Glass Factory Software Limited

Work-Flow Tracking App Gives SMEs the Competitive Edge

Glass Factory Software Limited — 16/07/2021

In an increasingly digital world, consumers' expectations have changed – the likes of corporate giants McDonalds, Amazon, Argos and Domino’s are setting the standards of providing more in-depth order status information. Comparing this to the Manufacturing Industry, this type of information has traditionally been limited. The Glass Factory® app allows businesses to have workflow visibility throughout - propelling both suppliers and customers into the digital era.

With Brexit supply chain shortages coupled with the effects of the pandemic, will software like Glass Factory® be vital for giving manufacturers, especially SMEs, the competitive edge as we see get to the other side of COVID 19?

Many B2B businesses and consumers can relate to long lead times, in addition to the lack of visibility of their order. In many instances this can lead to frantic chasing of orders and requesting dates of completion - that often don’t go to plan.

The Glass Factory® app created by HanaTech - specialising in Digital Process Improvement, aims to catapult the industry forward by bringing real time transparency of order status across multi-level complex supply chains. For the suppliers and customers, Glass Factory® offers the opportunity to improve efficiency and collaboration, all whilst keeping this affordable for SMEs and businesses alike.

For the supplier, the app provides real time workflow tracking throughout the supply chain to offer WIP transparency. It presents an array of benefits including operator and job timings, defect and incident logging and a standardised system for non-conformance resolution helping establish better relationships between supplier and customer.

As for the customer, they are able to drill down what stage their product is at through each supplier level via a real time, self-serve portal. With a compliments/complaints logging feature this aims to improve communication with ease throughout the supply chain.

Fellow Made in the Midlands member Frederick Cooper - Birmingham based powder coating business, have been one of the first manufacturers to try out the new application. From manually tracking orders, they now have full visibility via their mobile devices. Frederick Cooper can now tell customers like Rolls-Royce where their order is without jumping departments to find the answer. Jon Stone, Managing Director at Frederick Cooper, said:

"We have a number of very complex processes here at Frederick Cooper in producing some very difficult painted components with numerous process steps. It is often we are asked for detailed information from our customers to establish how many parts are at what process step at any particular time.

Working with HanaTech - we now have a solution to track parts through each process via the GlassFactory® App not only to provide our customer with WIP visibility at any time but also as a valuable tool for ourselves to monitor and track the progress of parts from start to finish. We have now started tracking real orders through our factory on the GlassFactory® App and we are already seeing the benefits!"

Factory of the Future - Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) SME Event

Glass Factory Software Limited — 23/08/2021

BCIMO are launching their SME business engagement programmes with their first SME Event - 'Factory of the Future'

'Our mission is to support Black Country SMEs in the Manufacturing Sector to innovate through digitisation. Through this SME event, find out how your business can gain free support from our programmes, in collaboration with our partners and the Made Smarter initiative.'

On the 9th September Black Country SME's are invited to the event hosted at: Black Country House, Rounds Green Road, Oldbury, B69 2DG

In Partnership with HanaTech Ltd

We are excited to partner with BCIMO for not only the SME event but providing our services in the SME business engagement programme.

Providing 12 hours of Free Support alongside Bots.co.uk and Product Governance Ltd:

Find out more about the event by following BCIMO on LinkedIn & Twitter
Register your place now to attend and find out how your business can gain free support - Click HERE

With a packed agenda, you don't want to miss out on this Event!

*Please note: this is made for Black Country (Sandwell and Dudley) SME's in the Industrial Sectors only.

Case Studies - Fellow Made in the Midlands Member: Malthouse Engineering Ltd.

Glass Factory Software Limited — 24/11/2021

Case Studies - Malthouse Engineering Ltd.

We’ve loved supporting our clients with their Digital Process Improvements ??

From streamlining their Customer Journey and maximising factory efficiencies, to optimising back office processes. We’ve helped Manufacturing, Engineering and Distribution companies increase their digital capacity to gain competitive advantage.

This year we have worked with Dr Roy Taylor and the team at Malthouse Engineering Ltd. to implement our Digital Job Card solution, integrating in real time with their bespoke access database and introducing barcode scanning capabilities. From paper-based job cards transformed to digital, the business gained WIP visibility on the factory floor with a much more mobile approach. With a huge time saving, Malthouse are able to put this time elsewhere, which in term is cost effective. Starting with a factory tour, we identified opportunities for digital process improvement which led to implementing our bespoke Digital Job Card solution.

