PROFILE FEATURE

Olex in the community “As general manager of supply, my key role in all of this is to Olex works with a number of local community ensure that we do not stop production in our factories Automotive groups to support initiatives within its local area Legend because we are out of raw materials; if we do, there are WHY 2010 PROVED FORD IS ONE that help disadvantaged young people achieve OF OUR INDUSTRY’S BEST HOW STRONG IS YOUR BRAND? A POWERFUL VISION THE PITFALLS ALL MANUFACTURERS potentially hundreds of people out of work. Therefore, the Why suppliers are crucial to Ellex’s growth NEED TO BE AWARE OF

IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS and training. The company is How your company’s reputation can affect your bottom line number one factor in any relationship with a supplier is to Supported by the Supported by apics Ltd Official National Partner of the Supply Chain and Foundation Bronze Member currently involved with the following community Australian Institute of Packaging Logistics Association of Australia ensure that we have security of supply chain. If it comes from SHORKO MANILDRA OLEX DARRELL LEA APEX initiatives: overseas, it is even more critical.” media.net.au Virtual • SpiritWest FRESH VCAL program An exclusive feature published Clearly, suppliers are instrumental in Olex’s success. David Olex has sponsored the SpiritWest FRESH by Bean Media Group. believes that they will continue to remain important as the program, a three-year scheme designed to give company moves into the future. “Suppliers will of course students a better chance to achieve school- remain incredibly important to Olex; without suppliers, we leaving certificates. Olex’s commitment includes have no business. We need good, strong suppliers with both cash and in-kind support for the program, quality products and services delivered in an efficient manner, including site tours and work placements. By Sally Rawsthorne so we need suppliers to grow in profits and strength as we do.” • Western Chances Learning Olex has joined Western Chances to support Managing a business in a is difficult, and a lack of Growth in conjunction with suppliers is high on the company’s young people from the western of agenda for the future, through a more efficient supply chain Melbourne pursue higher education in the fields resources and staff can be overwhelming. and an improved financial performance. “The current financial of maths, science and engineering. This climate of the high Australian dollar makes import competition program offers student scholarships to students more competitive, so we need to be constantly improving our from Years 11 and 12, TAFE and university. products and lowering our costs as we move into the future. • Beacon Foundation We need to become more efficient; failing to do this will mean Through the Beacon Foundation, Olex has we will follow the lead of so many other manufacturers in the partnered with local schools, offering both cash Australian industry and disappear,” David states. “To avoid and in-kind support. This includes the ‘No Dole’ this, we want to continue to grow. We are fortunate that we program, whereby Year 10 students sign a have a large parent company, Nexans, who support us charter to commit to either continuing with through shared technology and information. In the future, we school, training or to get a job. just need to make sure that we continue to stay at the forefront of the industry, manufacture good quality products, and meet our customers’ needs.”

Australian Owned and Operated for Over 40 Years Focus on Safety & Compliance National Road Network  Pickups and General Enquiries  131821   [email protected]  Transport Logistics Services www.nqx.com.au Supply Chain Management Warehousing Solutions Tailored Logistics Solutions In this issue of Australia’s Best , we talk to By contrast, the benefits of attracting skilled workers have been Kevin Dwyer, Director of Change Factory, about how virtual shown in a study to be both economic and social – skilled workers learning is helping rural manufacturers keep up with their inject money into a community by leasing or buying property, while big-city competition. business owners obviously employ local people. Skilled workers also bring new skills and fresh perspectives, providing education Australia’s Best Manufacturing: Why is it so important to and training to local workers, thereby increasing the capacity of attract workers to rural areas? the local workforce. Kevin Dwyer: The drain of rural workers, particularly young people Australia’s Best Manufacturing: How can companies aged 15–24, to urban areas of Australia has been significant. The encourage rural workers? Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that from 1996 to 2001, more than 91,000 young people moved from rural areas to Kevin Dwyer: The three most important factors in attracting new large-population centres. While the boom in the last half of talent are perception of the rewards, opportunity, and the the decade reversed these trends in specific towns, such as organisation itself; and unfortunately for companies, the drivers of PROUDLY SUPPORTING OLEX FOR OVER 30 YEARS Paraburdoo and Mackay, it did not reverse the overall trend. The perception of the organisation will be different for different THE SMART CHOICE FOR AUSTRALIA WIDE B2B TRANSPORT implication for farming communities and businesses of this drain of individuals. Drivers of perception cover a wide range and include NQX provides Australia wide solutions for freight movements with a core focus on the supply of services between young talent has been an increased reliance on an ageing diversity, technological edge, market share, brand strength, ethics, Queensland, the Northern Territory and the rest of Australia. NQX provides a range of services from general, population with little or no sense of renewal. social responsibility and empowerment. The elements of ethics, express, premium and dangerous goods transport. In addition we offer services for heavy haulage, over-dimensional loads, contract and project management as well as offering a 24/7 expediting service providing hotshots and specials. For more information on what NQX can do to improve your transport supply chain please media.net.au Australia’s Best Manufacturing | 43 call us now. FEATURE FEATURE

