Summary

A large independent printing company needed to integrate the requirements of FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) registration into their existing management systems.

The problem

The restaurant trade, a key market for the client, is increasingly focused on environmental and sustainability and pressure was steadily applied to the client to obtain FSC registration. Alongside this external pressure was the internal need to significantly streamline the existing processes and practices.

The client

Matthews The Printers is a £10m turnover company specialising in print for the restaurant sector and one of the leading print companies in the UK.

The approach and the solution

Statius was engaged to simplify and integrate the plethora of 50 plus processes and procedures that had evolved around the various standards the company were registered to.

It was absolutely critical to get “buy in” from a range of key staff so the first stage of the process was to engage the senior team and other critical individuals to create a “core activity map” that reflected the core activities undertaken, that is; the way in which the work works – the result can be seen below.


The next stage was to reorganise the existing processes around the actual activities undertaken & in doing so, with the key staff, strip out erroneous & superfluous information. This dramatically simplified the entire system.

The outcome

The acid test was then the re-certification by Bureau Veritas of the newly integrated systems; a test that was passed with flying colours at the first attempt.

Additional benefits of the redeveloped system also include:

• The system now reflects the logical flow of activities through the business

• The system is easier for both management and staff to understand and follow

• The system is simpler to audit

• The system now assists with delivering real value to the client base

The works manager, guardian of the management system commented “I have to say from a personal viewpoint, since you came on board you have helped streamline and simplify our system brilliantly, and continue to do so, which makes my job much more straight forward, and I thank you very much for all your efforts …”.

• Better stock control systems were implemented

• A preventative maintenance programme was introduced which highlighted critical plant and developed contingencies for its non-availability

The approach adopted deliberately drove a change in management responsibility ensuring the new management team took responsibility for their new roles and associated activities. It also; improved customer satisfaction, reduced scrap and re-work, improved production planning, improved plant and people utilisation, all impacting the bottom line.