“Milexa is an exciting company to work for,” Dominic said. “It is a place where manufacturing and creativity merge, innovation is encouraged, and where people are empowered to have their say in how the business runs. But the business has grown quickly and there are challenges with infrastructure and standardisation.

“As a young manager in charge of a team of a similar age it has proved the perfect place to learn vital skills to help myself and the business.

Dominic was somewhat apprehensive about how he would be perceived by more experienced delegates but was swiftly put at ease during the residential element of PtP. “From the very start there were no preconceptions or egos, everyone wanted to be there and learn from each other,” he said. “I found there was a genuine interest in our business, me, and how we do things.

“For instance, we have a good culture at Milexa: a strong identity and a collective way of thinking that’s in line with our company values. Culture doesn’t change overnight and it’s certainly not perfect but we challenge ourselves on it constantly. We’re a young SME and this is something we’ve had from the start, so it’s embedded.

“The majority of my peers on the programme come from much older, established companies. Of course, they are absolutely invested in improving culture but find it more difficult due to their size or rooted way of thinking. Therefore, this particular topic is one which I felt I could confidently help my peers with, whereas on the flip side I learned a lot from these larger companies in other areas.

“The openness and support set the tone and created a fantastic peer network, which I am sure will continue long after we graduate.”

Dominic found greatest value from the PtP when the cohort were encouraged to apply what they had learned from resources, lectures and seminars to practical experience in their businesses. “When we talked through what we learned and gained other people’s perspectives, it really brought the theory to life,” he said.

Similarly, action learning sessions, where delegates work through real problems in their companies, were a highlight for Dominic. “The process stimulates rich conversation and insight into potential solutions and then encourages you to take action before the next session,” he added.

But the leadership module was the most pivotal for Dominic. It transformed his approach to his team which proved vital to navigate the impact of Covid-19.

“When the pandemic hit, my department was unable to hire two people we were desperate for to cope with the increasing demand,” Dominic said. “That extra workload and pressure was tiring, and morale was low among the team.

“I was able to implement change immediately from what I had learned in the early stages of the programme, changing my leadership approach to a blend of styles and soft skills to engage with the team as individuals. This meant being tactile and understanding, communicating all the time, and trying to motivate and empower them.

“As a result we were able to cope with increased volume and recover to 98% dispatch on time, which was remarkable.”

As the PtP switched to online delivery, Dominic saw an increase in contact with his cohort and the LUMS leadership team. “The unprecedented situation created by Covid has to some extent benefited our cohort in that it has created unique situations which have tested our abilities to find solutions,” he said. “We wanted to talk to each other more to support each other and share ideas.”

Dominic is now brimming with ideas for change at Milexa, including a fresh approach to project management which was suggested by his mentor, an experienced director from BAE – a PtP industrial partner from the programme.

“The impact of Covid-19 has meant that my priority is to focus on the job at hand and make sure my team is happy, productive and that morale is high. But PtP has helped to equip me with tools to plan for the future.

“The programme is really well balanced between real world business and academia. We were always kept on our toes which is a testament to the way it was delivered and the enthusiasm from module leaders. I’ve never learned so much so quickly.

“I couldn’t recommend PtP more. There’s so much to learn. Regardless of your experience you will come away with something transformative for your business. I certainly have.”

“I achieved a BSc in Telecommunications and then a Master's in Mobile Game Design and M-Commerce at Lancaster University, working two summers at Forsberg as an Engineering Assistant.” Having completed his studies he was offered the position of Software Project Manager, working his way up to General Manager of Engineering, Operations Director, and now, Managing Director.

“With it being a small business, I’ve been fortunate to be exposed to everything from engineering, production, marketing, sales and technical sales to Human Resources (HR).” That meant lots of opportunities, but also a steep learning curve.

Navigating change

“In 2017 I heard about the Productivity through People (PtP) programme offered through Lancaster University Management School (LUMS). It hit at an interesting moment, as I’d been working on employee engagement with our HR team. I joined Cohort 1 and learned a lot about developing workplace strategy.”

“Now, when there’s a challenge we have to overcome as a business, I have a structured approach to do it. As an executive management team we recognised the importance of ensuring that our employees are engaged and empowered to deliver our strategic goals. The drivers for change can be strong but there’s more support for it because we are solving problems as a team.”

A standout feature of PtP was visiting the participating partners, BAE Systems, Siemens and Rolls-Royce. “You’d have a workshop around Transformational Leadership, then go to a best practice company like Siemens to see it in action – it provided real clarity as to how these ideas could be practically implemented.”

Following that, Chris wanted to make the next steps in his Personal Development. “I’d picked up a lot on the academic side from the PtP programme, so I went on to do an MA in Professional Practice (Management and Leadership) at LUMS, which recognised some of the work I’d done through the programme and introduced additional modules I was interested in. Via the MA, I worked on implementing a structured and scalable approach for reporting metrics and KPI execution throughout the business.”

However, the connections were not to end there. LUMS got back in touch to tell him about their 8-month Made Smarter Leadership Programme (MSLP). “I looked into it and went: you know what? Digitalisation is exactly what my next step is going to be, so it makes perfect sense.”

The leadership programme is designed to help SME business leaders drive change within their organisations and transition to being smart manufacturers. “It was a natural progression from the MA,” Chris says. “It enabled me to look at where the value in the business is and develop a strategy for maximising that value through the digitalisation of our processes. In turn, by moving our processes to a digital platform, we would generate more data reported - supporting decision-making across all levels of the business.”

MSLP incorporates a Sprint project that was especially useful to Forsberg. “They gave us the tools and methodology and then we had to implement change within the business, which puts all the learning into practice. In our case it was moving our procurement from a manual process to one that’s automated and integrated with our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Our team implemented the change and this cut our process time from 30 minutes for a purchase order down to about 4 minutes and is freeing up people to do what they do best.”

Chris explains that the ERP system itself marks a further connection with the University. “In 2019 we began working with the EnginE project on higher level skills workforce development, which gave us a ‘Skills Champion Intern’, Joe Dodd, for two months. Joe brought new skills to tackle the integration of our ERP system, working with different departments to roll it out across the business, which he did brilliantly.”

He is clearly impressed with how each of his interactions with the University has worked to complement the others. “They’re all linked. The integration of the ERP system was accelerated through the EnginE involvement. That integration gave us the foundation – which our Made Smarter Sprints are now building on. Our whole digital strategy has come from that platform.”

Forsberg’s Future Development

The future for Forsberg looks bright. During 2019 they increased from 30 to 40 staff and in September moved to larger premises.

“We have a very adoptive and innovative team and we all relish the opportunity to improve,” Chris says. “The programmes I’ve been involved with have helped to build the culture and engagement in the business. It’s all part of the same journey – and it has all come about from talking to the University.”

Chris himself has recently become one of LUMS’s Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. Now, having taken the lead on the EnginE project, Forsberg’s Operations Manager Dr Raphael Treffny is beginning his own journey with the University on the Lancashire Forum.