Dr. Roy Taylor (Managing Director) wanted to gain visibility of working progress and productivity whilst moving their paper manual processes to a more efficient & digitalised way of working.
"Working with HanaTech has been a great introduction to all things digital; they've helped us to give an improved service to our customers and taken us a leap foward in the operation of Malthouse." - Dr Roy Taylor - Managing Director

We are proud to be supporting local SMEs in Manufacturing and beyond into transforming their end-to-end processes and staying ahead of the competition. It's no secret that the world is becoming more digital, so why not start your digital development journey with us! Take a look at the different types of solutions we can offer:

Digital Job Card, Central Stock Hub, and Timelog App coming soon to the solutions page!

Visit our Case Studies page on our website to find out more and read what our case studies had to say about working with HanaTech ? VISIT SITE

Digital Baseline Review: How will you move from Industry 3.0 to 4.0 ?

Glass Factory Software Limited — 25/06/2020

In order to stay ahead of the competition and continue to meet ever increasing customer expectations, companies must continue to automate and innovate, using where possible the latest technology. This is apparent now more than ever, which is why HanaTech are so passionate about supporting manufacturing SMEs to become more successful in today's Digital World.

The Digital Baseline Review has been developed to build a picture of the SME Manufacturing industry baseline for the level of technology / digitalisation in use, and to provide each company taking part with some clear and affordable recommendations for quick wins. The vision is to raise the bar on the level of technology adoption / utilisation within the Manufacturing supply chain to improve resilience and competitiveness.

Benefits are:

Identifies opportunities to optimise productivity and capability
Highlights opportunities to digitalise customer experience to improve service
Provides independent advice on how to utilise technology innovation to maximise growth and results

The DBR is ideally completed on site though can now be carried out remotely to include a virtual factory tour, and will take no more than 2 hours. Recommendations for improvement will be provided along with an overall % score and ranking. 4 key areas will be reviewed – Customer Journey, Process and Operations, Use of Realtime Data and Innovation & Industry 4.0:

Customer Journey (How Easy Is It for Customers to Trade With You?)

Whether they are new or existing, it is vital for business success for you to ask how easy your current processes allow it for customers to trade with you.

During a review of a business' Customer Journey process, it is typical for companies to currently see the following in their operations:

Most sales won through loyal customer base and word-of-mouth
Customer interactions based on email, phone, post and fax
Areas of ineffiency in Customer Experience

For them to become a "Digital Master" and have more customer centric products and services, we help businesses work towards:

Strong e-commerce presence and seamless multi-channel experience
Engaged customers posting reviews
Whenever, wherever service proposition

Process and Operations (How Efficient Is Your Company?)

During a review of a business' Process and Operations, it is typical for companies to currently see the following:

Multiple disconnected systems and manual tasks with minimal data recorded
Long set up times
Rework caused by lack of process controls

In order to become a "Digital Master", HanaTech typically helps companies to become more optimised and digitalised in the following ways:

Integrated end-to-end digital processes and 3rd party systems
Intelligent automation to replace manual tasks
Automated controls, monitoring and workflow

Use of Realtime Data (How Data Rich Is Your Company?)

During a review of a business' Use of Realtime Data, it is typical for companies to currently experience the following in their operations:

Time lag on operational, customer and management information results in reactive decision making
Difficult to capture meaningful data

The ultimate aim here is for data to become rich and real time, which we achieve with businesses through them typically taking on the following processes:

Real time measurement and full traceability of data
Advance / predictive intelligence of analytrics for proactive decision and action
Improved targeting with customer insights

Innovation & Industry 4.0 (Do You Have a Culture of Innovation?)

During a review of a business' attitudes and use of Innovation & Industry 4.0, it is typical for companies to currently see the following in their operations:

Little investment spent on R&D innovation
Lack of engagement in the need for change
Team comfortable doing business the way it has always been done

Embedding a culture of innovation and embracing technology is vital for a business to become a "Digital Master". HanaTech typically help business transform their operations to achieve this title in the following ways:

New technology explored and utilised
Empowered tech-savy team with digital skills
Continuous innovation to find ways to disrupt the market and stay relevant

Optimise Productivity and Improve Innovation Today

Using the data from the review, anonymised results will be populated into a ranking table and shared with participants to provide a useful comparison benchmark. The overall industry baseline results and trends will be shared with appropriate Manufacturing associations and via the HanaTech website.

HanaTech is a West Midlands based consultancy specialising in Digital Process Improvement, passionate about supporting small to medium businesses within the Manufacturing industry to move from Traditional factories towards factories of the Future, one quick win at a time...

To arrange a complimentary initial Digital Baseline Review contact 01384 913 010 or email enquiries@hana-tech.co.uk

HanaTech shortlisted for Innovation Awards 2021!

