TSP Engineering - November 2020

TSP Engineering

A DATA DRIVE IN MANUFACTURING DIGITAL REPORT 2020

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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A DATA DRIVE IN MANUFACTURING

www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k

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TSP ENGINEERING

John Coughlan, CEO at TSP Engineering, discusses his firm’s digital transformation journey against the backdrop of COVID-19

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SP Engineering is an industrial and electrical engineering manufacturer that provides a range of technical solutions to

solve complex problems. The organisation serves a number of key industries such as nuclear, defence, oil & gas, steel, construction and industrial.

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John Coughlan has been the CEO at TSP Engineering since 2014. A results-driven, business turnaround leader, Coughlan possesses a significant record of driving operational improvements through operating with a customercentred approach. He has helped oversee TSP Engineering’s digital transformation journey but believes his company is still in its infancy in terms of its overall digitalisation drive. “It’s been a good journey so far, but we’re still in the initial stages of transformation,” affirms Coughlan. “One of the things that we’re really trying to guard against is allowing anyone access into our business via any new technology we introduce. We’ve had to ensure that we’re cybersecure to protect the data that we have. This is even more important because a lot of

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www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k

TSP ENGINEERING

“ It’s been a good journey so far but we’re still in the initial stages of transformation” — John Coughlan, CEO, TSP Engineering

the knowledge to leverage data more effectively. “It’s one of those

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the data that isn’t ours, we’re minding it

things that I learned really early on,”

for our customers and the information

he explains. “You have to provide staff

is for UK eyes only and is classified.

with the tools to interrogate the data

This means it’s even more pivotal that

that will draw out the answer to the

we’re very careful in everything we do.”

problem. It’s important to never just

Talent management is a key pillar to

give away the answer but provide a

Coughlan and he acknowledges the

route to the answer that they need for

importance of equipping staff with

the problem. It’s about how to harness, interrogate and how to interpret the data to provide results because data doesn’t really lie.”

With the importance of data growing at an exponential rate to businesses such as TSP Engineering, Coughlan affirms that an agile and flexible approach to operations is key, particularly in a digital transformation.

“It’s about harnessing the data to drive our technologies and the changes that we make on a daily basis,” says Coughlan. “The digital era that we’re now in is constantly making us look at our business and how we operate.

Only recently, based on what we’re

doing, we’ve decided to take one of our

by other areas of the business.

business departments and set it out

“The data that we hold in-house

into a business unit on its own to allow

is very important to us and because

it to get further ahead on the digital

of the sectors that we work in, such

transformation and not to be held back

as nuclear and defence, security is

E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :

John Coughlan Title: CEO

Company: TSP Engineering

Industry: Manufacturing

Location: Workington, UK

John Coughlan joined TSP Engineering in 2014 with overall responsibility for driving strategy, operations and continuous business improvement.

John possesses a significant record of delivering operational improvements, efficiencies and customer satisfaction across Europe, ASIA, North America and Mexico, with an ability to quickly understand the mission, vision and values of a customer focused organisation.

He’s previously held senior non-executive and executive positions in many organisations including, Aerly Bird Transglogal, UpRight, Celestica, ITW Avery Weightronics, Dianorm Teo as well being appointed to a range of senior committees, enterprise boards and liaison groups.

John was named UK Manufacturing Champions Manufacturing Leader in December 2016 and was named one of the most inspiring Manufacturing Leaders in 2018.

Last year, John was crowned Best Businessperson of the Year by the in-Cumbria Awards, and this year was a finalist for the prestigious IoD Director of the Year Awards. www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k

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TSP ENGINEERING

“ You have to provide staff with the tools to interrogate the data that will draw out the answer to the problem” — John Coughlan, CEO, TSP Engineering

products that we deliver. We must deliver a lifetime record with our product, so they need to be assured about everything in our process.”

