustainable improvements to help the
business develop its capabilities in
new areas.
cOnnEcTED
ciTiEs
What if businesses and local authorities worked together
to deliver seamless services for you, as a citizen?
That’s the vision of amey. Business Improvement Director
Richard Butterfield shares his plans with UK Excellence
24 MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
I understand Amey are associated
with something called �connected
cities’. Can you explain what this
concept is about?
Connected cities can be defined as
a developed urban area that creates
sustainable economic development and
high quality of life by excelling in economy,
mobility, environment, people, living
and governance.
A connected city is about improving
life for citizens by making things better,
quicker and cheaper. A connected
city implies technology, yet this doesn’t
have to be the only solution. Connected
cities can be developed through a wide
array of services provided by local
authorities and service providers working
in partnership.
“Amey is always seeking to innovate and improve, so when I started in my role
here last summer I could see a number of benefits from joining the BQF”
Richard Butterfield, Business Improvement Director, Amey
thinking, and which can be showcased
across local government. In doing so, we
will develop Birmingham from a Smart
City to an even Smarter City.
a team of amey
gritters heading
out to keep the
roads clear
A connected city is an output perception
rather than an input, but the real measure
is what people on the streets of the city
think and the reputation that city holds.
Creating effective partnerships seems
to be integral to the Amey approach.
Can you give me an example of how
Amey is currently working with a city?
Birmingham City Council is the largest
local authority in Europe. The city has
a population of over one million residents
and over 500,000 people travel and work
within Birmingham on a daily basis.
Its road and transport network provides
the vital interconnectivity for people
and services that allows the city to thrive.
Birmingham City Council is driving
economic development through governance
to enhance the growth, development and
prosperity of the city. We are involved
in that process through our work with
the Birmingham Highways Maintenance
and Management Partnership.
the best
service
you never
noticed
Right: traffic
monitoring
services in
Birmingham
Our approach is to implement smarter
changes by harnessing the Birmingham
Highways Maintenance and Management
Service Partnership. When it comes to
achieving the high-tech, sustainable and
smart cities of the future, there is one word
that sums up the pathway to success, and
that is �partnership’. Our objective
within Birmingham is to develop
practical solutions that are
innovative and forward
A quarter of the UK uses Amey
services on a daily basis, probably
without even realising it. Amey
works with clients in aviation,
central government, defence,
education, local government, rail
and strategic highways markets,
making its mark on every public
service in the UK.
The company dates back to 1921,
when William Amey set up a
quarrying business in Oxfordshire.
During the Second World War,
And do you have an example of a
specific outcome that has come from
this partnership?
Our street lighting solution in Birmingham
is world-leading. It is the only city that has
LED lights that are capable of being
remotely monitored and controlled.
This has produced many benefits, including
a reduction in energy and carbon usage
and a decrease in light pollution. The
technology has a long life, and requires
far less in terms of maintenance than
traditional lighting.
We are now looking to work with
Birmingham City Council to link the
lighting management system and the traffic
control system so that lighting levels can
automatically be dimmed as traffic flows
in the city reduce.
Find out more at www.amey.co.uk
Amey helped with the construction
of RAF bases. By the late 1950s,
it had branched out into the
amey’s
apprentices will
ensure the future
for infrastructure
is bright
highways market by supplying
gravel for the M1 between
London and Birmingham.
Today, Amey is part of Spanish
infrastructure group Ferrovial,
which provides the business with a
sound financial base for growth
and access to the skills and
knowledge of a network of 100,000
employees worldwide. Amey has
its head office in Oxford and
employs 11,000 people at 200
locations across the UK.
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
25
North of England Excellence NEWS
North of England Excellence (NoEE) is a not-for-profit organisation focused on
enabling organisations to achieve their strategic vision by inspiring, supporting
and recognising excellence. www.noee.co.uk
Still time to enter for
seven special awards
utstanding businesses in the North
West, North East and Yorkshire
and The Humber are being urged to
have their achievements recognised in the
2012 North of England Excellence Awards.
Entries are still open for the seven special
awards that recognise achievements in
specific business areas – customer service,
innovation, leadership, Lean, learning and
development, sustainability and high growth.
The special awards run alongside the
main Excellence Award. The closing date is
31 July and the winners will be announced
at the awards ceremony in autumn. For
further details see the NoEE website.
O
Duo are
in world’s
top 30
Two North of England Excellence
team members have been approved
as EFQM Licensed Advisors.
Pete Macartney (below left)
and Dave Rusk are amongst only
seven EFQM Licensed Advisors
in the UK and fewer than 30 in the
world. Licensed Advisors are
recognised as experts in helping
organisations implement the
EFQM Excellence Model.
