Coll Electrical

Overview

Coll Electrical has been specialising in electrical engineering contracting work since it was established in 1986. The company distinguishes itself by offering high quality work rather than the cheapest service and maintains long-term relationships between their clients and staff. A strong feature of the company is its workforce which is highly skilled and motivated to deliver the best quality service to its clients.

Productivity Challenge

The challenge faced by Coll Electrical was largely based on management and sustaining rapid expansion. This was accompanied by issues regarding recruitment and retention of skilled workers in a tight labour market, managing people effectively and increased compliance costs. Three barriers to increased productivity were also identified- poor quality of workmanship and materials; wastage; and the availability and rising costs of goods and services. However, the biggest threat to profitability and productivity was the growing competition from other sub-contractors who undercut their tenders by using inferior components and employing cheaper labour.

The Productivity Achievement

Delegating work and investing strongly in skills training for its staff has not only seen improvement in the delivery of innovative services and increased job satisfaction, but it has also benefited Coll Electrical in other areas:

• Increased employment opportunities through development and detailed career structures has led to greater autonomy and responsibility within staff
• Improved work plans through administrative and accounting systems and management strategies to improve efficiency
• Improved credibility and growing long-term network relationships with clients and suppliers
• Creating staff incentives through regular wage increases and conditions has created a team culture which is beneficial in not only retaining staff but also team morale

To find out more about the Coll Electrical productivity case study, order a free copy of The Workplace - Productivity Challenge DVD/CD by emailing your name and physical address to info@dol.govt.nz putting Workplace Productivity CD (or DVD) in the subject line.

The full oll Electrical productivity case study is available as HTML and PDF

• Coll Electrical productivity case study [HTML]
• The Coll Electrical productivity case study [PDF, 2 Pages, 117kB].

For further information on Coll Electrical, please visit their website www.collelectrical.co.nz