2002 Brochure Final TCS 2002

8/9/2019 2002 Brochure Final TCS 2002

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/2002-brochure-final-tcs-2002 1/52

1

Contents

TCS AWARDS 2002

Introduction 2 - 3

The Selection Process 4 - 7

The Event 8 - 9

The Trophies 10

‘Business Leader of Tomorrow’ Awards - The Winners 11 - 15

Winning TCS Programmes 16 - 31

Other Highly-Rated TCS Programmes 32 - 52

Further Information 53



2

TCS AWARDS 2002

At the heart of every TCS Programme has been atleast one project ‘owned’ and carried out by one

or more high calibre graduates – TCS Associates.

Central to the strategic development of the

companies involved, they have drawn on the

knowledge and expertise of senior staff from the

knowledge base partners, together with the help,

support and commitment of senior personnel

from the companies.

This brochure features the seven TCS Programmescompleted in 2001 whose achievements were

recognised at the TCS Awards 2002 event at

One Great George Street, London SW1,

on Thursday 5 December 2002.

Brief details of the other 21 highly rated TCS

Programmes considered for a TCS Award in 2002

are also included. Together they serve to

demonstrate the wide range of business issues

covered by TCS Programmes and the benefits

that have accrued to participants. As can also beseen, the ‘company partners’ that participated in

the 28 Programmes for which entries forconsideration as TCS Award Winners in 2002

were submitted ranged from very large to quite

small. They also represented a wide range of

business sectors and a variety of groups in the

knowledge base. The breadth of participants and

the outcomes illustrate how TCS (previously

known as the ‘Teaching Company Scheme’)

developed since its early days in 1975 as the

manufacturing equivalent to Teaching Hospitals.

The TCS mechanism has not only delivered

immediate improvements and continuing and

lasting benefits for participating companies, but also

for the graduates who participated as TCS

Associates. It has had a positive impact on the

careers in business of many of them and so, in 2002,

we introduced a new category of award for

Associates in order to identify potential Business

Leaders of Tomorrow (see pages 11 - 15 of this

brochure for more details).

For many years TCS has enabled businesses of all types to take advantage of the wide range of

expertise available in the UK’s knowledge base (higher education institutions and public and

private sector research institutes and organisations). Through TCS, knowledge transfer

partnerships (TCS Programmes) have been formed between UK businesses and groups of staff

from the UK’s knowledge base organisations, often from different disciplines.

Introduction



3

The Mission and Objectives of TCS as agreed by the TCS Sponsors following the 1996 Review of TCS

were as follows:

The Missio n

t To strengthen the competitiveness and wealth creation of the UK by the stimulation of

innovation in industry through collaborative partnerships between the science, engineering

and technology base and industry.

The Objectives

t To facilitate the transfer of technology and the spread of technical

and management skills, and to encourage industrial investment in training,

research and development;

t to provide industry based training, supervised jointly by personnel in the science,

engineering and technology base and in business, for high calibre graduates intending to

pursue careers in industry;

t to enhance the levels of research and training in the science, engineering and technology

base that is relevant to business by stimulating collaborative research and development

projects and forging lasting partnerships between the science, engineering and

technology base and business.

All TCS Programmes have been part funded by Government grants paid to the knowledge base partner

organisations. The grants have contributed to the costs they incurred through participating in a

particular TCS Programme whilst the balance of the cost was borne by the company partners.

Day-to-day management of TCS has been contracted out by Government since 1988, latterly within

the terms of a contract between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Technology Transfer

and Innovation Ltd, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Serco Group plc. Policy responsibility has

remained within Government and transferred to the Small Business Service (SBS) when it was

established as an agency of DTI in April 2000, with the SBS acting on behalf of the eleven public

sector bodies funding TCS Programmes.

Introduction



4

The TCS Programme Awards in 2002 were for the participants in the very best TCS Programmes

completed during 2001.

The process for selecting the seven Winning Programmes started with the Final Reports submitted jointly

by the knowledge base and company partners and by the Associate(s) on completion of their TCS

Programmes. All Final Reports describe the work undertaken, the issues faced, how they were overcome

and the benefits that accrued; each was sent to two members of an independent Grading Panel who assessed

the completed Programmes and awarded grades from 1 (very successful) to 6 (no success).

The TCS Grading Panel Members at the end of the year 2001, who we thank for their efforts, were:

Mr Bob Andrews Managing Director, Fulcrum Systems Ltd

Professor Fen Arthur Deputy Vice-Chancellor, The University of Huddersfield

Mr Tim Att erton Previously Executive Director, Durham University Small Business Service

Mrs Susan Bird Partner, Bird Acoustics

Mr Paul Bradstock Chief Executive, The Oxford Trust

Mr Tony Coppen Retired TCS Consultant

Professor Colin Dennis Director-General Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association

Dr Mike Doel Deputy Scientific Liaison Officer, Food Technology Unit, DEFRA

(DEFRA funded Programmes only)

Mr Ian Ferguson Director, Photek Limited

Mr Bill Ferguson Previously Head of the International Business Group, Durham University

Professor Bob Hollier Previously Head of Manchester School of Management, UMIST

Professor David Johns CBE Previously Vice-Chancellor, University of Bradford

Professor John Mavor Then Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Napier University

Mr Willie Print ie Operations Director, Ethicon Ltd

Mrs Lynda Purser Executive Director, Learning & Skills Council –

Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire

Mr John Vautier Senior Partner, The Ferndale Enterprise

Professor Michael Wright Vice-Chancellor, Aston University

Selection of the Winning Progr ammes

The Selection Process



5

Out of the 246 TCS Programmes completed in 2001, the participants in the 122 Programmes graded 1

or 2 by the Grading Panel were, in July 2002, invited to submit an entry for an Award giving

information about:

t the innovation achieved through the Programme;

t benefits to the company;

t benefits to the knowledge base partner;

t benefits to the Associate(s); and

t the strength of the continuing relationship between the company and knowledge base partner.

Twenty-eight entries were received and the entries were considered independently by Dr Ed Robson,

TCS Director and by Deputy Directors Dr Dave Pippard and Mr John Monniot. This resulted in

seven TCS Programmes being declared the TCS Awards 2002 Winning Programmes.




6

The participants in those seven Winning Programmes exhibited aspects of their Programme

immediately prior to the beginning of the afternoon element of the TCS Awards 2002 event and then,

in turn, gave presentations in the Telford Theatre of One Great George Street. A Judging Panel (named

and pictured below), having previously read the written submissions and talked to the participants,

listened to their presentations before deciding which of the seven Programmes should be the recipients

of Special Awards in the following four categories:

t Best TCS Programme;

t Engineering Excellence (sponsored by The Royal Academy of Engineering);

t Best Application of Social or Management Science (sponsored by the

Economic and Social Research Council); and

t Best Application of Technology and Knowledge.

The TCS Programme Awards Judging Panel Members in 2002 (from left to right in the picture)

Mr Jon Burch, CBE - Executive Secretary, Royal Academy of Engineering

Mr Dick Whitcutt - Director, Industry in Education

Dr Ian Harrison - Innovation Group, DTI

Dr Ed Robson, OBE - TCS Director




7

A new category of TCS Award was introduced in 2002. This was for TCS Associates in the second year

of their TCS Project who were judged to be ‘Business Leaders of Tomorrow’.