judgement of leaders that diversity is not worth investing in. Leaders need to ensure that diversity is valued, and that policies and procedures are implemented for the encouragement of diversity. A pertinent example of this difficulty is attracting and retaining female engineers to remote mine and construction sites. This requires companies to provide personal development, career development, and compensation specific to females, to trade off against perceived location drawbacks. Virtual learning capability is one way in which employers can provide ongoing training and support, thereby increasing the attractiveness of a rural company. Rural businesses can also promote “The composition of elements that attract talent to a diversity through networks of people inside the company working to build communities diversity and empowerment can be company in a rural community are not different to those within the larger community. This helps to powerful counters to any weaknesses in ensure that people of different elements such as brand strength and that attract talent to a company in an urban community.” • no travel time to the place of learning Australia’s Best Manufacturing: Why is backgrounds or orientations have places market share. - Kevin Dwyer • questions allowed to be asked without workplace diversity important in rural to go for support when needed, and to The composition of elements that attract waiting for a ‘turn’ areas? share experiences and learning. talent to a company in a rural community • all students provided with a voice without Kevin Dwyer: Diversity is important in all Australia’s Best Manufacturing: As we are not different to those that attract talent the need to fight for ‘airtime’ as in a workplaces, but it can be harder to move into the future, will regional to a company in an urban community. generate in rural areas. Diversity should be suggested that the most important prevalent in organisations. Virtual learning face-to-face situation diversity develop further? However, in most cases, there is a need to seen not just in cultural backgrounds but attributes of leaders which drive channels include real-time video, recorded • answers to questions can be seen and provide a stronger counterbalance to the also gender, age, thinking styles, Kevin Dwyer: Governments at both state discretionary efforts of their people are: video, collaborative learning, information discussed by all perceived negatives of a rural location, management styles, technical versus and federal levels are increasingly databases, ‘how-to’ sheets, articles on • messages are archived centrally, such as isolation from family and friends, • commitment to diversity generalist skills, and frontline versus understanding of the need for taking action topics of interest, forums, and instant providing a database of interactions and reduction in services in comparison • demonstrated honesty and integrity management positions. to develop regional and rural centres. For with their home location. This may be messaging. which can be revisited example, the development of regional and • adaptation to changing circumstances Having a diverse workforce provides a accomplished by a combination of In rural locations, it can be difficult to • debate about topics of interest is rural-friendly policies to support the mining • clearly articulated organisational goals greater range of perspectives, thereby compensation, opportunity, and the nature provide a good training and development encouraged by collaboration tools. boom is slowly becoming more customary. providing a richer base for innovation while of the organisation. The stronger the • possession of job skills. environment as most training organisations National infrastructure projects in both Australia’s Best Manufacturing: Are also reducing the potential for group-think. organisation’s nature and the opportunities are based in large-population centres or transport and telecommunication will The work itself is also a strong determinant many rural businesses embracing the In rural communities, the pool of talent it provides, the lower is the level of the capital cities. Even in large increase access to services in rural areas. of retention of talent. Business travel and a virtual learning technology? tends to be narrower in its range of compensation benefits required to balance organisations with a rural base such as In and of themselves, these changed good level of work–life balance may upbringings, and hence the perspectives the perceived negatives. mining or construction companies, other Kevin Dwyer: It’s exciting to see that in government policies will necessarily provide a counterbalance to any negative of problems and opportunities tend to be than operational training the major training Australia, rural TAFE colleges are taking up increase diversity in the rural workplace. Australia’s Best Manufacturing: How can perceptions about the location. However, narrower. Potentially, this can lead to less centres are capital-city based. The travel the provision of video-based training. Changes will encourage people to stay in businesses retain their rural workers? recognition and alignment of an innovation and more group-think in rural may take several hours there and back, Businesses such as banks are also taking their rural communities rather than moving, employee’s job with their personal interests businesses. Actively seeking diversity in Kevin Dwyer: The key to retaining talent is negatively affecting work–life balance for up a combination of real-time video and and will reduce the perceived trade-off are likely to be the most powerful elements organisations in rural communities allows similar to the key to initially attracting that the employee, and increases cash costs the use of instant messaging and online made by many people contemplating in rural staff retention. them to attract from a much wider and talent. Most important are perceptions of and opportunity costs for the employer. ‘rooms’. Some of these are shared moving to rural areas. the other staff, the work, and the Australia’s Best Manufacturing: What is privately between the learner and the tutor, deeper talent pool. Virtual learning using modern technologies Skilled migration from cities, coupled with organisation itself. virtual learning, and how can it be used while others are open to all. Similarly, the can provide access to high-quality training Australia’s Best Manufacturing: Given the local economic attraction of the mining to encourage and retain rural workers? explosion in webinars – both for free and The biggest contribution to a person’s without the disruption and cost of travelling the importance of this diversity, how boom, is also reshaping the diversity of for a fee – demonstrates that many perception of the people they work with is Kevin Dwyer: Well-designed virtual to a face-to-face event. Its other can rural employers encourage it? some specific rural communities. However, organisations are starting to use the the quality and approach of those in learning provides a multi-modal approach advantages include: the key to reshaping diversity still lies with technology. Kevin Dwyer: The difficulty in encouraging leadership positions. Studies have matching the variety of learning styles the leadership of rural companies. • time and place independence rural diversity lies primarily with the