Glass Factory Software Limited — 20/04/2021

ANNOUNCEMENT!

We are shortlisted in the Innovation Awards 2021 ?

We are excited to share that we have been nominated in the Technology Supply Chain's award this year in the category:

'Engineering Innovation Champion - Business Sector'

TSC: "We are looking for the business which has provided small and medium sized engineering companies with the best support which allows them to innovate and grow."

Alongside some other fantastic candidates throughout all of the categories, we are thrilled & we need your votes! Read our statement:

"HanaTech is a Digital Process Improvement company, formed in December 2019, to support SME’s in the local Manufacturing Industry to be the best they can be in an increasingly Digital World… Our mission is to raise the level of digitalisation within the local Manufacturing Industry, from Traditional Factories towards Factories of the Future, one quick win at a time. Many businesses in this sector are still working traditionally, with paper, manual processes and hidden costs of duplication and rework. We encourage our clients to challenge their ways of working in search for new innovative improvements. By keeping technology and consultancy support simple, affordable and impactful, we have supported our clients with their digital innovation journeys, encouraging them to take steps towards automation, integration, real-time insights and analytics, to transform their efficiency and customer service, and we are proud to be a part of the sectors continual growth."

Supporting the Manufacturing & Engineering sectors is our main goal, which is why being a part of Made in the Midlands has been a fantastic journey so far of building great relationships - we hope to continue and make our mark on the industries helping them move towards Industry 4.0 providing support and advice along the way ?

As a Female-Led SME starting out in December 2019 we were never to know the challenges that lay ahead all over the world... Throughout it all we are going strong and on the rise! We thank all of the people who continue to support us...

Please follow this link to cast your votes... (FYI, our category is step 11/14): https://tiawards.co.uk/vote-2021/

Voting remains open until 6pm on Friday 30th April!

Every vote counts and we can't wait to continue to innovate the sectors with our future hugely exciting product which will be announced VERY soon... ?

We thank you all for your continued support - to keep up to date with us follow our socials:

Case Study with Aurubis UK - The Timelog App Solution

Glass Factory Software Limited — 16/02/2022

Case Study with Aurubis UK

We've loved working with Birmingham based Aurubis UK, in their journey to innovation ?

As well as Aurubis, we are proud to support the Manufacturing Industry: From streamlining their Customer Journey and maximising factory efficiencies, to optimising back office processes. We’ve helped Manufacturing, Engineering and Distribution companies increase their digital capacity to gain competitive advantage.

The Timelog App Solution

We have been working with Philip Tromans and the team to implement the TimeLog App, which works with their existing MRP system to provide real time shop floor data. In phase 1 of the project, we recreated their existing solutions to be more bespoke and suit their business needs. For phase 2, we are working together to enhance and improve functionality.

Jeff Atkinson - Operator: “I've found the system really easy to use, with only a few clicks to record my jobs and time. It's a great improvement on our old paper-based system as I can use a barcode scanner and all the information is automatically linked. Being able to look at the latest packaging specs in the same place is a real time saver.”

The solution includes features such as daily checks, and the ability to record digital test readings towards creating their paperless shop floor vision. We worked with the team to create an ease of usability, which is key to providing efficiency.

Visit our Case Studies page on our website to find out more and read what our case studies had to say about working with HanaTech ? VISIT SITE

COVID-19; What’s next for businesses in MANUFACTURING

Glass Factory Software Limited — 14/10/2020

SINCE THE UK LOCKDOWN IN MARCH, MANY IN THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WERE LEFT WITH QUESTIONS, UNCERTAINTY AND LOTS OF SPARE TIME ON THEIR HANDS, DUE TO THE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY EITHER ON FURLOUGH OR FINDING THEMSELVES WORKING FROM HOME.

According to www.ons.gov.uk in April 2020, 46.6% of people in employment did some work from home. However, for many sectors of the manufacturing industry, working from home just isn’t possible currently, without significant advances in virtual or augmented reality…

‘At the beginning of 2020, the UK manufacturing sector experienced its sharpest decline in output since 2013..*

“For the last couple of years, it’s been tough for the manufacturing sector – firms have been holding off spending on long-term hiring, investment, recruitment and machinery,” says Seamus Nevin, the chief economist at Make UK. “A degree of certainty was starting to be restored this year. But this pandemic has created a whole new set of uncertainties. It’s disrupted supply chains [and] customer demand.”*

During all of the struggles the pandemic has produced, there is also a huge correlation between the rise of online usage; understandably. What else has everyone been doing other than recording TikTok dance challenges all lockdown, watching the daily news updates on Covid-19 or panic buying pasta and toilet roll online?