Company and Knowledge Base Supervisors in TCS Programmes who had an Associate who began, or

would begin, their second year during 2002, were invited to submit nominations for their Associate(s) to

receive a ‘Business Leader of Tomorrow’ award. Both Supervisors were asked to support submissions where,

in their opinion, the Associate had demonstrated significant capability in leading a business development.

They were asked to cover the following points in their nominations:

t how the Associate had identified and championed opportunities for

commercial benefits;

t how the Associate had managed the successful delivery of a challenging

commercial advancement;

t how the Associate had motivated, inspired, influenced and supported

people to work to a common objective.

They were also asked to give further reasons why they believed that the Associate would develop into

an exceptional business leader by taking account of the following personal attributes:

t judgement

t goal orientation

t integrity

t ability to motivate

t drive

t initiative

t objectivity

t astuteness

t ability to persuade

t resource management ability

Thirty nominations were received and each nomination gained support from the appropriate TCS

Consultant. The nominations were then considered by TCS Director Dr Ed Robson and Mr John

Sutton, Assistant Director in the Small Business Service, who selected ten of the nominees to be short-

listed for the new award.

On 22 November, Mr Neil Southern from the Chartered Management Institute and Dr Tim Weber

from BBC News Online joined Ed Robson and John Sutton to meet the ten short-listed candidates.

Each candidate gave a ten-minute presentation followed by questions from the Panel and five were

selected to receive the accolade of ‘Business Leader of Tomorrow’.

The TCS ‘Bus iness Lea der of Tomorrow ’ Aw ard s




8

The TCS Awards 2002 Event December 2002

One Grea t George Street, Wes tmins ter , London

After a buffet lunch and the opportunity to visit exhibits by this year’s seven winning partnerships, an

invited audience heard a series of short presentations by the Winning TCS Programme teams describing the

achievements made by the company, the knowledge base partner and the TCS Associate. Following these

presentations the five Associates who were the winners of the ‘Business Leader of Tomorrow’ award (see pages

11 to 15) were introduced, both in person and by means of 2 minutes long video profiles.

That evening, at the TCS Awards 2002 ‘Black Tie’ Dinner in the Great Hall of One Great George Street,

the five Business Leaders of Tomorrow award winners were presented with specially designed trophies and

framed certificates by Lord Sainsbury of Turville, Minister for Science and Innovation, who also presented

trophies and certificates to the participants in the seven winning TCS Programmes, with the Associates

receiving cheques. For details of these 7 Programmes see pages 16 to 31 where the winners of the Special

Awards are also identified.

TCS Awards – The Event



9

Speaking before presenting the awards, Lord Sainsbury said:

“Inn ovation an d collaboration between the knowledge base an d bu siness are at the top of the

Government's agenda and last week the Government announced two major reviews to improveinnovation throughout the UK economy. Boosting innovation in the UK economy is a key factor in

our efforts to drive up UK productivity. We want to look more closely at how markets drive

innovation through the application of knowledge, know-how and skills to new products, services

an d processes, and through new ways of doing business. The best businesses, such as the m ajority of

those participating in TCS, know already that innovation is key to their business success.

I am delighted to be here tonight to make the awards and offer my congratulations to all the winners, the

businesses, the academics and, particularly, the graduates who have faced the challenge of being a TCS

Associate and have come through with flying colours and have made their contribution to raising the

level of inn ovation in this country”.

Lord Sainsbury speaking at the Awards event

TCS Awards – The Event



10

TCS Awards - The Trophies

The trophies, both for the Business Leaders of Tomorrow and the Winning Programmes were designed and

produced by Miller, Craig and Locking Ltd based on ideas contributed by the personnel in Small Business

Service and Technology Transfer and Innovation Ltd.



11

Business Leader of Tomorrow Awards - The Winners

Philip Ba in

Philip was the TCS Associate on a Programme between PROTEUS (NI) Ltd, in Belfast and the Urban

Institute, University of Ulster at Jordanstown. The aim of his TCS Programme was to develop aneffective marketing strategy, packaging and promotion of existing, as well as new, services to secure

new contracts in the UK and to open up the Eastern European market. Philip has a BA in Business

Studies from the University of Ulster.

When interviewed, Philip said “The entrepreneurial part of the work has primarily come from me

driving the business direction. You need to have a vision and make sure the Board of Directors and

staff buy in to that vision. Understan d your product. In 5 years time I see myself as a company director.

The Business Leader of Tomorrow Award was confirmation of where I thought my career was going.

For Proteus and myself, we are proud, as a Northern Ireland based company, to win such a

prestigious UK award.”



12


Tom Holmes

Tom was the Associate on a TCS Programme between P & L Systems Ltd, North Yorkshire and the School of

Design, University of Northumbria at Newcastle. The purpose of his TCS Programme was to develop abroad based design programme for the company with the intention of manufacturing new products and

bringing them to market. Tom has a BA degree in Design for Industry from the University of Northumbria.

Interviewed before he knew he was a winner of a Business Leader of Tomorrow award, Tom said

“I’ve told the MD his job isn’t secure anymore! The TCS Program me provided me with the opportunity to

move into a Design Directorship role in future with a spin-off company. I’m enjoying so much grabbing

hold of a company, driving it forward, considering how we can improve, how we can get bigger, what

the opportunities are.”

Afterwards he commented

“My professional passion for design has been enhanced by the fast track route that TCS has given me to

a senior strategic role within the company. The presen tation of this award highlights how the TCS

Program me has encouraged and developed m y future career.”



13


Lindsay Stone

Lindsay was the TCS Associate on a Programme between French Joinery Ltd, East Sussex and the

Centre for Research in Innovation Management, University of Brighton. This was established toimprove and enhance the company’s business planning and management information systems in order

to prepare it for its next stage of growth and development. Lindsay is a Royal Holloway, University of

London, graduate with a BSc in Economics.

Asked about her future, Lindsay said “I see myself as a senior business person helping a company to

obtain growth an d be successful”.

Interviewed after receiving her award, she said

“I was so pleased to be nominated for the Business Leader of Tomorrow Award an d both m y supervisor

and I were thrilled to win. TCS has given me an excellent start to my career, providing a challenging

Programme with good opportunities for personal development and I look forward to pursuing a career

to a senior level.”



14

Business Leader of Tomorrow Award - The Winners

Stua rt Wrigh t

Stuart was the Associate on a TCS Programme between Rototek Limited, Nottinghamshire and the

Department of Design and Technology, Loughborough University. The aim of his TCS Programme wasto establish a product design capability in the company and capitalise on the ensuing business

opportunities. Stuart holds a BA in Industrial Design and Technology from Loughborough University.

Before he knew he was one of the winners, Stuart said “The most important thin g is to have a vision

an d achieve that vision by gain ing trust and support from people”.

Later he said “I think TCS has given m e a great start towards a career in man agemen t. The benefits for

everyone involved with my Programme have surpassed all expectations and winning one of the Business

Leader of Tomorrow Awards really encourages me that what we are doing is right.”



15


Ta ra Young

Tara was the Associate on a TCS Programme between Worthington Manufacturing Ltd, Cheshire and

the Department of Textiles, UMIST. The goal of her TCS Programme was to transfer new technologyproviding precise colour match of various material types after dyeing to give right time colour match,

reduce production costs and improve productivity and competitiveness. Tara is a UMIST graduate with

a BSc in Textile Science and Technology.

When interviewed, Tara said “If you can comm unicate your ideas across to other people an d

motivate them then you can be successful. I feel TCS has given me the dual benefit of University and

business, allowing me to maintain my academic development alongside business learning. It has

enabled me to apply my knowledge in an industrial environment. As a result, my personal

development and career have accelerated at all levels.”



