Demonstrating that collaboration is the key to success this Christmas. By Sarah Markwowski, Human Resources Manager, Smart Made Simple – SMS.
It’s the season to be jolly fa la la la la, la la la la, and Smart Made Simple – SMS have had plenty of reasons to be jolly during 2019.
At the beginning of the year, in March 2019, long serving and committed Members of the Board, Andrew Maddock and Craig Taylor took ownership of Smart Made Simple, starting a programme of cultural and company changes that will develop further as we move into 2020.
This announcement was quickly followed by the news that Smart Made Simple had invested in high-end specialist audio company Cyrus Audio (www.cyrusaudio.com).
As well as making considered investments, Andrew and Craig have also made strategic alliances to welcome new key managers into the company, as well as promoting several team members to more senior roles.
Growth:
• Steven Blyth –Board Member and Director of Sales and Marketing
• Darren Bowler – New Team Leader in the Warehouse
• Matt Carefoot – Purchasing Manager
• Jay Patel – Planning Team Leader
Development:
• Chris Bray was promoted from Sales to Product Management
• Anita Brown has been promoted to Internal Sales Manager, to enhance Sales Operations and focus on customer experience and satisfaction
• Keiran Dromgool promoted to Business Development Manager of our dedicated Development Centre for Low volume and prototyping
All team members have opened new market possibilities as a respected Electronics Manufacturing Service Provider (EMS) for new and emerging developmental companies, becoming the UK source for electronics start-ups to come to life.
2019 was also a year that the company embedded their cultural policy into the organisation under the direction of HR Manager Sarah Markwowski. This enabled SMS to continuously improve in succession planning, talent acquisition and retention. Values are now written into company job descriptions, interviews and appraisals and the vision imagery is on the Personal Improvement Plans and Personal Development Plans. This helps SMS to recruit the right type of talent from the outset and nurture them as they progress through their career in SMS in a consistent way.
The Human Resources department introduced a suite of company cultural influences which quickly became embedded into the company’s DNA.
In this article, Sarah tells us a little more about the 2019 initiatives that the company has put in place to support its internal team, as well how they invest in the community in which they reside.
1. During 2019 the Human Resource (HR) function became a ‘rock function’ within the Management Team organisational structure. Previously to this, HR had sat below one of the directors. Now however, Sarah has a ‘seat at the table’, to represent HR and the entire business internally and externally. This has brought significant change into the company as Sarah is able to look at the impact of decisions from a personnel perspective and understanding the production forecast enables her to plan better for resources required. It’s joined up thinking and has helped SMS to be more proactive in its recruitment drives.
2. SMS invested in a Coaching and Mentoring Academy for all interested Managers and Team Leaders. Steve Walker, the Managing Director of the Academy, has proven results in raising team members decision making confidence, strategic awareness and change, and openness to becoming a learning organisation to embrace continuous improvement.
3. Apprentice investment, with seven apprentices working in various roles throughout the company, from; Engineering, SMT & Manufacturing, and Business Administration. The apprenticeship programme continues to be a great success for SMS, providing these individuals with true hands-on experience enabling the company to grow and develop with a fresh perspective as they do.
Under Sarah’s guidance, Smart Made Simple has also continued its commitment to community social responsibility, with a focus on education, job training, and charity work.
About SMS
SMS – Smart Made Simple, is the U.K.’s leading Manufacturing Service Provider.
From concept to creation, to commercialisation, to customer, for all technology companies. Whether you are a start-up, or an established household brand name, if you have a design, engineering, manufacturing or supply chain problem, thanks to the diversity of our experience and scalable service, SMS has the solution.
Since 1920, SMS has manufactured electronics products from the same home in Nottingham, U.K. For almost 100 years, we have been the company behind the ideas, offering agile and adaptive supply chain solutions, that bring products to market faster, smarter and simpler.
Leader in the specialist low volume, highly complex manufacturing services market space, SMS has earned critical industry facility certifications, that brings full viability and credibility to the aerospace & defence, communications, industrial and medical markets. SMS brings the right scale, capabilities and competitive solutions to customers needing high-reliability attention, product realisation and supply chain optimisation.
For further information, visit www.smartmadesimple.com.
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