‘From how we interact with others, read the news, connect with businesses and make purchasing decisions; having a digital presence is extremely powerful and isn’t showing any sign of leaving. Online has around 3.2 billion users worldwide, which is a crazy 42% of the population. Users are spending an average of 2 hours and 22 minutes per day on social media and 3.26 billion people are using their mobile phones to access the platforms, which is up 10% from last year. As being online and accessible is becoming increasingly popular in our daily lives, it offers businesses more and more opportunities to reach out to their audiences.’**

So how does this relate to businesses in manufacturing? As we know, we currently cannot run an entire factory from home, however… You CAN use the rising online presence to your advantage…

Web 2.0 is very much among us; people are using their smartphones more than ever before. There have been new job roles entirely created in the past 10 years due to the rise in Technology – more jobs, more opportunities. Time is an inevitable thing, as well as change and development; by embracing digital improvements you will become the innovator in a hugely competitive market. The way social media platforms provide marketing tools are so impressive, you can now advertise your entire business sat in the comforts of your own home.

But where do I start?

All of your potential clients and current ones are reachable at the click of a button. By starting with small quick wins, such as creating a Facebook Page for your business and reaching out for reviews, you find connections who then… find connections. Whilst physical interaction is currently on the low, you can still be visible very easily to your customers, to show that you are here to support, albeit virtually, and that you are trading and you still exist. Out of sight out of mind certainly does not have to be the case.

HanaTech is here to help from those small quick wins to full digital process improvement – creating your digital path and putting your business back on top. Innovation is key in an ever-changing tech world, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult process…

CONTACT US for more information, and follow us on

*https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/05/08/could-coronavirus-reshape-british-manufacturing/?gb=true

**https://www.naturallysocial.co.uk/usage-stats-2020/

Small Business Saturday - FREE GIVEAWAY!

Glass Factory Software Limited — 08/12/2020

Saturday 5th we celebrated SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

One of our main missions is to support SME’s in the local manufacturing industry and more; we too need your support! We are a small business too, and our core passion is to digitally improve your business – One Quick Win at a Time!

By starting with small steps, you can build your small business successfully – as a business consultant we start from the beginning; giving advice, identifying those areas of opportunity. All the way to the end, implementing solutions that will change the way you work forever…

To give something more and provide some positivity this festive season, we are running a COMPETITION for Small Business Saturday with AWESOME PRIZES TO BE WON…

HOW TO ENTER:

– LIKE & SHARE the image above, be FOLLOWING us and Comment ‘DONE’ on this image across ANY PLATFORM we are on.. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and we will do a video draw on our 1 year BIRTHDAY – 18th December 2020.

Our Small Business Saturday PRIZE HAMPER has been chosen for the competition specifically to reflect our Traditional Factory towards Factory of the Future mission > items from old to new including a TECH smart gadget! It includes:

– Classic Dairy Milk Selection Box – an old favourite!

– Traditional English Tea – an ingrained tradition!

– HanaTech Mug – for all that Tea…

– HanaTech Notepad & Pen – for all those innovative ideas!

– HanaTech Stress Ball – because Change can be stressful…

– 1 Bottle of HANATISER (get it?!) – We care and want to keep you safe

– 1 HanaBot USB (cute tech gadget hey!)

– 1 Amazon Echo Dot – for the finale, because who doesn’t want an Alexa!

Enter NOW! Because.. FREE PRIZES!

You must to do ALL the above to be in for a chance to win the competition as we will be checking - GOOD LUCK!

3 Women in Manufacturing and their success – Midlands Edition

Glass Factory Software Limited — 16/04/2021

We are here to celebrate successful Women in Manufacturing and as a female-led Business we feel happily obliged to do so!

The Manufacturing Industry in February 2020 contained 74% Men and only 26% Women.

Many people believe that one of the reasons for the low amount of Women in Manufacturing is due to the lack of representation in the workplace and the media – including celebrating female role models in the industry. After speaking to Apprentices in our blog there is a definite discussion needed around the education system and pushing STEM roles at this stage as well as a discussion within the Industry itself; sharing positive experiences.

Another contributing factor is the need to have more representation in the form of blogs, articles, news and media coverage – even searching for royalty free imagery of ‘Women in Manufacturing’ came up with little to no results…

We need to be able to read and celebrate these motivating women that exist out there as this will encourage others that it is possible to be successful in a male dominated sector and continue to bridge that gap; having those role models really is crucial to young women. If they can see someone else like them in the sector succeeding and thriving, then why can’t they?

So we wanted to do just that, by talking to 3 Businesses in the Midlands proudly run by Women and ask them: What does it take to get to where they are?

