Morgan Advanced Materials, an advanced materials company with global operations, required downsizing its Swansea site by 100 employees and transferring some product lines to sites in Italy, Hungary, and the US to improve financial performance. An interim program manager helped plan and execute the complex global project over 18 months. Through regular reviews and communication, the project was completed on time and under budget, achieving annual savings of £3.6 million while retaining all customers.

1. INTERIM PROGRAMME MANAGER - MANUFACTURING PRODUCT TRANSFER CASE STUDY
Tim Dyer
THE CLIENT
MORGAN ADVANCED MATERIALS PLC IS AN ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY COMPANY THAT PROVIDES HIGHLY ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS TO
ITS CHOSEN MARKETS. MORGAN ADVANCED MATERIALS HAS A GLOBAL PRESENCE WITH OPERATIONS IN MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES. FROM
MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS, AEROSPACE, POWER GENERATION AND SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS, TO BODY ARMOUR, TRAINS AND FIRE
PROTECTION SYSTEMS, MORGAN ADVANCED MATERIALS PRODUCTS ARE FUNDAMENTAL COMPONENTS OR ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES FOR MANY
OF THE MODERN WORLD'S SOPHISTICATED PRODUCTS.
THE CHALLENGE
THE COMPANY HAD ANNOUNCED A PRODUCT RATIONALISATION AND STANDARDISATION STRATEGY IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE FINANCIAL
PERFORMANCE OF THE GROUP. IT WAS THEREFORE REQUIRED TO DOWNSIZE THE SWANSEA SITE BY 100 HEADS AND TRANSFER PRODUCT LINES
TO OTHER MORGAN GROUP SITES BASED IN ITALY, HUNGARY AND THE USA.
OBJECTIVES
 ‘SENSE CHECK’ PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AS APPROPRIATE
 FACILITATE PROJECT MEETINGS AND ASSIST IN SETTING AND REINFORCING MANAGEMENT OWNERSHIP, CONTROLS & EXPECTATIONS
 INTERFACE WITH RECEIVING SITE PROJECT TEAMS/MANAGEMENT AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE GOAL ALIGNMENT
 MAINTAIN OVERVIEW OF PROJECT AS EXECUTION PHASES PROCEED AND RECOMMEND ADJUSTMENTS AS NECESSARY
 RECOMMEND AND PREPARE APPROPRIATE PROJECT TOOLS, FORMATS, DOCUMENTS ETC IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN & DEMONSTRATE
ADEQUATE PROJECT TIMESCALE & COST CONTROLS
 RECOMMEND AND PROVIDE APPROPRIATE PROJECT METHODOLOGIES TO MORGAN TEAM MEMBERS
THE SOLUTION
 AGREE PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND TIMESCALES
 DEFINE A DETAILED OVERALL PROJECT PLAN HIGHLIGHTING THE REQUIRED STEPS FOR THE VARIOUS PROJECT STAGES: PRE-
ANNOUNCEMENT, CONSULTATION PERIOD, POST CONSULTATION PERIOD AND TRANSFER OF PRODUCT LINES
 SET UP PROJECT TEAMS IN EACH OF THE RECEIVING SITES AND ORGANISE REGULAR PROJECT REVIEWS FOR EACH OF THE TRANSFERRING
PRODUCTS
 SET UP PROJECT TRACKING TOOLS AND KPIs AND COMMUNICATE THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS
 ENSURE GOOD COMMUNICATION WITH THE SWANSEA SITE MANAGEMENT TEAM TO ENSURE THEIR BUY-IN TO PROJECT OBJECTIVES
AND TIMESCALES
 DEFINE RISK REGISTER OF POTENTIAL ISSUES WHICH COULD CAUSE PROJECT DELAY
 SET UP A PROJECT GOVERNANCE MODEL WITH MORGAN SENIOR MANAGEMENT

2. THE RESULTS
 PROJECT TIMESCALES AND OBJECTIVES WERE AGREED WITH MORGAN SENIOR MANAGEMENT
