MPSP creates a buzz for Beehive
The Major Project Supplier Program (MPSP) helps Queensland suppliers build capability to increase both competitiveness and better position the company to win major project contracts.
The Queensland Government sponsored MPSP initiative has helped Queensland company Beehive Vinyl Products Pty Ltd (Beehive) to successfully tender for major projects in Queensland.
Company at a glance
Beehive manufactures and repairs vinyl and canvas products for domestic and commercial customers and has many small customers.
Beehive has been at the forefront of vinyl product use and application. Beehive combined its knowledge of vinyl products with its sister company’s (Australian Lining Company) knowledge of poly products to design and manufacture a functional and extremely durable tool bag.
This tool bag is widely used in the construction and repair/maintenance industry where the mining industry is a large tool bag customer- where the tool bags are used to support repair and maintenance operations.
Beehive is based in Townsville and primarily focused on servicing the local area. Notwithstanding, its tool bags are sold across Australia. Beehive has been in operation for over 20 years and has retained many of its original customers since inception. It has grown over the time and now has a work force of 15 staff.
The opportunities and benefits
The MPSP assessment has shown that Beehive is a modern, flexible and innovative company that is able to provide quick response solutions to challenging customer requirements.
Beehive has been providing fabric design, supply and manufacturing services for over 20 years and has built a strong reputation as a reliable supplier.
The company has strong relationships with a number of large miners and is a preferred supplier to a number of these organisations. Further, some of the organisations that it started servicing 20 years ago still rely on Beehive to meet their fabric supply and manufacturing needs.
Undertaking the MPSP allowed Beehive to measure its capabilities and see where it needs to improve in an effort to win more tenders for upcoming programs.
“The MPSP report documented for us a clear list of objectives that we need to complete in order to improve”
“These improvements will help us in meeting our customer needs and ultimately improve our bottom line”.
Already a preferred supplier to the Australian Army and the Townsville council, Beehive prides itself on their quick response time, quality and a reliable product and also the small company structure which allows for a ‘personal touch’ with their customer.
“Having these strengths identified in the MPSP report was great to see”.
“We found the program exceeded our expectations and was well delivered, especially the effort put into setting out the action plan.”
While the company’s strengths were reflected in the report, it was their identified weaknesses that allowed them to improve their capability and ultimately be successful in their tenders.
Beehive’s MPSP Action Plan defined for the company that there was a need to improve in the areas of Business Performance measurements, Lean Manufacturing (fully incorporating 5S and VPM programs) as well as employee’s professional development.
“Seeing these limiting factors clearly written out was a good process which allowed us to really think about how we were going to make these changes”.
“Even though we measured at meeting 100% of the core requirement, we feel the need to continuously improve and increase our chances of being a major supplier”
The Outcome
Since Beehive had undertaken the MPSP, they have completed over 60% of the actions that were identified in the MPS Plan and found that the business and processes have improved from having implemented these changes.
Beehive has also been very successful in tendering for work, and credits having undertaken the MPSP for this success.
Since undertaking the MPSP, Beehive has successfully won over $280,000 worth of work on projects including replacing the cyclone damaged shade sails for Willows shopping centre and numerous smaller jobs which Beehive credits the MPSP for assisting them in winning.
“The program, we feel, has helped us steer in the right direction so as we can source work as a Major Project supplier”.
Major Project Supplier Program
ICN Queensland in partnership with the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) developed the Major Project Supplier Plan (MPSP) to boost Queensland industry’s success in supplying to major projects throughout Australia, including the State’s record $17.1 billion capital building program. The MPSP program is fully subsidised and provides eligible Queensland companies with a comprehensive analysis of its current position against the unique requirements of major projects.
An MPSP takes approximately 1.5 days for the assessment and the facilitator generates a report which comprises:
- a capability assessment of the business against the requirements of major projects
- a review and discussion of the results of the assessment with company decision makers
- identification of key areas for improvement and a prioritised action plan.
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