TSP Engineering
A DATA DRIVE IN MANUFACTURING DIGITAL REPORT 2020
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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A DATA DRIVE IN MANUFACTURING
www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k
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TSP ENGINEERING
John Coughlan, CEO at TSP Engineering, discusses his firm’s digital transformation journey against the backdrop of COVID-19
T
SP Engineering is an industrial and electrical engineering manufacturer that provides a range of technical solutions to
solve complex problems. The organisation serves a number of key industries such as nuclear, defence, oil & gas, steel, construction and industrial. 04
John Coughlan has been the CEO at TSP Engineering since 2014. A results-driven, business turnaround leader, Coughlan possesses a significant record of driving operational improvements through operating with a customercentred approach. He has helped oversee TSP Engineering’s digital transformation journey but believes his company is still in its infancy in terms of its overall digitalisation drive. “It’s been a good journey so far, but we’re still in the initial stages of transformation,” affirms Coughlan. “One of the things that we’re really trying to guard against is allowing anyone access into our business via any new technology we introduce. We’ve had to ensure that we’re cybersecure to protect the data that we have. This is even more important because a lot of
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TSP ENGINEERING
“ It’s been a good journey so far but we’re still in the initial stages of transformation” — John Coughlan, CEO, TSP Engineering
the knowledge to leverage data more effectively. “It’s one of those
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the data that isn’t ours, we’re minding it
things that I learned really early on,”
for our customers and the information
he explains. “You have to provide staff
is for UK eyes only and is classified.
with the tools to interrogate the data
This means it’s even more pivotal that
that will draw out the answer to the
we’re very careful in everything we do.”
problem. It’s important to never just
Talent management is a key pillar to
give away the answer but provide a
Coughlan and he acknowledges the
route to the answer that they need for
importance of equipping staff with
the problem. It’s about how to harness, interrogate and how to interpret the data to provide results because data doesn’t really lie.” With the importance of data growing at an exponential rate to businesses such as TSP Engineering, Coughlan affirms that an agile and flexible approach to operations is key, particularly in a digital transformation. “It’s about harnessing the data to drive our technologies and the changes that we make on a daily basis,” says Coughlan. “The digital era that we’re now in is constantly making us look at our business and how we operate. Only recently, based on what we’re
doing, we’ve decided to take one of our
by other areas of the business.
business departments and set it out
“The data that we hold in-house
into a business unit on its own to allow
is very important to us and because
it to get further ahead on the digital
of the sectors that we work in, such
transformation and not to be held back
as nuclear and defence, security is
E X E C U T I V E P R O FILE :
John Coughlan Title: CEO
Company: TSP Engineering
Industry: Manufacturing
Location: Workington, UK
John Coughlan joined TSP Engineering in 2014 with overall responsibility for driving strategy, operations and continuous business improvement. John possesses a significant record of delivering operational improvements, efficiencies and customer satisfaction across Europe, ASIA, North America and Mexico, with an ability to quickly understand the mission, vision and values of a customer focused organisation. He’s previously held senior non-executive and executive positions in many organisations including, Aerly Bird Transglogal, UpRight, Celestica, ITW Avery Weightronics, Dianorm Teo as well being appointed to a range of senior committees, enterprise boards and liaison groups. John was named UK Manufacturing Champions Manufacturing Leader in December 2016 and was named one of the most inspiring Manufacturing Leaders in 2018. Last year, John was crowned Best Businessperson of the Year by the in-Cumbria Awards, and this year was a finalist for the prestigious IoD Director of the Year Awards. www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k
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TSP ENGINEERING
“ You have to provide staff with the tools to interrogate the data that will draw out the answer to the problem” — John Coughlan, CEO, TSP Engineering
products that we deliver. We must deliver a lifetime record with our product, so they need to be assured about everything in our process.” Coughlan believes that the influence of Advanced Nuclear Reactors (ANRs) will play a prominent part in helping the UK become a more sustainable environment. “The world wants to be a
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essential. We must ensure that we’re
greener place in the future and one of
not only protecting the data but that
the ways we try to make that happen
we’re using it correctly, as it has a
is by ensuring that we have economi-
big impact on our customers and the
cally achievable and reachable nuclear
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34:13
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power to help get us to a net-zero
10 years to 18-24 months. This is from
economy and region,” says Coughlan.