44 | Australia’s Best Manufacturing media.net.au media.net.au Australia’s Best Manufacturing | 45 FEATURE FEATURE

judgement of leaders that diversity is not worth investing in. Leaders need to ensure that diversity is valued, and that policies and procedures are implemented for the encouragement of diversity. A pertinent example of this difficulty is attracting and retaining female engineers to remote mine and construction sites. This requires companies to provide personal development, career development, and compensation specific to females, to trade off against perceived location drawbacks. Virtual learning capability is one way in which employers can provide ongoing training and support, thereby increasing the attractiveness of a rural company. Rural businesses can also promote “The composition of elements that attract talent to a diversity through networks of people inside the company working to build communities diversity and empowerment can be company in a rural community are not different to those within the larger community. This helps to powerful counters to any weaknesses in ensure that people of different elements such as brand strength and that attract talent to a company in an urban community.” • no travel time to the place of learning Australia’s Best Manufacturing: Why is backgrounds or orientations have places market share. - Kevin Dwyer • questions allowed to be asked without workplace diversity important in rural to go for support when needed, and to The composition of elements that attract waiting for a ‘turn’ areas? share experiences and learning. talent to a company in a rural community • all students provided with a voice without Kevin Dwyer: Diversity is important in all Australia’s Best Manufacturing: As we are not different to those that attract talent the need to fight for ‘airtime’ as in a workplaces, but it can be harder to move into the future, will regional to a company in an urban community. generate in rural areas. Diversity should be suggested that the most important prevalent in organisations. Virtual learning face-to-face situation diversity develop further? However, in most cases, there is a need to seen not just in cultural backgrounds but attributes of leaders which drive channels include real-time video, recorded • answers to questions can be seen and provide a stronger counterbalance to the also gender, age, thinking styles, Kevin Dwyer: Governments at both state discretionary efforts of their people are: video, collaborative learning, information discussed by all perceived negatives of a rural location, management styles, technical versus and federal levels are increasingly databases, ‘how-to’ sheets, articles on • messages are archived centrally, such as isolation from family and friends, • commitment to diversity generalist skills, and frontline versus understanding of the need for taking action topics of interest, forums, and instant providing a database of interactions and reduction in services in comparison • demonstrated honesty and integrity management positions. to develop regional and rural centres. For with their home location. This may be messaging. which can be revisited example, the development of regional and • adaptation to changing circumstances Having a diverse workforce provides a accomplished by a combination of In rural locations, it can be difficult to • debate about topics of interest is rural-friendly policies to support the mining • clearly articulated organisational goals greater range of perspectives, thereby compensation, opportunity, and the nature provide a good training and development encouraged by collaboration tools. boom is slowly becoming more customary. providing a richer base for innovation while of the organisation. The stronger the • possession of job skills. environment