Improving order-to-cash efficiencies in a Tasmanian woollen mill
Waverley Mills
Project Background
Waverley Mills is Australia’s oldest working textile mill and is located in the heart of Tasmania, in Launceston. It is the last Australian wool mill in operation, taking wool from paddock to woven textile. A brand synonymous with enduring quality and unwavering commitment, Waverley Mills has been undertaking a remarkable transformation, expanding their reach to connect with a global audience and offer luxurious textiles, crafted with precision. Waverley Mills was seeking avenues for increased production efficiency while upholding the cherished tradition of unparalleled craftsmanship nurtured over 150 years, since 1874.
Opportunity
At the start of the engagement, The Project Lab discovered that Waverley Mills’ Order-to-Cash cycle could be improved by determining:
what happened at each stage of production;
flow-on impacts between specific stages;
production bottlenecks that could negatively impact flow;
scheduling requirements; and
boundaries for each specific stage – where one process stops and another starts.
The engagement also highlighted that there were secondary benefits for Waverley Mills to improve:
knowledge-sharing of each stage;
understanding of the impact that each stage had on the next;
specific production volumes and improve financial forecast accuracy; and
communication of setup requirements for effective production flow and maximum output.
Approach
After a thorough review and assessment of Waverley Mills’ current state, The Project Lab was able to generate accurate data which then allowed the team to deliver an end-to-end production process map.
We worked through the following steps:
Project initiation and alignment – clarified expectations, involved key stakeholders and identified key outcomes;
Discovery – completed desktop analysis and stakeholder engagement (interviews and observation);
Compilation and validation – compiled and sense-checked the information discovered, continued refining and finalising the solution; and
Delivery – created the process map and presented it back to the business for clarity and collective understanding.
Project Results
The project with Waverley Mills exceeded the clients’ expectations to achieve the following:
Substantially increased final production output following implementation of our collaborative work
Developed a clear process map of what needs to happen from the time an order arrives, through to when funds are deposited into the bank. The process map allowed Waverley Mills to see where improvements could be made, and determine what flow-on effects each improvement change might incur
The process map provided the leadership team with a better understanding of what occurred at each stage of the production process, allowing them to more effectively communicate and support their fellow team leaders. This created an additional benefit of improving team culture
Comprehension of the flow-on impacts between specific stages, increasing accountability at each stage of production
Production accountability and management of each stage of production to create more efficient processes, reduce waste, and save money
Visibility of bottlenecks with recommendations for mitigating negative production flow to increase volumes and reach sales targets within a specified timeframe
Identification of pain points and quick win opportunities, such as writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), to establish and maintain a consistent, best-practice approach.
About The Project Lab
The Project Lab delivers impactful engagements and partners with organisations and stakeholders in five target sectors. Our sectors combine industries in a traditional sector with a “this is how we do it here” approach, bringing a uniquely Tasmanian perspective to the way we can approach challenges and opportunities individually or together.
With Tasmania’s ambitious target of tripling exports by 2050, we’re motivated to work with organisations that will realise this goal. Manufacturing, primary production and transport companies intrinsically work together to unlock the potential of our island, supplying products to a diverse range of local, national and international markets.