16

Winner of the Best TCS Programme and Engineering

Excellence Awards

This small engineering firm is

able to confidently forecast a

profit for the first time in four

years thanks to its new and

improved product range

developed as a result of TCS.

Ducker Engineering Ltd and the Dep artment of Engineer ing,

Lancaster University

TCS Associate: Elton Xhemali, a graduate in Computer-Aided Engineering

fro m Sheffield Hallam Univers ity

The Programme was sponsored by EPSRC

Winning TCS Programmes

Engineering firm cleans up

Prior to this TCS Programme, the future of this small Kendal-based engineering firm looked ominous.

The market for its existing product range, which is in the field of work wear and garment drying and

handling equipment used in commercial laundries, was in decline and its waning business was further

threatened from increased international competition.



17


Through TCS, Ducker enlisted the aid of

Lancaster University’s Department of Engineering

to improve its existing product range.

Sophisticated, but user friendly, integrated

Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) was

introduced to facilitate these improvements.

During the installation of the CAE, a previous

business acquaintance of the company brought in a

proposal that would add a completely new product

to Ducker’s portfolio, enabling it to exploit a new

niche market both in the UK and overseas.

The first continuous hand towel processing

machine, named ‘Revolution’, was the result of

the combined efforts of the business associate’s

process knowledge, the company’s own

manufacturing expertise and the understanding

of CAE which TCS Associate Elton Xhemali

brought to the Programme. The innovative

new system made the transition from design

concept to fully functioning prototype within

nine months, an achievement which previously

would have taken between two to three years.

Since its launch, sales of the new product have

improved in consecutive years and, as a result,

the company is able to forecast a profit for the

first time in four years. In the first quarter of the

2001/02 business year, Ducker doubled its export

turnover compared to previous years and expects

to do even better before the end of the 2002/03

financial year.



18

In addition to increased sales, the company has

decreased wastage costs resulting from less

redesign and manufacturing rework, which was a

significant cost in its earlier old-fashioned design

processes.

Staff training in CAE also means that they have

the capability to actively remodel those parts of

the company’s existing range which still have

market potential, stripping out unnecessary parts

and processes, and therefore costs, and improving

product quality and reliability.

Initially, Ducker was forced to make redundancies

to ensure the firm’s survival. However, as a result

of the improved manufacturing processes and the

new product, the company was able to safeguard

remaining jobs and in 2001 increased engineering

based jobs by 25%.

The expertise gained by the University’s

Engineering Department’s involvement in this

TCS Programme has been used as a model of how

3D CAE integration can transform a business.

This evidence was invaluable in helping to secure

a “Virtual Prototyping Project” award worth

£600,000 from the European Regional

Development Fund. This support will be used to

replicate the experience in at least fifteen SMEs in

the North West of England.

Elton Xhemali now works as the company’s Chief

Design Engineer and is undertaking a part-time

MPhil at the University. He is also making a

significant contribution to the teaching of CAE at

Lancaster University.

Mr. David Dawson, lead academic on the TCS

Programme, is maintaining links with the

company through the MPhil project supervision

and has also assisted Elton Xhemali to obtain

full chartered membership of the Institution of

Mechanical Engineers.

Elton’s experience with Ducker Engineering

extends far beyond simply gaining industrial

awareness and he is currently applying his new-

found expertise to a project to design and

manufacture another innovative product which

the company hopes will attract global sales.

Lisa Crossley, Managing Director of Ducker

Engineering Ltd, said “The whole TCS experience

has made a very significant difference to the

staff and owners of Ducker. We have renewed

confidence and now the tools to tackle our next

new design project, which will be to produce a

totally new an d in novative machine for our

worldwide m arket. We have seen our sales grow

and in particular our exports. The awards we

have recently won have been a boost to all the

staff and confirmed their belief in the company

an d their own ability to achieve excellence.”




19


Winner of the Bes t Ap p lica tion of Socia l and Management

Science Award

A new marketing strategy

developed during this TCS

Programme has had a

profound affect on the way

Xpert Systems conducts

business.

Xpert Systems Ltd and the Schoo l of Management,

Univers ity o f Manches ter Ins titu te o f Science and Technology

TCS Associate: Jade Parkinson-Hill, a graduate in Strategic Marketing

Management from UMIST University, Manchester

The Programme was sponsored by DTI and ESRC

Market forcesThe introduction and development of a major marketing capability has enabled this supplier and

maintainer of computer systems and networks to be streets ahead of the competition.

Prior to their TCS Programme, Xpert Systems, a medium-sized business in Warrington, Lancashire,

conducted marketing activities on an ad hoc and tactical basis like many of its closest rivals.



20


As a consequence of lacking a well constructed and

forward thinking marketing strategy, the company

was failing to see, and subsequently exploit,

potential business opportunities.

All this changed when Xpert Systems joined forces

with UMIST’s School of Management and used

TCS to develop an effective marketing capability.

TCS has enabled the company to engage in

effective strategic marketing and develop a clearly

defined differentiated market position, enhancing

the company’s performance in a highly competitive

and turbulent environment.

The company’s newly formed Marketing

Department, headed by Jade Parkinson-Hill,

previously the Associate on the TCS Programme, is

now responsible for all facets of marketing,

including detailed market and competitive analysis

and the creation of innovative communications

campaigns, both of which have given Xpert

Systems a significant edge over its competitors.

The company also underwent a complete re-

branding during the TCS Programme. Xpert’s new

proactive brand identity conveys a consistent

market-positioning message, which has led to a

strengthening of customer and partner relations.

These transformations have turned Xpert

Systems into a sales-led company with a need for

a strong marketing competence and enabled it

to capitalise on its in-depth technical resources,thereby securing business.

Xpert’s participation in TCS has also resulted in

an increased market share. Turnover during the

2001/02 financial year grew to £30 million, £5

million of which was directly contributable tothe outcomes of the TCS Programme.



21

The academics involved were able to monitor

and record each stage of Xpert’s strategic

development, the research into which has

provided insights into the strategic management

of a company operating in a ‘high-velocity’

environment. This information has resulted in

the publication of academic papers and formed

the basis for seminars at high profile

conferences. The research has also generated new

teaching material for both undergraduates and

postgraduates.

Jade Parkinson-Hill, now Xpert’s Marketing

Manager, has since completed an MPhil

at UMIST. Her role in this Programme provided

Jade with an exceptional level of marketing

experience. She said "I thoroughly enjoyed my

time as a TCS Associate. It has given me

confidence to take my career onto the next

level", she said.




22

Grand designs

Prior to this TCS Programme, new product development at this small company in Dunmurry, Belfast,

was led by the Managing Director of the company. This limited the development of a contemporary

and competitive product range, restricting the company’s growth. Together with the School of

Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ulster, James Leckey Design established a

TCS Programme to help create a new in-house design capability with the resources to take innovative

products from concept to production.

Innovation and growth were

the main achievements of

this TCS Programme, which

played a key role in the

company becoming a global

leader in its market.


Winner of the Bes t Ap p lication of Technology and Know ledge Aw ard

James Leckey Design Ltd and the School of Electr ica l and Mecha nical Engineer ing,

University of Ulster

TCS Associates: Steven Simpson, a Technology and Design graduate, and Colin

Cochr ane, an Engineer ing gra du ate, both from the Univers ity of Ulster at Jord ansto w n

The Programme was sponsored by DTI



23

The new design team consisted of a new design

manager and two TCS Associates, one a product

design graduate to focus on developing new

products and the other a process engineer to focus

on implementing design for manufacture and

improving quality and efficiency.