 A DETAILED PROJECT PLAN WAS DEFINED WITH THE KEY MILESTONES AND IT WAS USED TO KEEP THE VARIOUS PROJECT STAGES ON
TRACK
 EXCELLENT WORK FROM THE SWANSEA GENERAL MANAGER AND HR MANAGER ENSURED THAT THE RESTRUCTURING ANNOUNCEMENT
AND CONSULTATION PERIOD WENT SMOOTHLY
 GOOD INTERACTION WITH THE RECEIVING SITE PROJECT TEAMS ENSURED THAT PROJECT GOALS WERE AGREED AND THEN ACHIEVED ON
TIME
 REGULAR COMMUNICATION WITH THE SWANSEA SITE MANAGEMENT TEAM ENSURED THAT THE PROJECT GOALS AND TIMESCALES
WERE KNOWN AND REVIEWED
 THESE REGULAR REVIEWS ALLOWED FOR ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES TO BE HIGHLIGHTED AND OVERCOME
 MONTHLY GOVERNANCE REVIEWS KEPT SENIOR MORGAN MANAGEMENT INFORMED OF PROJECT PROGRESS
 THE PROJECT TRACKING TOOLS AND KPIs WERE USED TO MEASURE PROJECT STATUS
 AT THE END OF 2014 THE PROJECT WAS ON TIME AND ALSO AHEAD OF THE FINANCIAL BUDGET DUE TO RELEASING EMPLOYEES AHEAD
OF THE ORIGINAL TIMESCALES:
o 2014 year: £289K ahead of original budget
o 2015 year: £1.82m savings (£171K ahead of original budget)
o 2016 year: £3.5m savings (£578K ahead of original budget)
o Annualised savings on completion: £3.6m (£675K ahead of original budget)
 ALL MORGAN CUSTOMERS HAD BEEN RETAINED DESPITE THE POTENTIAL RISKS OF TRANSFER
 NO INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ISSUES HAD BEEN ENCOUNTERED WITH THE EMPLOYEES OR THE TRADE UNIONS
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL – GARY SIMPSON
TIM DYER PROVIDED INTERIM SENIOR LEVEL PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUPPORT TO THIS MAJOR RESTRUCTURING PROJECT THROUGH INTERIM
PARTNERS FROM MARCH TO DECEMBER 2014.
DURING HIS ASSIGNMENT, TIM PROVED TO BE AN EXTREMELY CAPABLE RESOURCE PROVIDING PROJECT TOOLS, TECHNICAL PROJECT PROCESSES
AND GENERAL SUPPORT TO THE BUSINESS MANAGEMENT TEAM.
TIM REGULARLY ACTED AS A PRIMARY INTERFACE WITH EXECUTIVE/BOARD LEVEL, SENIOR LOCAL MANAGEMENT AND RECEIVING SITE PROJECT
STAKEHOLDERS DURING PLANNING AND EXECUTION PHASES OF THE COMPLEX GLOBAL STRATEGIC PROJECT WITH A BUDGET EXCEEDING £5M.
THE PROJECT WILL INCREMENTALLY RESULT IN MULTIPLE SUB BUSINESSES ENGAGED ON THE SITE TRANSFERRING TO OTHER DIVISIONS AROUND
THE WORLD OVER AN EXTENDED TIMESCALE (C.18 MONTHS), CONCLUDING IN A REDUCTION IN FORCE OF APPROXIMATELY 117 EMPLOYEES
(CIRCA 55%). THIS PROVIDED A POTENTIALLY DIFFICULT SITUATION TO PARTICIPATE IN AS AN EXTERNAL RESOURCE BUT TIM PROVED HIGHLY
CAPABLE WITH EXCELLENT ENGAGEMENT FROM THE OUTSET, WORKING ENTHUSIASTICALLY WITH ALL APPROPRIATE STAKEHOLDERS AND AT ALL
LEVELS OF THE ORGANISATION.
HIS DISCIPLINED, ETHICAL AND COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO BUSINESS WAS REFRESHING WITH THE ABILITY TO OFFER LOGICAL GUIDANCE
FROM A POSITION OF EXTENSIVE SENIOR LEVEL MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE.
THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT TO-DATE HAS BEEN DUE TO EXCELLENT PLANNING, COORDINATION AND POSITIVE COMMUNICATIONS, TIM HAS
CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SUCCESS THROUGH EXCELLENT ENGAGEMENT, PERSONAL CREDIBILITY AND HIS ABILITY TO INTERFACE WELL AT ALL LEVELS
OF AN ORGANISATION THROUGH AN AUTHORITATIVE PRESENCE, AFFABLE NATURE AND EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS.