James Ross Consulting - Waterford Wedgwood

Waterford Wedgwood

Market/Performance Review

Client produces luxury giftware and collectibles across 18 owned and 3rd party manufacturing sites across Europe. There are in excess of 16,000 live SKU’s, with around 400 new items generated each year. Product sales are Global with the US accounting for 85% of sales, via major store groups (Macy’s / Bloomingdales etc.).

waterfordwedgwood.com

Expansion Requires Knowledge

The business is continuing to expand, in terms of both volumes and product ranges sold. This involves expansion within the premium luxury gift category to areas not currently covered. Product knowledge and supply chain experience were recognised as insufficient to support this growth. In addition, the client had no Packaging Development resource.

Business Challenge

Flexible Approach to Technical Support

James Ross Consulting were asked to assess current and evolving requirements for packaging development across the business. This covered the following key areas: Approach to NPD activity - Development of role for Packaging Engineering. Packaging / Product Damage - Product presentation at point of sale and costs associated with product and packaging breakage were recognised as key issues within the business.

How JRC Helped

Total Support And Global Coverage

The project commenced with an analysis of current packaging usage and performance across all key business aspects (NPD, Quality, Procurement, Logistics, Marketing, 3rd party Manufacturers, Key Vendors, Key Retailers, Own Label Customers). This stage took 4 months to complete and involved meetings and reviews across all aspects of the business, leading to development of a ‘Way Forward’ document. This was presented to the business for Board approval. Once approved the ‘Way Forward’ document was split into a series of sub-projects, each with measurable objectives (Deliverables), timescales and costs.

Project teams were established and project work undertaken, based on agreed business priorities, James Ross Consulting resource, budgets and costs. James Ross Consulting then provided technical support to the Packaging Engineering team as it was established and developed. This involved development of packaging control tools (NPD process, test procedures, specifications systems) and management of selected NPD projects. Logistics. Service and supply chain process (cost) improvement, in order to provide flexible, quick turnaround service for customers. definition of actual supply chain performance requirements.

Development of US based 3rd Party warehousing to provide late configuration / rapid response to US customers. Packaging Identification of opportunities to re-engineer existing pack formats, to provide optimum cost / technical / aesthetic performance, based on definition of actual quality and performance requirements.Systems / Information Development of management tools for subsequent packaging development.

This involved specification systems, assimilation of packaging database information, communication processes for Packaging Engineering (internal and external), map of existing supply chain (suppliers capabilities / capacity), packing requirements within manufacturing units, storage, handling and distribution methods, from point of manufacture through to final POS, coding and labelling requirements (current and future), on-shelf quality and merchandising requirements.

Value Delivered

Clearing The Backlog And Paving The Future

The business was able to significantly improve service levels and quality throughout the supply chain. In addition, the improved NPD process now allows rapid and efficient development, to meet launch schedules. The process also highlights non-viable products earlier in the development cycle.

The business continues to expand, in terms of both volume and product ranges sold. The company had recognised the importance of a technical packaging function and reliable technical specifications in support of both on-going business and new product development. The technical packaging group, who were busy with the program of new introductions, could not handle the backlog of work to put existing specifications into a computer based system. James Ross Consulting were asked to assist with the selection of appropriate data formats and the input of existing specification data.James Ross Consulting recommended and provided data templates for Specifications, Drawings and Artwork. The system was designed to operate with common PC programs, avoiding the use of custom software and systems.

This made the data easy to assemble, store, transmit and retrieve, and the data was easily accessible across existing PC networks by multiple users.Carton and case drawings were managed to interface with a development cutting table system, so that the drawings dovetail with the development records for sample preparation. Artwork files were designed to provide an accurate computer record of the required art in manageable files, whilst allowing the definitive art supplied on disk to be stored in a physical library.

A practical specification system was put in place, which was easy to load, share and read electronically across the business without specialist training for operators. The existing material specifications were prepared and entered into the system over an eight-month period. This data provided a basis for continuing development of like specifications. Work on new products continued in parallel, and there was a successful transition for the client to take control and manage the system.