The TCS Programme provided the means and

training to improve and extend the use of CAD

and CAM technology. New products were

modelled on sophisticated 3D software before

being output directly to CNC machines for

manufacture.

The Associates pioneered new design methods to

improve the aesthetics, functionality and ease of

manufacture of new and existing products. With

these procedures in place the company was

awarded ISO 9002 certification for design

activities.

As a direct result of TCS, James Leckey Design

has introduced three new innovative products,

several new processes (in-house and

subcontracted) and substantially improved two

existing products. The new design procedures and

technologies developed during the Programme

have also enabled the launch of four new product

ranges since its completion.

This new and comprehensive product range has

enabled the company to expand and pursue a

global market.

As a result, its annual turnover has increased from

£2.9m to £3.8m over the last two years, with the

export sales of new products accounting for over

90% of the growth. The new products have also

allowed the company to maintain its leading UK

market share against increasing competition.

Staff at the university have benefited from

their involvement in the planning and

implementation of the new design facility,

in particular gaining first hand experience of

sophisticated 3D CAD tools. These experiences

have enhanced the relevance of lecture materials

through case studies and provided real world

subjects for four undergraduate dissertations,

fifty-four final year group projects and several

MSc dissertations.

At the end of the TCS Programme, both Steven

Simpson and Colin Cochrane, the TCS

Associates, accepted permanent positions as

Design Engineers in the company. They have

gained valuable training and experience in

design, manufacturing, business and

communication skills and one has graduated

with an MSc in Industrial Practice.




24

Working for a better environment

CSMA Consultants Ltd, based in Redruth, Cornwall, has provided the mineral industry with a range of

consultancy services since 1987. It is now part of the Wardell Armstrong Group, a major

environmental and engineering consultancy. By participating in TCS, the development of an optimal

computerised methodology for environmental impact assessments for wind farm and other renewable

energy sources has significantly improved CSMA’s business capability.

CSMA Consultants Ltd and the Cambor ne Schoo l of Mines,

Univers ity o f Ex eter

TCS Ass ocia te: Mar tyn Hay w ood , an Environmental Science gra du ate of

Exeter University

The Programme was sponsored by DTI and NERC

The introduction of new

methodology and softwarethrough TCS has enabledthis company to break intonew markets.


Winner of the Bes t Ap p lication of Technology and Know ledge Aw ard



25

Current and innovative software was utilised to

achieve this goal, enabling the company to

provide its customers with accurate

environmental statements faster than its previous

capacity allowed. In addition, CSMA’s knowledge

of UK and EU planning legislation has

significantly improved.

The understanding of the renewable energy

industry for new commercial contacts was also

enhanced and it now has capability to produce

environmental impact assessments to compliment

its previous activities. The capacity to produce

environmental statements faster also means that

CSMA can offer its services to clients at a lower

cost, adding to its competitiveness. It has lead to

the company’s increased diversity with a significant

proportion of its renewable energy projects being

based upon environmental assessment

requirements.

The success of the TCS Programme with the

Camborne School of Mines, most notably the

introduction of new methodology and software,

has enabled the company to enter new markets.

As a result, they have experienced a significant

increase in their market share and annual

turnover is up by £100,000. The company is now

in a position to confidently predict further

turnover and profit increases. In addition to the

financial benefits resulting from participation in

TCS, staff training was also improved and two

new staff roles in environmental science and

planning were created.

CSMA’s improved capabilities have attracted

further project investment, such as an

Environmental Impact Assessment contract worth

£50,000 for wind farm development in the East

of England. CSMA also won a contract with a

major developer to produce environmental reports

for it’s West of England projects worth in excess

of £500,000 over 5 years.

The academics involved have benefited from an

improved understanding of the commercial

implications for renewable energy. This has

resulted in the publication of several research

papers, the creation of case study material and

increased industrial links. The TCS Programme

also played a significant role in the establishment

of a new course at the University – BSc in

Renewable Energy. Further opportunities for

research funding were also identified.

The TCS Associate, Martyn Haywood, is now a

full-time Environmental Scientist at the company

and has had much of his work, based on the TCS

Programme, published. He has also submitted an

MPhil and is now a registered member of the

Institute of Environmental Management and

Assessment (IEMA).




26

Pioneers in music

In the wake of the computer memory market crash in the mid to late 1990s, Memory Corporation Ltd

was looking to diversify its business utilising technology developed for its memory management

business model. However, the company lacked both the time and resources to bring an initial idea to

commercial fruition.

Dig Limited and the School of Comp uting,

Nap ier Univer s ity, Ed inburgh

TCS Ass ocia te: David Oxley, a gra du ate in Multimedia Technology

from Napier Univers ity


Cutting edge multimediatechnology developed withthe help of TCS attractedworldwide media attention.




27

Through TCS, Memory Corporation Ltd forged a

partnership with Napier University, Edinburgh,

to provide leading-edge technology, further

research and an enhanced mix of skills and

knowledge to adapt to a fast changing

marketplace. Napier has a long track record in

TCS over the past fifteen years having completed

more than eighty TCS Programmes.

Key technologies from the company were coupled

with the academic partner’s knowledge of

multimedia technology, legal considerations and

new product adoption lifecycles, to create an

innovative product range. This led to a "proof of

concept" of the Music Store technology, bringing

with it patent applications in areas such as Hard-

disk Interface, feasibility of high speed encoding

and new CD format for potential future methods

of copy protection. The company was able to

exploit these new concepts to competitive

advantage across its entire product range.

Early on, the TCS Programme faced a major

challenge when the marketplace underwent rapid

changes following the arrival of Napster and

MP3.com. The ideas in the Programme were then

made tangible, not in silicon chips as first

envisaged but in business models and file formats

and the ability of TCS Associate David Oxley to

help bring devices to market.

Products went on sale, mainly in the USA,

attracting international media attention. This

success resulted in the formation of a US-based

start-up company, Dig-Media.

Work continued with products and services being

mainly for the US market but as Memory

Corporation was dissolved in July 2002 a

new company, Dig Ltd, was formed.

Based in Leith, Dig Ltd develops tools for content

providers and business models for on-line sales

and distribution of digital content. These tools

are the most obvious manifestation of the original

objective as they embed the copy protection at

the heart of the new business processes of record

companies. Dig is now able to exploit these ideas

in other domains.

Napier University’s School of Computing

underwent a major restructure during this TCS

Programme and the multidisciplinary nature of

the work carried out helped crystallise the new

structure of the School.

Extensive media coverage of the TCS Programme

contributed to a five-fold growth in applicants to

their MSc course in Multimedia Technology.

David Oxley remains employed by the company

as Senior Development Engineer and is now the

Company Supervisor for a second TCS

Programme.




28

Innovation in print

The development of innovative new compounds and methods of production in the manufacture of

printed circuit boards (PCBs) for use in next generation consumer electronics were the aims of this TCS

Programme between Hemel Hempstead-based Patterning Technologies Ltd and Imperial College,

London. However, the level of innovation was far wider reaching than first envisaged.

Pa tter ning Technologies Ltd and the Dep artment of Chemis try ,

Imperial College

TCS Ass ocia te: Grego r Roz enberg, a Science gra dua te fro m Lund Univers ity, Sw ede n

The Programme was sponsored by DTI an d EPSRC

A revolutionary method of

manufacturing printed circuitboards was just one of the

innovations that occurred

during this TCS Programme.




