This project, one of a number carried out for Sappi, was based at Sappi Forests in the Tranvaal.
Sappi had recently acquired a Forestry company and was struggling to integrate the new business and cash the benefits anticipated by the purchase, due to poor management skills on site and extremely weak systems, with the business instead relying on individuals’ knowledge.
A Programme was designed focused on generating improvements in the administration areas plus the cost of contractors used in the harvesting process.
Firstly, the design and implementation of new resource requirement systems allowed for far greater control over the size and cost of the contract labour closely matching it to the workload. This in turn was supported by training to create a much more pro-active management style focused on costs and commercial outcomes. Within the administration areas efficiencies were identified and implemented resulting in additional savings.
The targetted savings were exceeded and further work was awarded Knox D’Arcy within Sappi as a result of the success of the Programme.