Episode Details

David and Rob are joined by Dave Bunting, Managing Director of Architectural Glass Products in Cambridge. They dive deep into operational excellence and manufacturing leadership, exploring Dave’s key insights and perspectives on planning for and expecting excellence. Listen to the discussion centred on the power of a continuous improvement mindset, the importance of building a high-performing culture and how New Zealand manufacturers can transform their approach to leadership and high performance. Highlights:  

• "Anyone can buy the equipment. It's culture and operational excellence that set you apart." - Dave Bunting on creating competitive advantage in manufacturing 

• "Leadership is about taking teams to places they didn't think they could go before. It's not always a nice journey, but it's about channelling problem-solving skills in the right way." 

• "What gets measured gets worked on. Being deliberate with discipline is key - you can't just do it for a week and then forget about it for six weeks." 

Key Takeaways:  

• AGP's approach to operational excellence includes a flat organizational structure, daily 8:30 meetings, and a focus on data-driven improvements 

• The importance of hiring for cultural fit and training employees in continuous improvement 

• Insights into leadership development and the need to make manufacturing a more attractive career path 

Thank you for tuning in to The Better SMB! Don't forget to like, subscribe and leave a review. --------------------- Connect with Rob and David on LinkedIn Rob Bull David Altena Learn more about NZ Lean Academy and the mission Rob is on to make NZ the best place in the world to do business  Download David's NBR-featured report "Boosting Productivity in New Zealand SMEs" by joining the mailing list on the Altena Solutions website and start your journey to a more productive business today