29

The company was able to make full use of Imperial

College’s laboratory facilities, which subsequently

led to the synthesis of new materials.

Innovative, printable transition metal copper

precursor derivatives, decomposing to copper at low

temperatures, were developed. Formulation of these

precursor materials into suitable inks for use in

inkjet technology and spin and drop casting was

also realised. These achievements have the potential

to greatly enhance the manufacturing process of

PCBs in terms of both speed of production and

quality. The company discovered that the newfound

technology was applicable to multi-layered device

structures such as field-effect transistors.

Patterning Technologies Ltd also extensively

investigated the deposition process, chemical

purity and feature shape and size of the printed

reactive liquid. The findings showed that droplets

converted under non-optimal conditions were still

of sufficient quality.

The company also demonstrated that the

performance of a polymer-based diode prepared by

ink jet printing was comparable to the performance

of the corresponding drop cast and spin coated

devices. This was an important outcome,

demonstrating the feasibility of ink-jet based

electro-active polymeric materials which are key

components in "plastic electronics", widely perceived

as the next generation in consumer electronics.

The successful completion of all parts of the original

Programme, ahead of schedule, provided the

company with the opportunity to experiment with

ink-jet printing of inorganic conductor and semi-

conductor suspensions for displays applications.

All of these innovations demonstrated the capacity

of the company to produce all the important active

and passive materials required for the production of

optoelectronic devices of which emissive flat panel

displays is an example with exciting commercial

potential. As a direct consequence, the company was

awarded £47,000 for a Smart feasibility study and

has submitted further proposals for two LINK

projects each worth £250,000.

The academics involved in this Programme were

exposed to issues involved in successfully managing

and running. A start-up company and the

multidisciplinary nature of the Programme

stimulated new scientific cross-departmental

interactions at Imperial College and collaboration

with other UK universities. The research funding

income generated has been approximately £50,000.

A conservative estimate based on applications for

further funding is approximately £160,000.

At the end of the Programme the TCS Associate,

Gregor Rozenberg, left Patterning Technologies

Ltd and joined Genacys Ltd, a venture capital

firm, as their Technology and Commercialisation

Executive. He is responsible for investments

involving material sciences, environmental

sciences and biotechnology. He is also Business

Development Manager at Scionix Ltd, a spin-out

company from the University of Leicester,

specialising in novel solvents.




30

The height of success

Zenith International is a consultancy business based in Bath, specialising in the food, drink and packaging

industries. The company has seen its customer base grow and its market position enhanced thanks to a

sophisticated web-based system to sell global drinks market data, backed by computer-based data

handling and storage and an integrated electronic publishing system.

The company evolved from

being a follower in the use

of technology to a market

leader with in-house

capability for database-

driven web technologies as

a result of this TCS

Programme.


Zenith Inter na tiona l Ltd and the Schoo l of Management,

Univers ity of Ba th

TCS Associate: Thomas Scotney, a Geography graduate from Lancaster University




31

The company evolved from being a follower in

the use of technology to a market leader with in-

house capability for database-driven web

technologies, eventually leading to the formation

of a separate business initiative -

globaldrinks.com.

The new web-based system contains a

sophisticated database for storing beverage

consumption data, user profiles and user specific

security site as a ‘truly end-to-end e-commerce

solution’ with secure online payment facilities,

instant access to information and scope to

customise its presentation. It has rapidly become

a beverage industry hub with an additional links

database and a daily news service. The company’s

new found capabilities have had a clear impact on

operational performance.

Internally, the extended use of databases is

radically improving the company’s research and

report preparation capabilities. Zenith is now able

to sell any of its research data online at any level

of detail required by customers. The technology

platform is considerably more advanced than

anything its competitors currently have, enabling

the company to respond quickly to threats and

opportunities in the marketplace.

The innovative web-based system has created new

competitive opportunities, such as web and

database development consulting, and has

demonstrated the company’s commitment and

understanding of technology which Zenith

previously lacked.

Since ‘going live’ the number of monthly hits for

the website has increased twelve-fold. Its user

friendliness has led to an improvement in existing

customer relations and its high search engine

ranking has dramatically improved the company’s

exposure to the world at large.

The success of the website continues to grow as

income levels for the first nine months of 2002

exceeded those for the whole of 2001.

The Programme also resulted in two papers for

international conferences and three published in

journals. It has also formed the basis of a case

study used in MBA teaching and in a textbook,

entitled Developing Web Information Systems

(Butterworth Heinemann, 2002).

In addition to skills in state of the art web

systems development, Thomas Scotney, the

Associate, has gained experience of business

development, project management and systems

architecture. He has since been appointed by

Zenith as an Information Solutions Consultant

and is the Company Supervisor for a follow-on

TCS Programme.




32

The TCS Programme enabled the company toimplement a systematic and analytical

approach to product and business

development, significantly improving

relationships with key suppliers and

customers. This has led to an improvement in

product quality, increased productivity and

reduced product turnaround, resulting in

additional sales of an estimated £1million and

additional profits of £100,000.

Through this TCS Programme the academics

have acquired new team knowledge as well as

skills associated with team working, product

development and marketing. As a result of the

knowledge gained through this Programme,

the Technology Innovation Centre has created a ‘Virtual Product Development’ theme in the BSc

Multi-media degree course.

Mathew Burrell, an Engineering graduate from the University, developed a range of skills including

time management, improved presentation techniques, CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping and databasedesign. He is now employed as the company’s IT and Systems Manager.

This Programme was sponsored by DTI.

Alfred Ter ry Ltd , North Finchley, London, and the Technology Innovation Centre,

University of Centra l England in Birmingham

The TCS Associate was Mathew Burrell.

Alfred Terry Ltd is a small company manufacturing gem-set jewellery.

Other Highly Rated TCS Programmes



33

The aim of this TCS Programme was to developan in-house capability in strength and fatigue

analysis and mooring system design and loadings

on floating production, storage and offloading

vessels (FPSOs). Mathematical models and

computer software were developed to predict

motion characteristics, hull girder loading and

fatigue life of FPSOs.

The need to subcontract this work has now

been eliminated resulting in substantial costsavings and increasing Armstrong’s speed of

response to its clients’ needs.

The University’s research into the hydrodynamic

loading and fatigue aspects of FPSOs has

benefited from real life applications. In addition, three undergraduate and two postgraduate projects

were established as a result of the University’s involvement in this TCS Programme.

Both Associates gained valuable industrial experience from their participation in TCS. Simon Coggon

obtained an MPhil based on his contribution to this project and is now working with British Aerospaceat Bristol. Chris Hall is currently employed by the company.

This Programme was sponsored by DTI and EPSRC.


Armstrong Technology Associates Ltd, North Shields, Tyne and Wear and the School o f Mar ine Science & Technology ,

Univer s ity of New castle-Up on-Tyne

The TCS Associates were Chris Hall and Simon Coggon.

Armstrong Technology is a small consultancy firm specialising in offshore, merchant and naval

ship design and engineering.



34

Prior to this TCS Programme, the company hadonly a base level of IT. The introduction of more

sophisticated systems and a change in attitude

towards IT has helped transform the company. It

is now more able to respond quickly to changing

market opportunities, more competitive and has

the capability to participate in cutting edge

projects such as the routing solutions for multi-

compartmental bulk liquid tankers. In the year

before they began this TCS Programme, the

company was making an annual loss of £250,000. By the end of the Programme it had

made a profit of £283,000.

