NEWS DORIC
Doric
sets new
benchmark in
company training
Doric’s Competitive Manufacturing (CM)
program with leading registered training
organisation Applied Training Solutions (ATS).
Hon. Chris Bowen MP congratulates Paul Bird,
Thienthong Manavanh (Thien) came to Australia in her early
20s after fleeing her home country, Laos, in 1976. For the past
20 years, she has worked with Doric Products in western Sydney,
Australia’s largest privately owned hardware manufacturer.
Now a Doric Products team leader, Thien is one of several
employees from countries including Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam
and Sri Lanka who have been part of an innovative lean
manufacturing training program at the company.
In 2009, the company launched its Competitive Manufacturing
(CM) program with leading registered training organisation
Applied Training Solutions (ATS). Sixteen trainees successfully
completed the CM certificate and since then the company
has been involved in 25 Improvement Projects. “I’m very proud
to work at Doric,” says Thien. “The training we have received is
excellent.”
Each year Doric hosts a special presentation at its Wetherill Park
headquarters to recognise the achievements of its trainees.
This year the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, Chris
Bowen, was special guest at the two hour presentation,
attended by more than 60 guests. Four teams from Doric
were chosen to highlight new programs aimed at reducing
waste and improving productivity.
Mr Bowen congratulated Doric, which is located in the heart
of his western Sydney electorate of Prospect, on the training
initiative.
31 Australian Window Association Winter 2013
Doric’s Operations Manager, Paul Bird, said the company’s
training program gives employees manufacturing skills that can
be applied on the shop floor.
The program has been so successful there are plans to expand
it into new areas such as administration. Mr Bird acknowledged
the significant role played by ATS in the program, which has
greatly improved efficiency and productivity.
Doric General Manager, Nigel Long, said, “It is not only about
the company, this program is also about the personal journeys all
trainees have been able to take. When they first started many of
the trainees did not speak english or spoke english as a second
language.”
“On this course they learned new skills such as 5s, Value Stream
Mapping and root cause analysis which they used in the
improvement projects along the way. The company has helped
them to grow as individuals and they have helped drive our
profitability.”
ATS General Manager, Ken Downie, said it was, “an absolute
pleasure to see the presentations by the teams of lean
methodologies being implemented into their day-to-day
operations.”
Applied Training Solutions were fortunate to have the
opportunity to deliver both Certificate III and IV in Competitive
Manufacturing to 14 Doric Products employees in 2010.