I spent many years in manufacturing industry where the concept of ‘lean thinking' is well established. Basically the method necessitates a ‘drains up' look at your business helping managers to clearly specify value, to line up all the value creating activities involved in a product or service along a value stream and to ensure value flows smoothly. This is all done at the ‘pull' of the customer and is reviewed regularly to ensure only value added processes and procedures are included. You notice the method talks of the pull of the customer as this keeps the business focused on the customer needs and not the needs of the supplier.

No matter what your business, lean thinking is always a good idea, and value stream analysis (VSA) is a method you can employ to help improve your operation. Done properly this can help breathe new life and purpose into your company, improve productivity within the organisation and increase market penetration for your products.

If you want any more information on Lean or VSA please contact me at p.white@b-p-a.org

You'll Never Walk Alone

Without wishing to sound like Gerry Marsden (you have to be old like me) there is absolutely no need for a company to be isolated and ‘walk alone' in the nursery products sector today. I don't wish this to read like an advertorial but most particularly in these difficult trading conditions being a member of your trade association is one of the best things you can do.

In addition to the range of cost saving membership services available there is comfort in the knowledge that your representative trade body is out there looking after your interests. Whether it is lobbying parliament, furnishing you with technical information, advice and support or just enabling you to network with likeminded individuals within the industry, we will always try to help. General business support and legal help lines, specialist recruitment services, market information, insurance, website design & development, safety standards documents and online retail solutions are some of the specialist services available and all at discounted membership rates.  

It doesn't matter whether you are a supplier or a retailer ,being a member of your trade association affords you some welcome help at any time but right now it is arguably an essential service. Like all sectoral trade associations BPA and BPA Retail are able to collate information and opinions from members and deliver a powerful collective voice when needed and individual advice and guidance where required.  So don't be alone, be part of something bigger and join us today.

London Calling

I am sure we are all fed up with the never ending stream of negativity in the media about our economy. It is of course quite depressing and I am sure like me you have all been affected in one way or another with the current recession. The fact is though that at the time of writing this page many larger nursery products retailers continues to perform ahead of twelve months ago, a beacon of light in the thick fog of despair.

As a supplier you may or may not be having such a great time as some others in the industry but whatever the individual circumstances of your business it is vitally important that you are out there promoting it. I would argue that a trade fair is an important part of your marketing mix and once you have launched your 2009 digital marketing campaign and placed your media advertising you should think about getting your business exposed to a host of new retailers and of course touch base with your existing ones. The best place to do this is BPA Baby & Child, with its Pre-Show Press Event in the summer and the show itself in early autumn it provides both a great brand awareness opportunity to consumers and a conduit to the retail market for the price of one stand.

I am sure most of the industry is aware by now that BPA Baby & Child will be returning to London this year. From 11th to 13th October our show will be headlining at ExCel. We have already sent out some mailings on this and have received a huge response. It looks like London is indeed the place to be. The rate card has been completed and the first thing you will notice is the introduction of more space related discounts. In addition we have priority booking discount and a loyalty discount for those exhibitors returning from last year and a smaller discount for those who have exhibited at BPA Baby & Child in the past. Then of course there is the very generous BPA members' discount. So it pays to book early and you will be pleasantly surprised how exhibiting in London's leading venue can be such good value for money.

For further information contact Sarah@babyandchildfair.co.uk or call 0845 456 9580.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---