Working so closely with the company to

introduce new processes and systems has had

widespread benefits for the academics involved in this TCS Programme. Their experience was fed back

into teaching and has resulted in several publications.

Both Sara Whiteley and David Greenwood, the TCS Associates, achieved their career aims by being

employed with the company in new roles that utilise their skills.

This Programme was sponsored by EPSRC.


Bayford & Co Ltd, Wetherby, Yorkshire and the Cranfield Schoo l of Management,

Cranfield University

The TCS Associates were Sara Whiteley and David Greenwood.

Bayford is a medium-sized supplier of petroleum-based fuel.



35

Carbosp ars Ltd , Hamble, Southamp ton, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science,

Aston University

The TCS Associate for this TCS Programme was Lorna Everall.

Carbospars is a company specialising in composite yacht masts.

The purpose of this TCS Programme was todevelop a commercially viable distributed strain

sensing system based on photonic technology. In

the initial stage of the project, a prototype

system was developed incorporating embedded

optical sensors as a proof of principle. Following

successful trials of the prototype, a fully

operational system with an intricate optical

fibre-sensing network was developed and

installed in a cruising yacht. This new found

understanding of strain sensing technologyenabled the company to further develop

innovative new approaches to fibre sensor

attachments including re-usable sensors, smart

patches and smart rods. A website was also

developed to demonstrate the potential of smart

fibre technology.

A new company, Smart Fibres Ltd, was set up to commercialise the optical fibre strain sensing

technology following the successful conclusion of the TCS Programme and a related LINK project.

The results of this TCS Programme have contributed to two successful submissions by Aston

University for EPSRC funding in smart fibre technology. Both projects are expected to advance the

technology and establish new areas of application.

Science graduate Lorna Everall, the TCS Associate, gained extensive industrial experience through

participation in this Programme, with key projects being carried out in civil, industrial and

transportation engineering. She also developed invaluable sales and marketing skills.

This Programme was sponsored by DTI and EPSRC.




36

A new package sewage treatment system,designed for single households and incorporating

new design ideas and treatment technology

which requires less excavation to install, was

successfully developed, tested and subsequently

launched as a direct result of this TCS

Programme.

Annual sales of the new product exceeded

£500,000 and during the same period the

company’s turnover almost doubled.

The study of single hold-hold sewage treatment

systems has helped to establish the School of

Water Sciences at Cranfield as a globally

recognised expert in package plant research and

development. This in turn has increased the number of MSc projects with other SMEs.

Both Associates registered for MPhil degrees during the TCS Programme and Dirk Daude upgraded

his MPhil to a PhD. Both Associates are currently employed by Conder Sewage Technology, a Division

of Conder Products Ltd.


Conder Products Ltd , Kingsley, Hamp shire, and the School of Water Sciences,

Cranfield University

The TCS Associates were Dominic Hamblin and Dirk Daude.

Conder is a medium-sized company manufacturing sewage treatment systems.




37

New and improved production techniques wereintroduced into the manufacturing process of

surgical needles as a result of this TCS

Programme. Ethicon now utilises low friction

silicone coating of needles and has made

substantial improvements in the blind hole

drilling process. These improvements have

resulted in annual savings of £330,000 and a

reduction of 30% in materials.

University staff involved with this Programmehave gained first hand experience of current

technology usage in an industrial environment.

The practices, methodologies and problem areas

encountered were instrumental in a transfer of

these experiences into the learning and teaching

environment.

The Associates, both of whom were Engineering graduates at the start of this TCS Programme, gained

considerable management and IT experience during their Associateships. They also used the work to

achieve MPhils and have had some of the work published. George Fulton emigrated to Australia at theend of the TCS Programme and Richard Coull now works in Glasgow.


Ethicon Ltd, Edinburgh, and the School of Engineer ing,

Napier University

The TCS Associates were George Fulton and Richard Coull.

Ethicon is a large company which produces surgical sutures.




38

Figure Reta il Sys tems Ltd (formerly I Pennick & C Pennick),

Holyw ood , Co. Dow n and the School of Computing and Mathematics,


The TCS Associate for this Programme was Neal Byrne.

Figure Retail Systems is a small business producing point of sale software.

Prior to this Programme, the company developedand supported DOS-based point-of-sale software

for the retail industry. A Windows-based

prototype had been developed and was being

tested by two clients. However, the development

team lacked the rigour of a formal software

engineering process, resulting in mounting

support costs, product improvement delays and

poor customer relations. These factors meant the

new product was proving more expensive than

the income it generated.

Through TCS, the company developed an object-

oriented approach resulting in customisable and

robust code, code re-use and reduced support

costs. By the end of the Programme 26% of

clients had converted to the Windows-based product with plans to convert all of the company’s

remaining DOS-based users.

The easily customised nature of the new product also attracted new customers and opened up new

market potential. Staff at the university were able to apply their theoretical knowledge to practicalsituations, resulting in the generation of case study and dissertation material. Business Management

graduate Neal Byrne, the TCS Associate, gained valuable knowledge and experience in a wide range of

areas, including software development and project management. He is now employed as a Team Leader

with the company.

This Programme was sponsored by DTI and INVEST NI.




39

INBIS Technology Ltd , Br is to l,

and the Dep artment of Mecha nica l Engineer ing,

Univers ity of Ba th

The TCS Associate was Hakan Atalan.

INBIS is a large engineering design and management consultancy.

The aim of the TCS Programme was to create anindustrially supportable approach in constraint

resolution techniques for engineering problem

solving.

One of the major innovations arising from this

Programme was the development of Integrated

Design Environments, a concept where constraint-

modelling software is linked to analysis packages

and other information sources to provide an

automated or semi-automated environment. Thishas multiple benefits, including reduced design

iteration times and an enhanced capability to solve

complex engineering design problems. As a result,

INBIS has improved its capacity to offer clients

high added-value engineering solutions, leading to

an increase in turnover of £450,000 from direct and follow-on activities.

The University of Bath benefited from INBIS’s novel methods of utilising and integrating constraint

modelling software. These have provided application examples for a unit on computer aids in their courses

for design undergraduates and MSc students. The Associate, Hakan Atalan, a graduate in engineering, wasable to develop his technical, design, communication and management skills as a result of participating in

this Programme. He is now working in France as a consultant.



Graphics copyright of INBIS Group



40

IQE ( Europ e) Ltd , Card iff, and the School of Computing and Engineering,

University of Wales College, Newport

The TCS Associates for this Programme were Ceri Richards and Christopher Michael.

IQE is a medium-sized manufacturer of epiwafers for the semi-conductor market.

The complex nature of producing epiwafersrequires expert analysis after each stage of the

manufacturing process. However, this is time

consuming and can adversely affect production

levels due to the limited number of employees

with the appropriate expertise. The aim of this

Programme was to develop a process expert

system to combine the knowledge, problem

solving and ‘out of control action plans’ of the

company into a decision making tool. This was

achieved enabling IQE to increase productionand remain competitive.

Collaboration on this TCS Programme helped

the School to achieve a 3a grading in the 2001

Research Assessment Exercise. This achievement

has continuing benefits in terms of raising the School’s research profile along with future research

collaboration with the company.