David Teale, Chief Executive of
NoEE, said: “Dave and Pete have
between them helped hundreds of
organisations to improve their
performance. This latest success
confirms their position amongst
the world’s top advisors.”
S
Values shine through at Virgin
ore values are behind the success
of Virgin Trains and nowhere are
they more in evidence than at the
Virgin Trains Talent Academy in Crewe.
NoEE members were given an inside view
of the academy as part of the Sharing Best
Practice tours. Virgin Trains has 5 Star
accreditation under the EFQM Levels of
Excellence Programme. From the outset
it was clear that this is a people-based
business where having fun is seen as equally
important as delighting customers and
providing best value.
The eclectic dГ©cor makes the academy
feel more like a boutique hotel than a
corporate training facility. In addition
to a fascinating mix of individually
designed rooms, it also houses a
full carriage where staff can practise
their serving skills and a train driver
C
26 MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
simulator where drivers are tested against
exceptionally difficult situations.
Gaynor Stewart, Head of Training and
Development, explained that Virgin had
core values for all staff covering feedback,
challenging colleagues where appropriate,
developing self and others, safety and
social responsibility. There were also
additional values for customer-facing staff,
management and senior management.
Behaviours, competencies and performance
management were all linked to the Virgin
values. David Teale , Chief Executive of
NoEE, said: “The visit was a remarkable
insight into the way in which one company is
using its people to drive its performance.”
Future events in the Sharing Best
Practice programme include visits to
Wincanton’s Heinz distribution facility,
Jaguar Land Rover and the British Library.
Partner benefits
2012 sees the introduction of a
new NoEE membership category,
that of Partner Member, and
enhanced benefits for members
at all levels.
Joint membership of NoEE
and the BQF starts at just ВЈ275
plus VAT and confers wideranging benefits. Partner
Members receive these benefits
plus more, including a table for
10 at the annual North of
England Excellence Awards
ceremony, a one-day excellence
health check, a free place at all
NoEE conferences and an
annual Partner Members’
lunch and conference.
BQF DIRECTORY
All the contacts you need to help you meet people in your region plus a packed calendar
of training courses, workshops, seminars and events where you can gain vital business
knowledge from experts in training and consultancy.
TRAINING COURSES
STATISTICS 1
Edinburgh
Tuesday 1 to Thursday 3 May
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
RADAR WORKSHOP FOR LINE
MANAGERS
Birmingham, Thursday 24 May
To book, please call 01928 736624
or email: model.training@bqf.org.uk
FOUNDATION GREEN BELT
Edinburgh
Tuesday 12 to Friday 15 June
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
STATISTICS 1
London
Tuesday 1 to Thursday 3 May
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
STATISTICS 1
Stratford-upon-Avon
Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 May
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
BLACK BELT ADVANCED TOOLS
London
Tuesday 12 to Thursday 14 June
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
FOUNDATION GREEN BELT
Stratford-upon-Avon
Tuesday 8 to Friday 11 May
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
BLACK BELT ADVANCED TOOLS
Edinburgh
Tuesday 29 to Thursday 31 May
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
STATISTICS 2
Stratford-upon-Avon
Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 June
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
STATISTICS 2
Edinburgh
Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 May
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
EFFECTIVE CHANGE MANAGEMENT
AND CHANGE AGENT SKILLS
Edinburgh
Wednesday 6 to Friday 8 June
To book, please call 020 7654 5009 or
email: academy@bqf.org.uk
STATISTICS 2
London
Tuesday 15 to Thursday 17 May
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
LEAN SIX SIGMA AWARENESS DAY
Edinburgh, Monday 11 June
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS
Delivered by leading experts, our
one-day workshops will equip you with
the basic tools you will need to set off on
your journey towards excellence, and will
show you how to identify key areas for
improvement in your own business.
They are also a great opportunity
to share and learn from the experiences
of others. A brochure is available on request
and you can view all the workshops and
book your place at www.bqf.org.uk
CUSTOMER DELIGHT, BEYOND
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
London
Thursday 3 May
HOW TO ENGAGE YOUR PEOPLE
FOR SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE
London, Thursday 10 May
London, Thursday 13 September
This workshop will help you to
understand how engaged employees
28
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
can contribute to improving your
organisation’s performance.
You will gain insights into the differences
between communication and engagement
as well as explore some of the latest thinking
in this area. By the end of the workshop you
will be able to identify opportunities to
increase the engagement of people in your
own organisation.
