A question came into my head recently whilst
staying at a budget-priced national chain hotel (which I will return to
later): are surface finishing companies in the manufacturing or service
sector? It is a distinction that is not always obvious. An
electro-plating sub-contractor is an important cog in the production
cycle, but at the same time has to deliver a high level of service to
the primary manufacturer. The company will not simply be judged on the
quality of finish it provides, but on a whole range of other criteria,
such as price, delivery, courtesy, communication skills etc.
If
we accept that, by and large, we are in the service sector, what is the
quality of service that the industry is delivering? If you have any
doubt about how quality standards have improved in the UK,
let’s consider the example of that budget hotel again. Twenty years ago
or more it was unheard of to have a good experience in such an
establishment. They were not quite Basil Fawlty but not far away. The
offer was uncomfortable beds, indifferent food, surly staff and
prohibitive pricing. Not only that, but most places did not accept
credit cards.
The business has now
been transformed. The beds are plush, the food is varied and delicious
and smiling, highly trained staff do their best to pander to your every
need. All in the name of customer care.
In the same way, manufacturing standards have overwhelmingly followed the quality model. In the UK
for instance, the old ramshackle motor industry dominated by British
Leyland has been supplanted by gleaming new organisations such as BMW
Mini, Honda, Nissan and Toyota, all with quality written through them like the proverbial Blackpool rock. This also extends to their dealerships which are, of course, totally in the service sector.
As
consumers we no longer expect or tolerate poor standards of service and
quality. From hotels and garages to supermarkets and steak houses, such
is the level of competition that they all have to conform to the
highest quality standards or go to the wall.
So
where does this leave the surface finishing industry and companies such
as ours that are suppliers to it? There has been an unfortunate
tendency in the past to regard many finishing processes as ’black arts’;
dependant on the deft touch of experienced operatives with their bag of
tricks to produce a satisfactory result.
What
the British finishing industry does best is to harness the technology
to achieve innovative finishes that are the envy of the rest of the
world. It is one of the reasons that we still have cutting edge
industries in this country like Defence, Formula One and Life Sciences.
So
the technology must be matched by a service philosophy that is the
equal of those slick budget hotels, restaurants and fast fit depots that
can be found on the outskirts of every large town. Manufacturers need
to know that not only will the finish be of the highest standard, but it
will be supplied on budget, on schedule and with a seal of customer
care.
The UK is now a
service-led economy. We have to maintain our competitiveness and ensure
that our finishing standards continue to be the envy of the world. We
should learn from the best of international service standards and couple
our undoubted technical know how with the desire to please that is the
hallmark of a quality industry.