The Associates’ presentation and report writing skills dramatically improved and both have presented

papers based on their work at UK and European conferences. In addition, both became Associatemembers of the Institute of Electrical Engineers and were registered for higher degrees. Ceri Richards,

an Engineering graduate, remained with the company at the end of the TCS Programme while

Materials and Metallurgy graduate Christopher Michael went to work for NHS IT Services in

Pontypool.





41

Marston Lindsay Ross Inter na tional Ltd , Didcot, Berkshire and the Centre for Bus iness Sys tems Ap p lications,

Middlesex University

The TCS Associate was James Griffith.

Marston Lindsay Ross International is a small digital fulfillment company.

The company was transformed from a printconsultancy into an electronic publishing,

facilities management and consultancy business

as a result of this TCS Programme. This radical

change has improved turnover and increased

export levels from 24% to 31%.

The introduction of IT to all areas of the

company has substantially improved response

time enabling it to maintain its existing

customer base and attract new clients. Specificbenefits include the ability of any member of

staff to answer queries using the database

developed during the project; the dispatch of

digital documents worldwide; and the

introduction of print, website and e-publishing

software which have improved customer service levels allowing the company to maintain its market

share during an uncertain time in a highly competitive industry.

The University gained invaluable insight into how a small company can evolve to adapt to market

pressures. This information has formed the basis for a case study and three student projects wereundertaken as a result of this TCS Programme.

The Science graduate James Griffith was appointed as the company’s IT Manager at the end of the

TCS Programme.





42

Mountw ay Ltd , Tredega r, Gw ent and the School of Electronics,

University of Glamorgan

The TCS Associate on this Programme was Robert Hookins.

Mountway is a small company that manufactures electro-mechanical equipment for the elderly

and disabled.

This TCS Programme enabled Mountway toincorporate more sophisticated electrical

components into its products, moving the

company’s capability from simple push button

electrical switch circuitry to products

incorporating complex electronic system design,

embedded micro-controller design and

embedded software design. This has enhanced

the technical specifications of the company’s

products, improved hardware versatility and

reliability and reduced manufacturing costs. Theimproved technology also led to the development

of two new products with an expected increase in

profit of £150,000 per annum.

The TCS Programme’s success has led to

additional commercial work for the School of Electronics’ commercial division. The School’s involvement

in TCS also played a significant part in it achieving IEE accreditation.

Robert Hookins, an Engineering graduate from the University, gained valuable experience in

hardware and software design and development, project management and product testing and is nowa senior engineer with Panasonic UK.





43

NC Agr icultura l Engineer ing Co Ltd , Richhill, Co Armagh, and the School of Ar t & Design,


The TCS Associate was William Copeland.

NC Agricultural Engineering Co. Ltd is a medium-sized agricultural engineering firm.

Through participation in this TCS Programme, NCAgricultural was able to turn around its flagging

sales of agricultural equipment by diversifying into

the environmental engineering market.

"The know how and technology transfer gained

though this TCS Programme has diffused into the

Agricultural Engineering branch of the business.

Through DfMA (the Design and Manufacture and

Assembly) manufacturing costs have been reduced

and incremental innovation has brought newproducts to market. The Agricultural Engineering

Products Division is now in profit and growing,

thus reversing the national trend. Over 80% of its

agricultural products are now exported".

The realisation that agricultural engineering is a shrinking market prompted the company to choose TCS

in order to gain the knowledge and expertise necessary to move into a new market. The resulting product,

the "NC Eurosweep", has a multitude of specifications and design features that have attracted much

needed new business. The company forecast an annual increase in profits of £48,000 for the first two years

of production, rising to £100,000 after five years.

The two academics involved in the TCS Programme gained additional knowledge in product development

and their skills have been extended in the areas of design, production, marketing and management. The

Programme has also provided them with new teaching material in product development that has been

used to generate engineering case studies.

William Copeland, an Engineering graduate, gained valuable industrial insight by participating in TCS.

His efforts have enabled him to complete an MSc in Industrial Practice, with Distinction.

He is now employed by NC Agricultural Engineering as a Development Engineer.

This Programme was sponsored by DTI and INVEST NI.




44

OSS Group Ltd , Kirby, Liverp ool, and the Bus iness Schoo l,

Liver p ool John Moores Univer s ity

The TCS Associate for this Programme was Helen Watkins.

OSS Group is now the largest specialist waste management company in the UK, employing

approximately 250 people.

The aim of this TCS Programme was to helpOSS Group through a period of transition

following the acquisition of its largest

competitor. Re-branding of the company via the

development of a modern corporate image and

logo resulted in the company’s market share

leaping from 5% to 60%. In addition, a quality

marketing function, strategy and programme of

activity was developed. The company also

underwent a total culture change from being

reactive and operationally led to being proactiveand market driven, thus benefiting its customers

and setting it apart from its competitors.

The Business School at Liverpool John Moores

University has gained improved commercial

project management skills. Participation in this TCS Programme has also generated a wealth of case

study material for both undergraduates and post-graduates and two twelve-month undergraduate

placements at the company.

Helen Watkins’ experience of implementing and developing a marketing function from scratch hashelped her gain an insight into the workings of a growing small business, plus the opportunity to

achieve extra qualifications, including a Postgraduate Diploma from the Chartered Institute of

Marketing. She is now employed by the company as its Marketing and Sales Support Manager.





45

Parkinson-Sp encer Refractor ies Ltd , Halifax , West Yor ks hire and the Depa rtment of Materia ls ,Univers ity of Leed s

The TCS Associate was Cemail Aksel.

Parkinson-Spencer Refractories is a medium-sized industrial and

commercial glass manufacturer.

Prior to participation in TCS, the company didnot have an exclusive research and

development department. The subsequent

relationship forged between Parkinson-Spencer

and the Department of Materials at Leeds

University enabled the company to make full

use of the knowledge and facilities available at

the university. This not only led to the

production of a new refractory material for the

glass industry, but also enabled the company

to better understand the physical and chemicalproperties of its existing products, allowing for

possible future improvements. The company

expect the new material to considerably

improve its export sales.

The Department of Materials’ knowledge and understanding of multi-phase refractories has been

greatly enhanced through participation in TCS. It has also led to links being forged with universities in

France and Turkey.

Cemail Aksel, who has an engineering doctorate, greatly improved his communication and presentationskills as a result of his participation in TCS.





46

Per ma store Ltd , Eye, Suffolk, and the Dep artment of Materia ls ,

Univers ity of Leeds

The TCS Associates were Saqlain Ali and Joanna Kinson.

Permastore is a medium-sized manufacturer of enamelled steel plates for aqueous waste storage.

The successes of this Programme led directly to new plant investment to improve key areasof the manufacturing process. A number of other changes were also implemented as a result of

an improved understanding of the process. These have enabled significant cost reductions and an

increase in productivity as a direct result of reducing process defects. At the end of the

TCS Programme the total benefits envisaged amounted to approximately £1.2 million in

the first year.

The collaboration between the company and the Department of Materials contributed to the

Department being awarded an EPSRC ‘platform’ grant worth £400,000 over 4 years. Participation in

this TCS Programme also resulted in the publication of several technical papers.

Joanna Kinson developed managerial skills enabling her to move into a Management Consultancy

role with Permastore Ltd at the end of her Project and Saqlain Ali stayed with the company for a

further year as a Process Development Engineer, but he has since joined a larger company working

in a similar position.





47

Pr ior Group Hold ings Ltd , Woolw ich, London, and the Medw ay Schoo l of Engineer ing,

Univers ity o f Greenw ich

The TCS Associate was Justin Miller.

Prior Group Holdings is a small company that manufactures low-pressure steam autoclaves for

laboratory use.

A radical rethink of the company’s approach tofundamental engineering practices and

management methods were the main

achievement of this TCS Programme.

Changes include the establishment of a new

department solely dedicated to product design

and development, the installation of a CAD file

management system improving product

turnaround times, the development of a new

sliding door mechanism for Prior’s existingproduct range enabling the company to enter

new markets, and a reorganisation of the

assembly area to resolve throughput bottlenecks.

The academics involved in this TCS Programme

gained valuable commercial awareness and generated future case study material for undergraduates and

postgraduates alike. The feedback from the Programme has also been utilised to improve courses at the

School of Engineering to better prepare graduates for industry.

In addition to improving his product design engineering skills, Justin Miller has substantiallyimproved his planning, management and communication capabilities. Justin, a B.Eng graduate from

the University of Greenwich, is now a full-time Design and Engineering Manager with the company.





48

Pyroban Group Ltd , Shoreha m-by-Sea ,Sussex,

and the Centre for Research in Innova tion Management,

Univers ity o f Br ighton

The TCS Associates were Matthew Froud and Christian Keefe.

Pyroban is a medium-sized group of companies supplying and installing explosion protection and

emissions control systems for diesel and battery powered mobile equipment.

Pyroban was able to critically review its methodsof manufacturing piece parts and the retro fitting

of materials handling vehicles with flame

proofing devices as a result of this TCS

Programme. Using Pareto Analysis, Cause and

Effect Diagrams and Process Mapping, non-value

adding activities were identified throughout the

manufacturing process, leading to cost savings of

£120,000. In addition, the Programme

demonstrated the importance of market research

and competitor analysis for productdevelopment. This cultural change contributed

to the development and subsequent launch of an

innovative new product which was awarded the

Fork Lift Truck Association’s Safety Product

Award in 2002.

The Programme provided university staff from the Centre for Research in Innovation Management

with direct experience of the control and protection of vehicles operating in hazardous environments,

generating valuable teaching material.

The Associates, Matthew Froud and Christian Keefe, both Engineering graduates, secured positions as

project managers with other companies on completion of their TCS Projects.





49

Scher Inter na tiona l Ltd , London, and the Schoo l of Ho tel & Restaurant Management,

Oxford Brookes University

The TCS Associate for this Programme was Axel Klenert.

Scher was an independent customer service development company based in the UK

specialising in the hospitality, tourism and leisure industries subsequently acquired by

Taylor Nelson Sofres plc, a global marketing research company.

This TCS Programme was originally designed todevelop a benchmark of hotel guest satisfaction.

However, the benchmark, which provided a

measure of service delivery standards through

which hotel companies could assess their own

performance against major competitors, was

successfully completed within 6 months. It was

decided that the brief should be widened to

encompass a number of other strategically

important products and services. These included

a year long virtual-conference investigating the"Drivers of Customer Satisfaction" and a revamp

of the company’s ‘Mystery Guest Programme’

(MGP) to include service performance of front

house reception, accommodation and

housekeeping, restaurant and bar operation and

room service. Such was the success of the re-launched MGP that it rapidly became the company’s

biggest selling product. During this TCS Programme, Scher’s turnover increased by over 50%.

In addition to the commercial experience gained through participating in this Programme, the

academics gained worldwide recognition as experts in the theories of Customer SatisfactionManagement in the hotel industry by hosting a virtual conference and an international conference on

‘Consumer Satisfaction Research in Tourism and Hospitality’.

Axel Klenert, a graduate in Business Management from University of Massachusetts, and Oxford

Brookes University, has presented seminars at various universities (e.g. Oxford Brookes, Brighton and

Bournemouth) based on his experiences. He is now employed as the company’s Account Manager and is

currently completing a part-time PhD at Oxford Brookes University.





50

Sp eed Plas tics Ltd , Ches terfield , Derbys hire and the Department of Fashion and Tex tiles ,

the Nottingha m Trent Univer s ity

The TCS Associate was Rayman Bardell.

Speed Plastics is a small company manufacturing specialist products from flexible plastics.

The aim of this TCS Programme was toimprove the company’s capability to design and

develop products for specific markets such as

the defence and aerospace industries. Computer

Aided Design was introduced into the

company’s manufacturing process, increasing

the product range and response time which in

turn led to an increased customer base. This

resulted in a rise in profits of £70,000 per

annum.

The academics gained valuable industrial

experience and the chance to apply their

knowledge to a live problem-solving project.

Continuing links between the university and

the company has opened up new opportunities

for research and postgraduate students from the Fashion and Textiles Department and other

departments within the University.

During his time as a TCS Associate, Rayman Bardell, a Combined Science graduate from Nottingham

Trent University, developed new and significant business capabilities, including project and peoplemanagement, problem solving, commercial awareness and knowledge of quality and environmental

management systems. He also completed a PhD during the Programme.

Rayman was employed by the company at the end of the TCS Programme.





51

Tactica l Controls Ltd , Lancing, Wes t Sus sex , and the Design Research Centre,

Brunel Univers ity

The TCS Associate was Mohammed Irfan.

Tactical Controls is a small business which manufactures temperature,

power and industrial process control equipment.

A computer aided engineering and graphic design facility was installed as part of this TCS Programme.This facility was integrated with information and communication technologies to facilitate response

times to business enquiries and provide a technically innovative method of service delivery. As a result,

Tactical Controls has evolved from a reactive sub-contracting business into a proactive service provider.

Subsequently, the company has not only improved its image in terms of service and manufacturing

quality, but also made substantial improvements to its manufacturing processes. Operator assembly

time is down 73%, assembly costs per unit have been reduced by 71% and design efficiencies have

increased by an average of 96.5%.

Also as a result of TCS, about 30% of Tactical’s income is now generated from contract design – from

concept through to production – including Radio Frequency Interference testing and certification.Tactical has secured some new high-tech contracts in the Home Automation, Locomotive and

Automobile industries.

The Design Research Centre at Brunel has been able to develop a better understanding of New Product

Development as a knowledge-creation process in this sector. This experience will generate case studies

for graduates and undergraduates.

Mohammed Irfan, a Product Design graduate of Brunel University, is now a member of both the

Chartered Society of Designers and the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He has since left Tactical

Controls to join a different company in a research and development capacity.





Ultrafine UFC Ltd, Manchester, and the Dep artment of Chemis try ,

Univers ity of Ed inburgh

The TCS Associates were Stuart Brown and Gareth Jenkins.

Ultrafine is a small chemical research and development company.

A new platform technology was establishedutilising expertise in biocatalysis which benefited

the sale of drug metabolites and custom

synthesis services. During the TCS Programme

the sale of drug metabolites doubled and now

accounts for around 25% of the company’s £3.4

million turnover.

The academics gained increased commercial and

technical awareness of issues facing the fine

chemicals and pharmaceutical industry. Thisawareness has highlighted new areas for

developing research projects.

Both Associates were Chemistry Graduates,

Stuart Brown a graduate of Edinburgh

University and Gareth Jenkins a graduate of the University of London. They were recruited by

Ultrafine at the end of their TCS Projects; Stuart as a Synthetic Organic Chemist and Team Leader and

Gareth as a Business Development Manager, but he has since left the company to work with a fast

growing contract chemistry company.

This Programme was sponsored by BBSRC and DTI.


Documents

2002 Brochure Final TCS 2002