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“ From there , I went on to start my own management accountancy business , offering not only the preparation of management accounts , budgets and cashflows , but also advice with regards to growth , problem solving and strategic planning . With that came the joy of training people at all levels and watching their businesses grow . The bulk of my work involved setting and managing KPIs , risk assessment , personal accountability and of course , financial viability . At the core of this was drilling down into the practices and processes of businesses , at all levels and in various sectors , including manufacturing .”
Tina : “ Amanda officially joined Oakland Glass at the beginning of 2019 as Finance Director . She brought more than just a set of accounts to us . After just five months , Amanda ’ s role quickly changed from finance to looking at the whole operations of the business . Which seemed like a natural progression and a breath of fresh air for me .”
Amanda : “ When you first come into a business it is so important to not only look at the financials , but also the systems and the people . My first month was really analysing the accounts , KPIs and talking to people to identify what were the main areas to focus on first . Finance is more than the numbers on the page , it tells a story and points you to the right directions . But we can ’ t use it alone . Tina , her managers and staff had some really great ideas on how to advance the business and work as team to deliver these ideas .”
Tina was one of the main driving forces in improving upon Oakland Glass ’ success so far , w hich was built on years of good relationships , with not only her customers and staff , but suppliers and people in the industry .
Amanda : “ I wanted to put together a new management team that shared the workload , drawing on people ’ s existing skills , knowledge and experience and developing them . I provided mentoring , support and training where needed , but mostly created an environment that fostered individual accountability on a personal level and let staff take more ownership in a professional capacity .
“ If you involve people and listen to them , explaining why you ’ re doing things and showing them the benefits , they soon start to see the difference and believe in it . This makes future changes easier and quicker to implement . I am a great believer in developing and mentoring those people that are enthusiastic and willing to learn .
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it was essential that we moved away from manual systems
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“ For me , it was essential that we moved away from manual systems to automated , as much as possible ; to capture KPIs and live data , enabling us to respond to business / market changes quickly and effectively .”
Tina : “ Some of Amanda ’ s recommendations were difficult to see how they would work , but Amanda ’ s calm and inclusive approach helped us take those steps and guide us through it .”
Little did they know at the time but these changes they had started to make , would allow them to get through the most difficult times our industry has ever seen .
Amanda : “ When Covid hit , we had all the right systems and plans in place , which minimised the impact of Covid .
When lockdown lifted , we brought back people gradually ; again , assessing how we could optimise production and schedules according to our customer needs and available stock .
“ From the customer service point of view , Oakland has always tried to do right by its customers . We maintain excellent customer service through communication and allocations . Even during the worst of the glass shortage , we were open and honest . Above all , we tell our customers everything they need to know , often before they even ask .”
Tina : “ The results have been remarkable . Amanda has not just improved our figures and processes , she has developed our people and set us up with a structure to allow us to all grow together . Amanda has shown us how to work together as a team . By constantly looking at what we do and why we do it , we can continuously progress .
“ Even though we can ’ t plan for everything – the last few years have taught us that more than ever – we have a strong base for whatever is thrown at us and a clear set of values that we have all bought into : people , respect , teamwork , service , quality and growth .”
Tina added : “ After seeing what Amanda has brought into the business and working together to get us through some very difficult times in our industry , I felt confident in her abilities . I can now start to take a step back and pass the baton over to Amanda , who is now the sole Managing Director at Oakland Glass . I am still involved daily with the business , which I have always loved and enjoyed . Now Amanda has allowed me now to have a bit of freedom to enjoy my homelife , and grandchildren ,” she said smiling …
www . oaklandglass . co . uk
CLEARVIEW-UK . COM DECEMBER 2022
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