The Mystery of Modernisation
Some years ago, a prominent South African forestry company came up with the saying, “It’s time to put down the axe.” The industry modernised, expanding its operations into new products and becoming a world leader in some of them.
Our industry is now at a similar inflection point. It’s time for a new era of modernisation.
At Dolphin Bay, we’ve seen that special things happen when you modernise a process, system, or company.
We saw it when we updated our accounting software about 15 years ago. After years of working with a basic, manual system, we implemented an ERP system. The results were felt in the fabric of our business and the impact was more than worth the initial cost. Today, we wonder how we ever lived without it!
The same thing happened when we automated our factories. The upfront costs were daunting, but we knew there was no value in holding back. And again, the impact was profound. Our new, modernised factories have transformed our company culture, raising our morale and sense of professionalism, and putting our business in a completely different league to where it was.
There’s a mystery involved when you modernise, especially when the changes are focused on improving how systems, rather than individual people, get work done.
Building enthusiasm, confidence, and vision
We’re confident that we’ll see similarly transformative results with our Pro-Treat system (including Pro-Treat Lite).
There’s a mystery involved when you modernise – especially when the changes are focused on improving how systems, rather than individual people, get work done.
The true value of modernisation goes far beyond buying new or better equipment. Modernisation fosters enthusiasm and confidence in our teams and takes the business – and its people – to the next level.
But modernisation requires investment, and many organisations either balk at the cost or try to do it on a shoestring budget. That’s a mistake, although we’ve had the experience ourselves: first comes is the vision of something wonderful and new, then we ask for a quotation and get scared off by the cost. Eventually, we decide to implement the new system – and then something mysterious happens. The business takes a step upwards, doing even better than before.
Spend now, to earn more later
What did we learn? That modernisation must be a whole-hearted commitment. This doesn’t mean breaking the bank; it means doing things properly and being committed to the process, to the business, and to the industry.
When we’re stuck perceiving cost as a barrier to change, we’re blinded to the opportunities that investing in business growth can bring. Sure, there’s a price involved; but there’s also a bigger picture.
We are spending now to earn more later and are investing in a positive upward trajectory.
I can only say this with hindsight: perhaps if you’re not, to some extent, startled at the cost of modernisation, you might have missed an opportunity. Best to take another look!
Unfortunately, few people ever look beyond that up-front cost. But those brave enough to do so are setting themselves up for the next step in their business evolution.
Are we motivated by profit or growth?
Modernisation is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage and a hefty dose of caution. Every decision you make must be sustainable and driven by the motive of getting a job done as well and efficiently as possible. The focus cannot solely be on extracting profits, but rather on building the business – and there’s a big difference between the two.
The former is about greed; the latter is about growth.
We’re seeing all of this play out in Pro-Treat Books. It is modernising treatment processes, moving them from manual processes into a system that is digitised, automated, and highly accurate.
The people using it – the operators and operation managers – are excited about it. We see it in their eyes: they’re motivated, proud of what they do, and carry themselves with a greater sense of professionalism.
We’re seeing the mystery of modernisation unfolding in their businesses.
People change for the better
Plants that use Pro-Treat produce far greater quantities of product, but we don’t see people running around feeling stressed or getting burnt out. They’re calm and dignified as they work, because Pro-Treat does the work, while the people monitor and manage it.
This creates a much more pleasant working environment and leaves people feeling proud of their jobs.
This is modernisation done correctly: it’s not about changing people, although the people will change as the system does. It builds confidence and opens up a new vision.
It’s time for our industry to modernise. It is time for us to put down the pen and evolve, just like the forestry industry evolved when it put down the axe all those years ago.
Source: Dolphin Bay
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