We spoke to Emma Hockley, the MD of Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd based in Droitwich, Worcester:

Tell us about yourself, how have you got to where you are today?

E: “I work for Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd, a manufacturing business specialising in the design, development and production of technical thermoplastic components using vacuum-forming and compression forming technology. I was recently promoted to Managing Director, following 6 years working in various roles across the business, but most recently as Sales Director. Big Bear was founded by my father, Gerald Bloom, and so with my appointment as MD we are able to establish a strong succession plan and map a long-term future for our business.

Admittedly, it has been something of a baptism of fire, since Big Bear is actually the first manufacturer I have worked for; my previous roles could not have been more different and my education was also not designed with manufacturing in mind! I completed my A levels (in English Lit, French and Spanish), followed by a degree in English Lit and Spanish at the University of Leeds.

After uni I landed a work experience job with the PR department at Harrods – and then worked my way up to eventually become Buyer for Perfumery & Cosmetics, which was the largest buying division in the store with a turnover of c.£58m, and then Head of Marketing for the whole of the Beauty division.

Image from Big Bear Plastic Products Ltd. Website

When I first started at Big Bear I felt totally unprepared, having come from a completely different world. But the more I understood the business the more I realised that my time at Harrods had actually given me valuable training in many of the skills I needed. Ultimately, business is about keeping your customers happy, and if there is one thing Harrods does well, it is customer service!

Harrods was high pressured, fast paced, and expectations were high – it was a very slick operation. Unlike manufacturing, there were a lot more women in senior roles and I had the privilege of working for two female bosses who were very tough, but totally inspiring and who definitely pushed me and educated me on so many levels.”

How did you get into working within Manufacturing and what enticed you to choose this industry over others?

E: “I can’t really say that I chose to end up working in Manufacturing…it was more by accident than by design! My husband and I decided to move back to Birmingham before our son was born, in order to be close to our families. When I was ready to go back to work, I thought a daily commute to Harrods would be a bit much!

So I started doing some marketing work at Big Bear…I re-launched the website and wrote new marketing collateral. The more I learned about the business, the more questions I asked, the more interested I became and it took off from there. I started working with the sales team and began to raise the profile of the business with new customers.”

As you will know, Women represent just 26% of people working within Manufacturing. After your promotion to Managing Director of Big Bear Plastic Products how has your journey to this position been in terms of being in a superior role over a predominantly male industry?

E: “I have found it quite difficult, because not only am I a woman in a predominantly male business, I am also the boss’s daughter! Not to mention that I started with no previous experience of manufacturing. So I had a massive case of imposter syndrome and it has taken me a long time to build my confidence to where it was when I was in a senior role at Harrods feeling completely sure of myself and what I was doing.

I have worked hard to build strong relationships with my colleagues and to establish my own style and way of working. One of the most challenging things I have found is questioning the status quo, and not being brushed away or fobbed off with a “because that’s how it is” style of answer…I had to keep pushing, and it has taken a lot of persistence and determination to get to a point where I can say “I’m sorry but I don’t accept that…”

From the beginning of your career to now, have you come across any challenges working within Manufacturing and how you have overcome them?

E:“Oh my goodness, absolutely loads! There is always something to deal with, it seems that it’s never straightforward! Just when I think I’ve got the hang of it something else happens which will be a whole new learning curve. But I suppose that is what makes life interesting… and ultimately, you have to get high quality parts out of the door on time, and not let the customer down. Of course, things go wrong, but to overcome them, generally it’s a case of bringing your team together and focusing everyone’s mind on the problem at hand.”

Lastly, could you give us some inspirational advice to any young female who is looking to start her career within the Manufacturing/Engineering Industries?

E: "I didn’t start my own career in Manufacturing, and I do wish I had had the opportunity to have more “hands on” experience working in the factory. If I was starting again then I would definitely spend more time on the shop floor understanding the processes and production side of the business. Having said that, does it matter that I don’t know how to operate a mould machine? Not really, because I have an experienced team around me who do a brilliant job, and I bring other skills which the business needs also.”

Take criticism – ask for it, learn from it and do better next time. Keep going, you will get knocked back and you will feel like you can’t do it but you can!

“Most importantly though, I believe if you bring lots of energy and enthusiasm to whatever you are doing, the opportunities will definitely come.”

We then spoke to Marie Palmer, a Director at Cast Iron Welding Services based in Leicester. She is very passionate about the representation of Women in the industry as well as Apprenticeships and she kindly shared her experiences with us:

How did you get into working in the Manufacturing Industry?

M: “I was in Legal working for a Solicitors for many years and my route into working in the Engineering industry happened to be a process improvement project, particularly a new computer system enabling better traceability and communications. It was a challenge as it involved changing a lot of internal systems that were very paper based. After successfully carrying that project out my job evolved; over time I was given more responsibilities due to my background such as the quality assurance side of the business, accreditations, etc. Now as Director, I assist the MD in managing all operations carried out within CIWS.

I am not a trained engineer; however, I have a good skill set including what they call the ‘helicopter approach’ – which allows me to see the overall picture when having a problem which I need to find a solution to. I have a varied role in my position at an SME including being in charge of H&S too. Not one day is the same!”

Along your Career Journey – have you had any issues/challenges along the way working within a male-dominated environment?

M: “It was initially quite intimidating so I think you have to be confident and ask questions. For instance, if I was needing help with a technical side of the business I would need to speak with the technical team of course, who happen to be all male. However I’ve always found that if you showed an interest, want to understand how it all works and asked the right questions they were great at embracing the change and helping me.

I have been fortunate on a day to day basis but I do think that my experiences of attending exhibitions and being on the sales side that women are a minority. Sometimes you may not be given the consideration because of not having the engineer or technical background, it is something I have come across however I use it as a challenge – I am going to ask more questions and make you engage with me!

Marie in Mexico when setting up their franchise: “I was fortunate enough to have a tour of a power station, the cylinder heads that we remanufacture fit on the engine behind me.”

I joined Made in the Midlands in 2019 and it was one of the best things I could have done. As it’s geared around the Manufacturing Industry it’s very male dominated of course – my first intro meeting (before the likes of zoom) I remember walking in to the room full of men. It was a bit daunting but everyone was so welcoming and I felt comfortable straight away. I have connected with lots of different people from different companies – I’ve had such a positive experience so far.

For me, trying to find organisations that have the positive approach to diversity and equality is one of the best things I have chosen to do – it’s given me the confidence in putting myself out there. Women do have a strong place in this industry and nothing should put you off.”

I know you are passionate about the representation of females within the industry, do you have any inspirational words of advice to any aspiring women in manufacturing?

Try and talk to as many people as possible; don’t be afraid to connect with people and ask questions – we all have transferrable skills and something to bring to the table.

By having this in the back of your mind you have to take the leap and see what opportunities are there. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a traditional engineering background – it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply! Women are problem solvers and have an organisational way of thinking which fits within the Engineering industry. The jobs and opportunities available are very vast and you need a good cross section of different skills and abilities in any business in the industry, so take that leap and don’t hold back!

And lastly we spoke to our very own – Hana Robertson – to hear her experiences along her career journey up to HanaTech:

Hana studied BEng & BCom Manufacturing Engineering and Business @ University of Birmingham where she covered principles such as Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing, World Class Manufacturing & Total Quality Management. From here she gained much industry experience, progressing through different corporate operational and improvement roles to senior leadership roles such as Head of Digital.

We asked Hana more about her background: Why did you choose to work within a STEM role and within Manufacturing?

H:“I do have a vague memory of a STEM workshop day, in Year 9 before choosing my GCSEs, which looking back was great considering I attended an all-girls school. This must have influenced me, as I chose an A level in Design Technology along with Maths, so I guess I was always destined to have a career in the engineering sector. I’ve always enjoyed problem solving and creating solutions. Unfortunately the STEM workshop didn’t influence many as only 4 of us took DT a A level and I was the only female from my year to do an engineering degree. There were only 3 females including myself on the degree intake of around 80/90 people.

It didn’t put me off though, in fact I think it inspired me more to work hard and prove the value I had to bring.

Relating back to my degree – I found the course really interesting. It was an end-to-end degree from design principles, solution prototyping, marketing and manufacturing – right through to finance. Taking a design concept right through to the end product was really rewarding and felt meaningful to me. Most people went into project/business management with my degree, but I liked the manufacturing environment.

I was fortunate enough to join a graduate scheme at Tarmac where I spent the first 8 years of my career progressing through operational and improvement roles, visiting dozens of quarries, asphalt, concrete and block plants throughout the UK during the time. I loved the straightforward, practical and hands-on ‘get on with it’ culture and met some amazing people.

What were your challenges or experiences in managing teams that were male dominant?

H: “It was my experience at Tarmac where I soon learnt what style would work and what approach to take, which I’ve built on during my career journey. Not only was Tarmac male dominated, particularly out in the operational roles, I held a change role from very early on as part of a national continuous improvement initiative and we all know that change is not easy.

I remember a certain quarry manager asking me:

“What can you tell me about how to run my quarry?”

to which I calmly answered:

“I don’t know about your quarry yet, but having visited many others I’ve seen a lot of good practice and not so good, that I am happy to share. Can we go and have a walk round now please?”