Coughlan believes that the influence of Advanced Nuclear Reactors (ANRs) will play a prominent part in helping the UK become a more sustainable environment. “The world wants to be a

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essential. We must ensure that we’re

greener place in the future and one of

not only protecting the data but that

the ways we try to make that happen

we’re using it correctly, as it has a

is by ensuring that we have economi-

big impact on our customers and the

cally achievable and reachable nuclear

Webinar replay: How to get your business ready to do business with TSP Engineering CLICK TO WATCH

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34:13

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power to help get us to a net-zero

10 years to 18-24 months. This is from

economy and region,” says Coughlan.

the time you place the order, move it to

“To make this happen, you should

site and have your building put in place,

ensure that nuclear power is afford-

because the two can be in parallel.

able because, if you take the existing

This means that it basically becomes

power sources for nuclear, it can take

a plug-in unit when you get it onsite.”

up to 10 years to build and you could

Despite the disruption of the coro-

be talking about over US$20bn to pro-

navirus pandemic, TSP Engineering

duce. But we don’t have the finances

has continued to receive orders and

or time to do that anymore so if we

is emerging post-COVID-19 in a rela-

scale those down in terms of capa-

tively strong position in comparison to

bility of electricity, we can produce

lots of harder-hit industries. However,

those completely in the factory and

Coughlan explains that his organi-

streamline the production time from

sation, like so many others, had to www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k

transform operations overnight and find a new normal. “COVID has made us think outside the box,” explains Coughlan. “At the end of March, we ceased production and sent people home for their own safety. Once we got an understanding of how we could work more safely, we had a number of people from all areas of the business starting to work from home and getting the IT infrastructure set up. A lot of people found that they were much more productive working from home

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“ It’s about harnessing the data to drive our technologies and the changes that we make on a daily basis”

of the factory workers, it’s obviously much more difficult for them to work at home so we introduced staggered times to stop there being too many people in at once.”

TSP Engineering works closely with

— John Coughlan, CEO, TSP Engineering

the nuclear AMR advanced manufac-

and we now have a mix of remote

tinued success. “That’s an extremely

working and office working. It was

important relationship to us in terms

important that we checked in with

of our learning and development as

employees because we were well

a business,” he says. “Research and

aware of the mental health aspect and

development has become increasingly

understood that there wasn’t one way

key to us over the past few years

that worked for everyone. In terms

as technology continues to change.

turing centre and Coughlan affirms partnerships like this are vital to con-

www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k

TSP ENGINEERING

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“ The future is what we make it; you can sit back and wait for the future to come or you can try and develop it” — John Coughlan, CEO, TSP Engineering

We also believe in partnering with customers and get great satisfaction when they view us as an extension of their business and part of their business. We’re looking beyond them and are trying to see who their customers are, as well as their demands and values. This will mean that we will be able to more than meet our front facing customers’ needs. We spend a lot of time with companies within our supply chain who we see as partners and work with them to try and improve quality, to help them understand the requirements of delivering in the nuclear sector, and help get their business up to the level required by the industry.”

Coughlan understands the importance of collaboration to achieving success. “You have to understand that you can’t do everything yourself,” he affirms. “Once you recognise that you need other people, then you have to consider them as an extension of your business. This is what helps you survive and what helps you differentiate yourself from competitors.

You need a partner that’s open and is going to tell you when things are www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k

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TSP ENGINEERING

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going wrong. Having a partner that is

can sit back and wait for the future

open to change and has flexibility is

to come or you can try and develop

also crucial.”

it,” he says. “We’re going to be very

With the future in mind, Coughlan

involved in developing the future and

is optimistic and believes the next few

new nuclear technologies and more

years are in his organisation’s hands.

involved in research and development.

“The future is what we make it; you

This is a really exciting time for lots

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of businesses and we’re certainly no

into the future in terms of getting

different. As a company, we’ve won 14

to the next level we want to reach.”

awards during the past four years and spent £5.5m investing in our people to bring them to the standard where they can grow within the business. The time is now to use that as a springboard www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k

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