as most training organisations National infrastructure projects in both Australia’s Best Manufacturing: Are also reducing the potential for group-think. organisation’s nature and the opportunities are based in large-population centres or transport and telecommunication will The work itself is also a strong determinant many rural businesses embracing the In rural communities, the pool of talent it provides, the lower is the level of the capital cities. Even in large increase access to services in rural areas. of retention of talent. Business travel and a virtual learning technology? tends to be narrower in its range of compensation benefits required to balance organisations with a rural base such as In and of themselves, these changed good level of work–life balance may upbringings, and hence the perspectives the perceived negatives. mining or construction companies, other Kevin Dwyer: It’s exciting to see that in government policies will necessarily provide a counterbalance to any negative of problems and opportunities tend to be than operational training the major training Australia, rural TAFE colleges are taking up increase diversity in the rural workplace. Australia’s Best Manufacturing: How can perceptions about the location. However, narrower. Potentially, this can lead to less centres are capital-city based. The travel the provision of video-based training. Changes will encourage people to stay in businesses retain their rural workers? recognition and alignment of an innovation and more group-think in rural may take several hours there and back, Businesses such as banks are also taking their rural communities rather than moving, employee’s job with their personal interests businesses. Actively seeking diversity in Kevin Dwyer: The key to retaining talent is negatively affecting work–life balance for up a combination of real-time video and and will reduce the perceived trade-off are likely to be the most powerful elements organisations in rural communities allows similar to the key to initially attracting that the employee, and increases cash costs the use of instant messaging and online made by many people contemplating in rural staff retention. them to attract from a much wider and talent. Most important are perceptions of and opportunity costs for the employer. ‘rooms’. Some of these are shared moving to rural areas. the other staff, the work, and the Australia’s Best Manufacturing: What is privately between the learner and the tutor, deeper talent pool. Virtual learning using modern technologies Skilled migration from cities, coupled with organisation itself. virtual learning, and how can it be used while others are open to all. Similarly, the can provide access to high-quality training Australia’s Best Manufacturing: Given the local economic attraction of the mining to encourage and retain rural workers? explosion in webinars – both for free and The biggest contribution to a person’s without the disruption and cost of travelling the importance of this diversity, how boom, is also reshaping the diversity of for a fee – demonstrates that many perception of the people they work with is Kevin Dwyer: Well-designed virtual to a face-to-face event. Its other can rural employers encourage it? some specific rural communities. However, organisations are starting to use the the quality and approach of those in learning provides a multi-modal approach advantages include: the key to reshaping diversity still lies with technology. Kevin Dwyer: The difficulty in encouraging leadership positions. Studies have matching the variety of learning styles the leadership of rural companies. • time and place independence rural diversity lies primarily with the

44 | Australia’s Best Manufacturing media.net.au media.net.au Australia’s Best Manufacturing | 45