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CiMAugust20Features - rmde1
CiMAugust20Features - rmde1

In a Q&A session, Radj Many, managing director of automotive consultancy, design and tooling manufacture specialist, RM Design & Engineering explains how the company is navigating its way through the pandemic crisis.

In a Q&A session, Radj Many, managing director of automotive consultancy, design and tooling manufacture specialist, RM Design & Engineering explains how the company is navigating its way through the pandemic crisis.

 

RM Design & Engineering specialises in consultancy, design and manufacture of tooling for vacuum forming tooling, GRP tooling, composite tooling and jigs & fixtures. The company works with many of the UK's leading automotive manufacturers on diverse projects, such as prototype components/low volume production and packaging solutions. It also designs and manufactures jigs for the production lines of the automotive supply chain.

Q) Is there a particular area of your business that has been hit by the pandemic or is everyone equally affected?

The automotive industry closing production has had a dramatic effect on our sales stream. We work on prototype projects, which were put on hold as companies were closing doors or putting key project managers on furlough. Our sales stream was halved in May and June and we started to recover in July.

CMS’ Antares 5-axis high speed gantry CNC machining centre

In terms of Government assistance, we applied for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CIBLS) as soon as it became available. The help from the Government was much appreciated and provided back up in order to ride the unknown storm with some ease.

Q) What have you been doing to get through the pandemic crisis?

I’ve made use of the furlough scheme to stay afloat and keep key members of staff. The grant was refused as our business didn’t meet the criteria. Being a small business owner in an unstable market in uncertain times can be a lonely place to be. It’s important to keep a cool head and stay both confident and positive. Social media, such as LinkedIn can provide viewpoints and opinion from other businesses. Downtime from usual tasks has provided a few moments to talk to people who would otherwise be busy, i.e. people in organisations who we don’t usually get chance to talk to. It’s been a time to reflect, share stories and learn how people are dealing with the situation.

Q) What particular aspect has helped your company get through the pandemic?

We have survived Covid for a few reasons. Firstly, toolmaking can be used for many sectors. When demand for one sector drops - this time it was automotive with many plants shutting temporarily - you concentrate your efforts on other areas. Healthcare was in need this time, so we were fortunate to be able to fulfil orders for tooling and part trimming. With many years of toolmaking experience, our agility to diversify in tool design creates confidence among new suppliers. We wouldn’t have got through this period without the flexibility and hard work of our team that was required with peaks and troughs of activity. I salute them for staying positive throughout. As managing director, it helped me to maintain a positive mental attitude that things would return to normal - or at least a new version of normal - and adapt structurally and financially until markets became more certain.

Q) Should companies be using this pandemic-enforced downtime to ‘reset’ and look at how effectively they’re running their businesses?

Yes, this was a perfect opportunity to look at processes and the day-to-day running of the business. We were able to take a step back, analyse and refine processes in order to streamline the business. As a result, our sense of teamwork has improved as staff are being more proactive to ask for help and get jobs done more swiftly with better communication.

Q) Do you have any ‘good news’ stories that your company has performed, i.e. pivot to manufacture PPE for the medical sector, etc.?

We didn’t close our doors during lockdown; we remained open in order to support the medical sector and keep revenue coming in. We supported various projects for the NHS, indirectly via our customers by manufacturing tooling for hospital beds, panels and sinks. We also worked with a vacuum forming company in developing a face mask with graphene filter. We also featured on BBC North.

Q) Are there any positives in general to come out of all this?

I have a better handle on my business with more time spent on hands on work which I really enjoy. Procedures are more streamlined. We’ve introduced core values to the business which I have always tried to instil in my team. Now we have a new wall display which details all of these and celebrates staff achievements. I have maintained my positive attitude and have plans for the future to further develop our business. We’ve become more resilient to change. You always need financial backup for times of crisis and to be able to diversify, so always look for new customers and ideas.

Q) What are your thoughts about the fact that there won’t be any tradeshows for the foreseeable future? Are ‘virtual’ tradeshows now the way forward?

I always enjoyed going to tradeshows to stay in touch and meet new people. I find LinkedIn a great source and being a busy person, virtual tradeshows are a great idea, as they are more accessible if you have to be in two places at once.

Q) Would you say that your long-standing partnerships have brought benefits, particularly as trusted relationships can lead to a better way forward for all?

We’re not just a supplier to our customers. From Day One, we emphasise that we’re part of their company - almost like a dedicated shop that they call upon anytime to support them. It’s one of our core values. We’re a trusted partner; we always strive to do the best for our customers by having their interests at heart. This is why so many customers keep coming back.

RM Design & Engineering values are engrained in the company's ethos

Our motto is quality is king and delivery rules. We also have a good relationship with our suppliers and we make them part of our business by sharing our vision and our core values. I have long-term partnerships with many of my suppliers and they have helped me to get through this period, both in terms of sharing thoughts, reassurance and working with us where they can.

Q) Please provide the latest news on your factory expansion?

We have recently moved from a 4,000ft2 (split between three industrial units in the same estate) workspace to one large factory of 9,000ft2. The move is mainly to consolidate all activities under one roof. It’s worth noting that the move was part of our five-year plan we planned in 2015 that we will need to move in order to support the growth of the business. As part of the expansion, we’ve invested in a new CMS Antares 2628 PX5 CNC machining centre, which has an operating envelope of 2,800mm x 2,600mm x 1,200mm. This was mainly purchased to increase capacity and also take on larger jobs. In line with the expansion, we also invested in staff training on Autodesk PowerMill and PowerInspect.

Q) Where to next for your company?

We have been increasingly asked to trim vacuum formed plastic parts and carbon fibre components. This is an area where we see growth in the near future. We are particularly suited for handling complex trimming due to our in-house knowledge in designing holding fixtures that work.

Radj Many: “Our biggest asset is the staff; we ensure they are trained well.”

There’s still lot to improve. Covid definitively put the brakes on our growth, but we’re not deterred by this; we’ve simply pressed the pause button on our expansion projects. We do have the following planned for the business: rearrange workspace by buying racks and install gangways and dedicated work areas to maximise workflow; implement ISO 9001 by end of the year; build on our mezzanine, dedicated design office, meeting room for clients and new canteen for the staff; purchase a new laser scanning inspection arm that we could use for reverse engineering; and double the electricity capacity in order to bring more new machines.

www.rmde.net

www.cmsukltd.co.uk

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