the time you place the order, move it to
“To make this happen, you should
site and have your building put in place,
ensure that nuclear power is afford-
because the two can be in parallel.
able because, if you take the existing
This means that it basically becomes
power sources for nuclear, it can take
a plug-in unit when you get it onsite.”
up to 10 years to build and you could
Despite the disruption of the coro-
be talking about over US$20bn to pro-
navirus pandemic, TSP Engineering
duce. But we don’t have the finances
has continued to receive orders and
or time to do that anymore so if we
is emerging post-COVID-19 in a rela-
scale those down in terms of capa-
tively strong position in comparison to
bility of electricity, we can produce
lots of harder-hit industries. However,
those completely in the factory and
Coughlan explains that his organi-
streamline the production time from
sation, like so many others, had to www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k
transform operations overnight and find a new normal. “COVID has made us think outside the box,” explains Coughlan. “At the end of March, we ceased production and sent people home for their own safety. Once we got an understanding of how we could work more safely, we had a number of people from all areas of the business starting to work from home and getting the IT infrastructure set up. A lot of people found that they were much more productive working from home
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“ It’s about harnessing the data to drive our technologies and the changes that we make on a daily basis”
of the factory workers, it’s obviously much more difficult for them to work at home so we introduced staggered times to stop there being too many people in at once.” TSP Engineering works closely with
— John Coughlan, CEO, TSP Engineering
the nuclear AMR advanced manufac-
and we now have a mix of remote
tinued success. “That’s an extremely
working and office working. It was
important relationship to us in terms
important that we checked in with
of our learning and development as
employees because we were well
a business,” he says. “Research and
aware of the mental health aspect and
development has become increasingly
understood that there wasn’t one way
key to us over the past few years
that worked for everyone. In terms
as technology continues to change.
turing centre and Coughlan affirms partnerships like this are vital to con-
www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k
TSP ENGINEERING
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“ The future is what we make it; you can sit back and wait for the future to come or you can try and develop it” — John Coughlan, CEO, TSP Engineering
We also believe in partnering with customers and get great satisfaction when they view us as an extension of their business and part of their business. We’re looking beyond them and are trying to see who their customers are, as well as their demands and values. This will mean that we will be able to more than meet our front facing customers’ needs. We spend a lot of time with companies within our supply chain who we see as partners and work with them to try and improve quality, to help them understand the requirements of delivering in the nuclear sector, and help get their business up to the level required by the industry.” Coughlan understands the importance of collaboration to achieving success. “You have to understand that you can’t do everything yourself,” he affirms. “Once you recognise that you need other people, then you have to consider them as an extension of your business. This is what helps you survive and what helps you differentiate yourself from competitors. You need a partner that’s open and is going to tell you when things are www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k
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TSP ENGINEERING
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going wrong. Having a partner that is
can sit back and wait for the future
open to change and has flexibility is
to come or you can try and develop
also crucial.”
it,” he says. “We’re going to be very
With the future in mind, Coughlan
involved in developing the future and
is optimistic and believes the next few
new nuclear technologies and more
years are in his organisation’s hands.
involved in research and development.
“The future is what we make it; you
This is a really exciting time for lots
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of businesses and we’re certainly no
into the future in terms of getting
different. As a company, we’ve won 14
to the next level we want to reach.”
awards during the past four years and spent £5.5m investing in our people to bring them to the standard where they can grow within the business. The time is now to use that as a springboard www.t sp- e ngi ne e ri ng . co. u k
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