INTRODUCTION TO LEAN SIX SIGMA
London, Thursday 17 May
Birmingham, Thursday 12 July
HOW TO TRANSFORM AN
ORGANISATION’S SERVICES
THROUGH SYSTEMS THINKING
London
Thursday 24 May
HOW TO USE THE EFQM
EXCELLENCE MODEL
London, Thursday 31 May
Bristol, Thursday 5 July
This workshop is a practical introduction to
the EFQM Excellence Model , which
demonstrates up-to-the-minute relevance
and applicability to all organisations. The
workshop provides you with practical ways
to take the next step on your journey to
excellence. It will be particularly relevant to
those tasked with leading organisation-wide
improvement. A free copy of the 2010 EFQM
Excellence Model is available for all delegates.
USING THE EFQM EXCELLENCE
MODEL AND STANDARDS
TOGETHER
London
Thursday 28 June
In-house workshops and bespoke training
courses are available to members and
non-members. Please contact us to
discuss your requirements.
Please call 020 7654 5005
or email: workshops@bqf.org.uk
EFQM TRAINING COURSES
EFFECTIVE CHANGE
MANAGEMENT AND
CHANGE AGENT SKILLS
London
Tuesday 3 to Thursday 5 July
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
RADAR WORKSHOP FOR
LINE MANAGERS
London
Tuesday 10 July
To book, please call 01928 736624
or email: model.training@bqf.org.uk
BLACK BELT ADVANCED TOOLS
Stratford-upon-Avon
Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 July
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
EFFECTIVE CHANGE
MANAGEMENT AND
CHANGE AGENT SKILLS
Stratford-upon-Avon
Tuesday 31 July to
Thursday 2 August
To book, please call 020 7654 5009
or email: academy@bqf.org.uk
2012 WORKSHOPS
• How to use the EFQM Excellence Model
• How to design and implement an
effective Balanced Scorecard
• How to identify and manage the
organisation’s key processes
• Using Business Continuity and BS 25999
• How to use benchmarking to
improve performance
• How to prioritise and deliver
improvement actions
• Customer Delight, Beyond
Customer Satisfaction
• How to transform an organisation’s
services through Systems Thinking
• Introduction to Lean Six Sigma
• How to engage your people for
superior performance
• Creating an innovative organisation
• Using the EFQM Excellence Model
and Standards together
This training offers a win-win situation.
Your organisation wins because its people
are equipped to lead improvement
initiatives, and you win by contributing to
your Continuing Professional Development.
The EFQM Excellence Model experience is
a valuable entry in anyone’s CV.
To book any of the above courses or to
find out more please call 01928 736624
or email: model.training@bqf.org.uk
LEADER FOR EXCELLENCE (L4E)
London
Wednesday 2 to Thursday 3 May
Tuesday 19 to Wednesday 20 June
Manchester
Tuesday 17 to Wednesday 18 July
This two-day course equips delegates
to lead and manage improvement projects,
including how to identify areas for
improvement and adopt a structured
approach to address them.
ВЈ975, excluding VAT
EFQM ASSESSOR TRAINING (EAT)
London
Wednesday 16 to Friday 18 May
Tuesday 12 to Thursday 14 June
Birmingham
Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 July
London
Tuesday 21 to Thursday 23 August
This three-day diploma course is the only
official EFQM Assessor Training course
available in the UK. It provides a high level
of personal support and feedback from
experienced trainers. The delegate-totrainer ratio is 6:1.
ВЈ1,350, excluding VAT
JOURNEY TO EXCELLENCE
Manchester
Thursday 28 to Friday 29 June
Are you looking to increase the rate and
culture of improvement within your
organisation, but not sure where to begin?
If so, our Journey to Excellence course is for
you. During this two-day course you will
learn how to identify where you are on your
journey to excellence, where you would like
to be and how to get there.
Delegates will learn how to use selfassessment as an improvement tool,
develop a roadmap for how their
organisation can progress and discover
how to prioritise improvement actions.
The course includes planning and
conducting an initial self-assessment,
an overview of Committed to Excellence
(C2E), and instruction on how to develop a
plan for excellence.
ВЈ875, excluding VAT
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
29
BQF DIRECTORY
GENERAL CONTACT DETAILS
Telephone: 020 7654 5000 Email: mail@bqf.org.uk Website: www.bqf.org.uk
training & consultancy organisations
Catalyst
Consulting
Catalyst’s mission
is to �Enable
Results’ by
enabling results accelerating
the rate of
performance improvements, and extending
the deployment of world-class best
business practice. We provide training
and consultancy solutions covering a
range of business improvement activities.
Our primary focus is Lean and Six
Sigma, Process Management, Culture
Change and Business Excellence.
