The promised follow up from our team training days earlier this week.

We have had several sittings with all of the team leaders and Managers at Transcover on different days this week and have looked carefully at all aspects of our business. These day outside of the business are an opportunity to both reflect on the journey we have been on as a company and to have a quicker refresher on 5S workplace organisation, the 8 wastes and other tools that ensure we remain a lean manufacturing business.

Transcover now employ 40 full time staff so it is essential to get new staff on board with our ethos, refresh our core values and make sure we are all working well together and on track.

In my previous blog I mentioned the SDI Assessment. This is a brief questionnaire which gives feedback on the motives of individuals and their driving behaviours. Unsurprisingly maybe, this has been the main topic of conversation since leaving the meeting room.

We were all told the results (our motivators) and where we were on the colour triangle and where we move to in situations such as conflict. Most thought their results represented them well although you can always rely on one competitive spirit asking “did I win?”

So now we have more of an insight into our colleagues and what drives them (and us) we can accept that we may not all see things in the same way and maybe tailor our approaches a little to compensate.

Regardless of your thoughts on these types of tools it feels good to look inwards sometimes, and if it brings a little more harmony then that can only be a good thing can’t it?

Today is the start of May bank holiday and myself and Justin have been sat in the office waiting for the courier who was stuck in traffic last night to appear to collect a consignment for one of our export customers.

Multiple texts have flown back and forth throughout Friday night and this morning between myself and our freight forwarder Karen and at times we have relied on a little trust that we will eventually have a driver here so we can go home to our families and continue the weekend.

Sometimes it is only by going the extra mile that you can show your customers that you do care that their vehicles get delivered on time.

We don’t just say we care, we are happy to prove it.

Thanks to Justin for joining me today, and Karen Hyde at K&N for caring as much as we do (even to the extent that she turned up on site this morning herself with a crate of beer for us both!)

Another day here at the factory, but today our management team are preparing for our upcoming “Development and Training Day”.

It can be so easy to get caught up in the day to day but we have learnt to take some time out and look inwards occasionally, once upon a time this would mean a trip out or a drink after work but these days as the company gets bigger (40+ staff) we need to see how we all work together and go into a little more detail.

So, today is SDI Questionnaire day which stands for “Strength Deployment Inventory” and is the familiar tool used by many businesses to assess how individuals look at certain scenarios and how we see ourselves.

The plan is that this handy assessment will help us understand the motives and drivers of our team so we can understand each other and work harmoniously together.

At last I hear my colleagues cry… harmony is coming! (Note: Not the hairspray.)

Find out how we get on next week..

If you truly want to get the best out of your sheeting systems then steer clear of low grade tarpaulins.

This doesn’t mean pay more and get more for your money as more often than not purchasing through a body builder or online store will simply get you the lowest of grades at the highest of prices as they are more interested in the bottom line and have no measure of quality.

It also doesn’t mean buying the heaviest or thickest textile because if springs are used and they are not particularly powerful; or the materials are heaped high in the container a lighter weight high tensile material like Supermesh may be more suitable as it allows the tarp to be tailored more to suit.

TOP TIP: Speak to someone who manufactures the tarpaulins in-house. Look at what you are getting; does it look well made? Once it is on the truck, monitor its life span with relation to the wear of the tarp body.

Transcover have several grades in stock for various applications but would always advise those actually using the tarps (as oppose to re-sellers) to buy as good as you can afford and keep them in good working order. If they are not rolling in straight then change them same day to protect the motor and circuit as a whole.

The real cost is not the tarp it is letting down your customers and not having your truck on the road when you need it.

Thanks for joining us!

We have long said that Transcover is not just a factory, it is a way of life.

Most of us here are either family or have been here for may years and know each other inside and out.

We hope that with this blog we can give you an insight into who we are and how we work.

Plus:

• Tips on how to look after your sheeting systems in service
• Up to date legislation on load covering and related vehicle widths
• How to choose the right product for your fleet and budget

Please follow us for regular insights into the day to day running of Transcover and if you require further product information follow the link to www.transcover.com