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SOEW Newsletter June 2022 Flipbook PDF
SOEW Newsletter June 2022
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Proudly SOUTH AFRICAN Manufacturer of LOW VOLTAGE Electrical Cables Newsletter June 2022
Winter Greetings, Winter is upon us and we have reached the half way mark of our financial year. Despite a healthy orderbook we did not manage to reach our budgeted numbers. The main causes are the unrest and related issues in the transport sector, power failures and poor factory performance. This is concerning and management will review the short term strategy during the month of July. We have engaged with SEIFSA to assist us with labour matters. On a positive note, we have set SOEW up in the exports market covering the DRC, Mozambique, Zambia and opened up our sales branches in Namibia and South Africa and will continue to explore opportunities as they arise. We have won two municipal tenders without having to deal through third parties. The ICEMBU partnership with a level 1 BBBEE partner was concluded which will not only provide new business opportunities but also contribute towards our BBBEE scorecard.
Individually we are a drop BUT together we are an ocean! Together Everyone Achieves
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Our strategy to become a recognised designer and developer of specialised products is starting to pay dividends in the form of the Prasa/Gibela accreditation as well as the manufacture of Solar cable for PV plants. The new machines will start landing on our shores towards the end of August and we look forward to start manufacturing products for emerging markets before the end of the year. The PV project on the 16 Botha plant is commissioned and we are in the process of placing orders for 12 Botha. By the end of the year we will have a total of 1.7 Megawatts of renewable energy infrastructure in place. Covid restrictions has been eased but we need to remain vigilant to our health. On that note, stay warm, stay positive and let us make a success of the rest of what remains of 2022. I am proud to be part of the winning team.
Andre Smith - CEO
Andre Smith 1 / SOEW • NEWSLETTER • JUNE 2022
TOTAL PRODUCTIVE MAINTENANCE - (TPM) THE BIG IDEA
Getting operators involved in maintaining their own equipment and emphasising proactive and preventive maintenance will lay a foundation for improved production (fewer breakdowns, stops, and defects). TPM is a holistic approach to equipment maintenance that strives to achieve perfect production: • No Breakdowns • No Small Stops or Slow Running • No Defects
The implementation of a TPM program creates a shared responsibility for equipment that encourages greater involvement by plant floor workers. In the right environment this can be very effective in improving productivity (increasing up time, reducing cycle times, and eliminating defects).
In addition it values a safe working environment: • No Accidents TPM emphasises proactive and preventative maintenance to maximise the operational efficiency of equipment. It blurs the distinction between the roles of production and maintenance by placing a strong emphasis on empowering operators to help maintain their equipment.
Traditional TPM Pillars The traditional approach to TPM was developed in the 1960s and consists of 5S as a foundation and eight supporting activities (sometimes referred to as pillars).
The Eight TPM Pillars The eight pillars of TPM are mostly focused on proactive and preventative techniques for improving equipment reliability.
WORLD CLASS RESULTS
06 07
08
Safety, Health & Environment
TPM in Administration
Training and Education
Early Equipment Management
Focused Improvement
Quality Maintenance
02 03 04 05 Planned Maintenance
01 Autonomous Maintenance
TOTAL PRODUCTIVE MAINTENANCE
2 / SOEW • NEWSLETTER • JUNE 2022
The traditional TPM model consists of a 5S foundation (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise, and Sustain) and eight supporting pillars.
5S Foundation The goal of 5S is to create a work environment that is clean and well-organised. It consists of five elements:
1.SORT
eliminate anything that is not truly needed in the work area
2.STRAIGHTEN
4.STANDARDISE create standards for performing the above three activities
5.SUSTAIN
ensure the standards are regularly applied
organise the remaining items
IMPROVED
3.SHINE clean and inspect the work area
PRODUCTIVITY Sort
5s System
Sustain
Standardise
Straighten
Shine
It should be reasonably intuitive how 5S creates a foundation for well-running equipment. For example, in a clean and well-organised work environment, tools and parts are much easier to find, and it is much easier to spot emerging issues such as fluid leaks, material spills, metal shavings from unexpected wear, hairline cracks in mechanisms, etc. 3 / SOEW • NEWSLETTER • JUNE 2022
Employee Wellbeing/Engagement What is Employee wellbeing and engagement? Employees who feel connected to their organisation work harder, stay longer, and motivate others to do the same. Employee wellbeing affects just about every important aspect of the organisation, including profitability, revenue, customer experience, employee turnover, and more. Research shows that 92% of business leaders believe that engaged employees perform better, boosting the success of their teams and the outcomes of their organisations. There’s a lot of information out there about how to improve employee wellbeing – some credible, some not. HR leaders have heard a wide variety of employee wellbeing definitions before, but what exactly is employee wellbeing? Employee wellbeing is the strength of the mental and emotional connection employees feel towards the work they do, their teams, and organisation. Focus should be on a productive and healthy workplace.
Employee Wellbeing is measured through an engagement metric
Evolution of research over time
Engagement
Commitment
Satisfaction
Engagement is the state of emotional and intellectual involvement that motivates Employees to do their best work
Employees behave in ways that positively influence business performance
Employees’ intent in wanting to contribute to business performance?
How much do Employees like it here?
Say Employee consistently speak positively about the organisation to co-workers, potential Employees, and customers
Correlation between Employee surveys and business performance
4 / SOEW • NEWSLETTER • JUNE 2022
Stay Employees have an intense desire to be a member of the organisation
Strive Employees are motivated to exert extra effort and engage in work that contributes to business success
World Class
Manufacturing
SOEW OEE (Overhaul Equipment Effectiveness) Planned maintenance is a key contributor to the overall performance of SOEW. The maintenance team is committed to ensure that our machines are kept at the best possible condition all the time. This takes a lot of input from all departments at SOEW. Our machines have to be reliable so that we meet our commitments to our customers. We therefore measure 3 main indices to gauge our maintenance performance.
1. Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF) This metric measures the amount of time it takes for a machine to encounter a breakdown. In other words, if a machine starts running today, how many hours can it operate before it hits the first breakdown. We therefore aim to have this measure as long as possible. A longer MTBF means that the machine is reliable and can be counted on to deliver on intended production.
2. Mean Time To Repair (MTTR) This metric measures the amount of time taken to get the machine back into a running state after encountering a breakdown. It can also be used as an indicator for maintenance turnaround time. It also provides an indication of the maintenance skills available. A shorter MTTR indicates good performance while a longer MTTR is detrimental to the business.
3. Plant Availability Plant availability the amount of time the machine is available to run in a given time. A higher availability enables business profitability by availing a higher operating time to production. A longer MTBF and shorter MTTR results in higher plant availability. At the time of writing, the average availability was over 94%. To achieve these objectives the SOEW has implemented planned maintenance across the whole factory by doing the following: i. Scheduling all machines on an annual maintenance plan. When the machine is due for maintenance, it is withdrawn from production and maintenance work is done on the entire machine. ii. Regular machine inspections to determine machine condition. iii. Liaising with production/process management and operators to determine maintenance priorities. iv. Developing machine specific procedures for every piece of equipment at SOEW. v. Regular lubrication schedules. vi. Trend analysis of the key maintenance indicators to ascertain effectiveness of maintenance activities. vii. Performing machine improvements to simplify or enhance machine reliability.
5 / SOEW • NEWSLETTER • JUNE 2022
Cybersecurity Company Initiatives Catch a Phish Tool Program A number of exciting initiatives are starting to bear fruit to support the overall business goals at SOEW. As many might know, South Africa is battling with crippling electricity shortages. The traditional energy sources like thermal and hydro generation are failing to meet the growing energy demand both in South Africa and the region at large. This has shifted focus to renewable sources of energy. The demand for solar energy has therefore grown exponentially in the last few years. To take advantage of this growth, SOEW has embarked on a project to develop both capacity and capability to manufacture solar cables. Manufacture of prototypes will begin in February, followed by type testing and industrialisation. Still on product development, the Public Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) is currently busy with a massive project to build new locomotives and refurbish existing ones. SOEW has partnered with Gibela-rail, the PRASA appointed agent, to develop rail/locomotive cable that will be used in this massive project. Most of the materials required to produce the first prototypes are already on site and the factory is already gearing up to kick off production of the first samples. Entry into these markets requires investment into extra plant and equipment. In this vein SOEW has already procured two extra bunching machines and one fine wire drawing machine. These machines are key in the production of the class 5 conductors required in both solar and rail cable. At the time of writing, installation and commissioning of these machines had already commenced. A few other pieces of equipment to complement these machines are being procured. More details will follow in the coming months.
Cybercrime of phishing is STILL one of the top attack methods used by cyber criminals and if you click on a phishing email or a link you should not click on, you could possibly be responsible for a cyber breach. Introducing our new Catch Phish Email Analysis Tool, which gives you around-the-clock access to catch phishing or spam emails right inside your Outlook email application! With this tool you will gain confidence in your ability to spot phishing emails yourself, earn points on your Dashboard, and most importantly learn the necessary skills to protect yourself, your family, and the business from cyber criminals. We had 2 employees in May that “caught” a phish. Well done! Keep up the Great Work!!! Let’s build on our Cybersecurity culture within SOEW!!
We have started our Paper and Plastic recycling programme for the greater good of our Company!
Let’s all get ready for the exiting times ahead! 6 / SOEW • NEWSLETTER • JUNE 2022
Sales & Marketing The success of any business relies on various vital factors. These factors range from the head role the CEO plays within the company, all the way to the staff that ensure the very foundation and building that is SOEW, remains in its peak condition. Each factor and sector are just as important as the next, as they all play a role in creating an environment for a business to thrive. Much like the tiny organisms within an eco-system that relay on each other to grow and develop. There is one factor within South Ocean that maintains not only a vital role, but an extremely valuable one at that. That factor being sales, and more specifically the individuals that construct the Sales Department. The Sales department remains
one of the key elements that create and drive the stream of revenue that flows into the company. A business cannot maintain its existence without the bridge that sales and marketing create to get the products and services from production, all the way to the consumer. The department helps to turn what is a simple cable enquiry, into an actual sale. It only takes one good sale from a dedicated salesperson, to form a relationship with a customer that could last a lifetime. And the value of a returning customer is unmatched. This is all made possible through our various departments, sales, production, finance, procurement, and dispatch.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time”. Thomas Edison 7 / SOEW • NEWSLETTER • JUNE 2022