0845 345 2282
info@catalystconsulting.co.uk
www.catalystconsulting.co.uk
Ley Hill Solutions
Organisations that want to succeed need to
be adaptable, but sustainable success
doesn’t happen by itself; it has to be planned,
led and managed. It is not just our unique
blend of skills but our passion to deliver
excellence that makes us different.
Here’s where we can help:
• Project Management
• Business Continuity
• Quality Improvement
• Business Excellence
• Management Systems • Standards Compliance
01494 772327
info@leyhill.com
www.leyhill.com
Red Island
Consulting
Oakland Consulting
As products, processes and organisations
journey from inception to maturity,
costs and risks accumulate. Oakland
Consulting, a leading quality improvement
consultancy, offers a mix of strategic
and operational support. We help clients
to manage and avoid risks throughout
the change journey, accelerate change,
reduce costs, improve quality and
protect reputations.
0113 234 1944 or 0113 234 1988
contactus@oaklandconsulting.com
www.oaklandconsulting.com
Red Island
Consulting is the
leading provider
of on-demand
information
security,
management system and PCI DSS
compliance solutions to organisations
throughout the world.
We are Europe’s most experienced
provider of ISO 27001 solutions and are
the only ISO 27001 specialist to underwrite
all of their proposals with a 100%
guarantee of success.
020 7090 1091
info@redisland.co.uk
www.redisland.co.uk
The Leadership Trust
Our primary purpose is to influence
leadership and develop leaders for the
benefit of all aspects of society. We have
helped a broad range of organisations
and groups in all sectors to develop
their leadership capabilities. We know
leadership is something that can be
learned, developed and improved.
We help people do just that. We believe
leadership is for everyone, everywhere.
01989 767667
enquiries@leadership.org.uk
www.leadership.org.uk
To advertise in
UK
ExcellEnce
Renault-Nissan Consulting
Renault-Nissan Consulting provide
improvement consultancy and support
that draws on over 20 years’ experience
of helping their parent companies
and numerous other organisations.
Using such methodologies as Lean and
Six Sigma, they work in a diverse range
of industries and have delivered over
ВЈ1bn of validated savings to-date.
Renault-Nissan Consulting also jointly
lead the BQF Lean Six Sigma Academy.
01923 697269
info@rnconsulting.co.uk
www.rnconsulting.co.uk
30
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
TQMI
TQMI focus on delivering immediate
benefits for clients. We are recognised as a
leading consultancy for the application of
the EFQM Excellence Model and all
advanced aspects of improvement, such as
engagement, customer advocacy and cost
effective processes. TQMI’s goal is to
transfer capability to you to ensure lasting
improvement, innovation and success.
01928 734266
info@tqmi.co.uk
www.tqmi.co.uk
Please contact
Alison Fraser
Call 0141 946 8708
or email: alison.fraser
@thinkpublishing.co.uk
BQF CONTACTS NETWORKING
OUR REGISTERED TRAINING AND
CONSULTANCY ORGANISATIONS
The following are BQF registered
training and consultancy
organisations.
Inclusion on the register is
an indication of an organisation’s
ethical stance and commitment.
However, it is for a customer
to establish the suitability and
competence of any of the
organisations with which
they engage.
4GM Consulting
Alan A Griffin Associates UK
Atkins Consulting
ATOL Business Services
Berkshire Consultancy
BMN Management
C-Tech Innovation
Catalyst Consulting
Copiae
Excellence in Business
Footloose Enterprises
GPJ Consultants
IQ Management Systems
Kaplan Professional
Key Performance
Keypath Group
Ley Hill Solutions
Maven Research
Oakland Consulting
Oakwell Management
Partners in Change
Perfex
Quality Associates
Quality Assurance Advisers
Real-Improvement
Renault-Nissan Consulting
Services
SGS United Kingdom
Sheenglen Associates
Management Services
TEAL Consulting
Touchstone Renard
TQMI
Trimentis
Walker Associates
You & More
Your directory of who’s who at the BQF
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Joe GoasdouГ©
020 7654 5002
MEMBER SERVICES
Ian Stokes
Premier Member Director
020 7654 5007
Our networking groups let members
come together to share best practice and
discuss new developments in their
businesses and industry.
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Annabelle Flower
020 7654 5006
annabelle.flower@bqf.org.uk
Annabelle Flower
Member Services Executive
020 7654 5006
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
Ben Sloan
020 7654 5005
ben.sloan@bqf.org.uk
The BQF Business Continuity
networking group helps its members
learn from best practice, improve
their understanding, and provide
guidance on the risks that will
impede the delivery of day-to-day
business activities.