I think if I would have gone in as a head strong female leader I wouldn’t have had a good response and gained resistance. Instead I concentrated on shifting the focus of the conversation away from ‘who knows more’ back to the workings of the quarry and found that walking round the sites with these proud managers, asking lots of questions and making meaningful observations started to break down the initial barriers. I also didn’t take offence, and learned to grow broad shoulders.

I like to understand why people think or behave the way they do such as change and the notion of ‘comfort zones’ – which is why I focus on change management at HanaTech. This experience gave me a great foundation to go on and lead male technical teams such as the IT department at IESA, which was my last corporate role.

Even then I was faced with a few ‘techies’ who tried to challenge what I knew about a particularly technical aspect of IT infrastructure for example, to which I replied:

“is that not why we hire you? Talk me through our current set up, lets discuss the constraints and the business case, and then leave me as your manager to make something happen”.

Unfortunately for one individual, the fact that he had a female leader did not work for him and he left, but that’s ok too.

I’ve learned to be successful you need to have the right team around you who are engaged and committed. I am good at creating a vision and getting the team behind it, as well as not being afraid to ask the ‘silly’ questions that other managers may not ask.

Why do you think that there are less Women in Manufacturing and STEM roles?

H: “I find this hard to answer as I have such a bias towards the industry. But reeling off the stats earlier shows just how low the percentage of females even taking the subjects are let alone starting a career within STEM.

I think that there are women out there that don’t want to enter the Manufacturing sector due to their perception of the environment or perhaps feeling intimidated. I mentioned earlier some situations where having broad shoulders has helped, but it could have as easily put someone off.

In my time I have conducted many site visits and attending a male-dominant workplace can have its downsides, for example the odd characteristic ‘inappropriate’ calendar on display in a locker room or kitchen area, which of course could be very off-putting to potential new staff if they were female; it’s these things which let the perception down at a time where there is a push for workplace diversity.

However, I think the pace of change in technology could bring more females into STEM roles, particularly Technology roles. As a Head of Digital I was pleased when I started to see more female software developer applications coming through and I hope that this is only on the increase as digital technology becomes more creative and focussed on user experience and consumer behaviour.

I’d imagine that it will be sectors such as B2C, retail, finance and services that see the increase in females first, with manufacturing unfortunately trailing behind for the perception reasons I’ve mentioned. However, I think with the drive on sustainability and the circular economy, this could bring more females into manufacturing and STEM roles, as this publicity is raising awareness of just how much direct impact you could make in these roles and in this fantastically important sector.

Keep up to date with our Women in Manufacturing blogs and more by subscribing – Follow us on our socials to join in the conversation!

Case Studies – Alpha Finishing Ltd.

Glass Factory Software Limited — 30/07/2021

Case Study – Alpha Finishing Ltd. of St Eligius Group

We’ve loved supporting our clients with their Digital Process Improvements ??

From streamlining their Customer Journey, and maximising factory efficiencies, to optimising back office processes, we’ve helped Manufacturing, Engineering and Distribution companies increase their digital capacity to gain competitive advantage.

Recently we have been working with Alpha Finishing Ltd. on implementing our Digital Job Card solution as part of their digital development plan – with over 15 years experience, we work with our clients to identify opportunities and provide Change Management support along the way.

Alpha Finishing working with a bespoke Digital Job Card HanaTech Solution

Visit our Case Studies page on our website to find out more and read what Alpha had to say about working with HanaTech ? VISIT SITE

Watch the video on our LinkedIn HERE

Female Led Business Supports Manufacturing with Help From Apprentice

Glass Factory Software Limited — 26/11/2020

Digital Process Improvement Consultant HanaTech is supporting SMEs in the manufacturing supply chain to get up to speed with digital, along with help from a marketing apprentice. Shannon Bradley joined the business in September 2020 and has already increased their social following by 20%.

HanaTech strives to help traditional manufacturers understand the benefits of digital processes. With the understanding that manufacturing makes up for 23% of the economy and supports over 7.4 million jobs, the company thrives on giving back to the local community and assisting the sector that massively benefits Britain.

This is exactly the reason why Shannon, Digital Marketing Apprentice at HanaTech, decided to join the business back in September 2020. However working for the manufacturing sector wasn’t her original ambition, she studied a degree in Fine Art at University but always knew she wanted to be part of something that made a difference and helped people. Shannon said:

“I have always had a strong interest in the digital realm of art, such as graphic design, and I enjoy making content which is why I decided to take up Digital Marketing.