This is achieved in the spirit of
sharing knowledge and experiences
in a safe environment, encouraging
the collaboration and involvement
of all members, regardless of the
size of their organisation.
AWARDS
Sally Green
Awards Director
020 7654 5010
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Jessica Smith
020 7654 5014
jessica.smith@bqf.org.uk
Jessica Smith
Premier Member Executive
020 7654 5014
Pat Myles
Member Services Manager
020 7654 5013
Ben Sloan
Member Services Executive
020 7654 5005
SALES AND MARKETING
Ian Swain
Sales Director
020 7654 5009
Joe Jennings
Marketing Manager
020 7654 5003
FINANCE AND IT
Bahram Mavahebi
Financial Controller
020 7654 5004
Rodney Phillip
Accounts Officer and
Credit Controller
020 7654 5008
Charles Almond
IT Manager
020 7654 5015
EXCELLENCE MODEL USER GROUP
Annabelle Flower
020 7654 5006
annabelle.flower@bqf.org.uk
INNOVATION UNIT
Pat Myles
020 7654 5013
pat.myles@bqf.org.uk
LEAN SIX SIGMA USER GROUP
Annabelle Flower
020 7654 5006
annabelle.flower@bqf.org.uk
PREMIER MEMBERS
Jessica Smith
020 7654 5014
jessica.smith@bqf.org.uk
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Annabelle Flower
020 7654 5006
annabelle.flower@bqf.org.uk
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
31
INNOVATION NEW WAYS TO REACH YOUR CLIENTS
Dr Bettina von Stamm writes for UK Excellence. For 20 years she has been a visionary and original
thinker at the boundary between business and academia, working in the field of her passion: innovation.
Having worked independently since 1992, she set up the Innovation Leadership Forum in 2004.
Change starts with you
and take action, on the other we find
increasing levels of disengagement and
apathy inside organisations and
institutions. We hear talk about what
organisations do to us – seemingly
forgetting that organisations are made up of
people like us. We say �they’ must change,
occasionally that �we’ must change, but
rarely that �I’ must change. We should listen
to Gandhi, who said, “You need to be the
change you want to see in the world.”
3. A disconnect of decision and implication
I believe that decision makers are too
protected from observing and feeling the
impact and consequences of the actions and
decisions they make. How many bosses who
decided to lose 20% of their workforce have
to face the individuals being made
redundant? In the words of Jawaharlal
Nehru, first Prime Minister of an
independent India, “It is only too easy
to make suggestions and later try to escape
the consequences of what we say.”
What to do about it?
T
he call for innovation is
everywhere: in business, in
government and in society.
Yet at the same time there
is a painful awareness that
it is not always easy to answer that call.
I believe we need to address three
disconnects in order to achieve the kind of
innovation required to secure our future.
1. The disconnect between innovation
output and input
We need to move from innovation driven by
what is technically possible, to innovation
based on what is necessary and desirable
from a wider societal point of view. Instead
of customer focus I believe we need a more
human-centric approach, and a deeper
understanding of what prevents us as
human beings from developing, pursuing
and accepting radical solutions. As Italian
philosopher and writer NiccolГІ Machiavelli
said, “Nothing is more difficult to take in
32
MAY 2012 www.bqf.org.uk
“Motivational
and inspirational
approaches are
more powerful than
fear and control”
hand, more perilous to conduct, than to take
the lead in the introduction of a new order of
things. Because the innovator has for
enemies all those who have done well under
the old conditions, and only lukewarm
supporters in those who may do well
under the new.”
2. A disconnect of individual
and organisation
On the one hand we see bottom-up
movements, a willingness to seek change
в– Acknowledge our reluctance to change
and find ways to address the resistance.
Motivational and inspirational
approaches are more powerful than fear
and control. People do not so much resist
change as being changed. As author
Antoine de Saint-ExupГ©ry said,
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up
people together to collect wood and don’t
assign them tasks and work, but rather
teach them to long for the endless
immensity of the sea.”
в– Imbue a sense of responsibility in every
individual, not only for ourselves but also
for the implications of our actions. To
speak in the words of social psychologist
Eric Fromm, “The longer we continue to
make the wrong decisions, the more our
heart hardens; the more often we make the
right decisions, the more our heart softens
– or better perhaps, becomes alive.”
в– To minimise negative consequences of
our actions we need to understand
implications for planet and people, not
only profit. The wisdom of the North
American tribe, the Iroquois, puts it as
follows, “In our every deliberation, we
must consider the impact of our decisions
on the next seven generations.”

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