Doing this for the manufacturing sector is massive for me as I feel like I am helping a huge part of the economy. It is also a very communal sector and I enjoy getting to know different people and create new connections.”

In addition, Shannon didn't think she would be working for a sector which offers little representation of women as only 15% work in manufacturing in the UK. Nonetheless, Shannon felt empowered by this, on top of the fact that HanaTech itself is female-led. She continued:

“My main goal in life is to make a difference and being part of manufacturing in a female-led business and marketing hugely adheres to this.”

Hana Robertson, Director and Founder of HanaTech, urged other businesses to take on apprentices, as Shannon is already an integral part of the business. Hana said:

“Shannon has already exceeded my expectations by growing our social media following by 20% in such a short amount of time. I would highly recommend other businesses to take on apprentices and invest in young talented people.”

2021 Round Up Scoop ?

Glass Factory Software Limited — 14/12/2021

It's the last Newsletter of the year and the biggest! In today's scoop we will look over the past year at HanaTech and refresh our minds at all of the awesome things that have happened...

2021 has been a whirlwind year for many industries and we've been trying to put the world back on it's feet after the pandemic. We've seen places open back up, more face to face events, and a lot of digital transformation which is what we like to see of course... We too have been a part of some great events this year and have met some fantastic people. We believe in sharing positive stories so for our December/End of year Newsletter, an overview of achievements, announcements and projects we've been working on in 2021...

2021: January - March

We started the year with the launch of our Weekly What'sup - A Virtual Headspace: Made for Manufacturers! A space which has now evolved into something truly great which provides our attendees with Industry Support, Ideas & Advice and much more...

Our Women in Manufacturing Blog series was a huge success, featuring great interviews with Female Apprentices and Business Leaders.

We also worked on Digital Job Card and Central Stock Hub bespoke solution projects with Alpha Finishing Ltd. and more...

2021: April - June

During these months we saw the introduction of our innovative product website and name:

T he Glass Factory® App ??

Starting our pilots has been the highlight of this time - working with Frederick Cooper to innovate their business.

We have had some great relationships built: Working with Helen Fortune of the Manufacturing Growth Programme in supporting businesses and continuing our bespoke projects with clients such as Malthouse Engineering Ltd and i2.

Finally, we launched our Back to Basics Starter Packs - A Beginners Guide to industry jargon.

2021: July - September

We sure had a busy time here! Of course, the highlight was winning our Engineering Champion Innovation Award ? This was one of our first face-to-face events and we had a great time celebrating!

There were many other events we were a part of, such as the BCIMO's Factory of the Future event - providing local digitisation support, A Construction Excellence hosted Glass Factory® App Webinar and a live chat with Made in the Midlands.

Alongside all of the exciting events we have been working on more bespoke solutions with Metalogic & Aurubis, as well as a Glass Factory® pilot with Three Way Pressings.

2021: October - December

Going into Spooky Season, we had our Marketer pass her Apprenticeship with flying colours! ?

The projects don't stop: we've been working hard with Iconsys on exciting Robotic Integrations with the Glass Factory® App and the BCIMO 12 hour assist digitisation programme with Track Systems UK.

We've attended the Black Country Chamber of Commerce Mini Expo as well as working with Birmingham City University to see how the Glass Factory® App can help SMEs improve their carbon footprint consumption...

But wait, the year isn't over yet! We still have a huge announcement coming THIS WEEK...

2021 Round Up Blog out now!

Read more detail of our 2021 Round Up on our website and see if we can support your business in 2022 with your digital transformation plans ?✨

READ THE FULL BLOG HERE

Lets take the #WomenInIndustry stories into the new year, so reach out to us if you'd like to be featured in one of our blogs ?‍? ?

We've had a great year with so many more amazing projects and announcements to come! We'd like to say a huge thank you to our clients, followers and friends for supporting us in 2021, we really appreciate you.

Back to Basics - Starter Pack

Glass Factory Software Limited — 02/06/2021

Do we REALLY know the Jargon? ?

We are excited to reveal a little project we've been working on:

HanaTech's Back to Basics - Starter Pack!

WATCH OUR VIDEO BELOW ?

The pack covers 6 topics which we will be revealing over the next few weeks on our website and if that weren't enough, you can even grab a FREE pdf download (don't say we didn't treat you all ?)

After research we have found that although the Manufacturing Industry is full of knowledge and skills, sometimes people aren't aware of what Industrial Jargon means, from beginners to the experienced.

The 1st 2 topics:

- The Change Curve

- What are Processes?

We hope our starter pack is useful to getting that head start ???

Visit our website now to get your Back to Basics download: www.hana-tech.co.uk/back-to-basics