Advanced Industry Materials Savings Programme

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The Economic Development Unit

ADVANCED INDUSTRY MATERIALS SAVING (AIMS) PROGRAMME

The third phase of this programme will be launched in 2012

WHAT IS AIMS?

The Advanced Industry Materials Savings Programme is an innovative and highly successful programme for SMEs and social enterprises based in Belfast and Lisburn who have the desire to grow through streamlined processes.

This project is jointly funded by Lisburn and Belfast City Councils and the EU under the Sustainable Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013.

The AIMS Programme is being delivered by both Belfast City and Lisburn City Councils and will help businesses reduce their cost base by analysing the flow of materials in-house and the quality and sustainability of the materials incorporated in their products and services. The analysis and subsequent implementation will enable the businesses to increase their profitability by about 5%. In the process each company will significantly reduce its environmental footprint and increase their competitiveness as local trading partners by improving quality and timeliness of deliveries.

Cutting Industries

Mark Smiley, Cutting Industries who was a participant on the Council's AIMS (Advanced Industry Materials Saving) programme

 

WHAT WILL AIMS DO FOR YOU?

Through this programme participants will find out about the practicalities of Lean Processes, the opportunities it offers and the pitfalls to be avoided when implementing new processes in a business. 

1. Workshops. The Programme will provide six workshops that have been designed to give you a practical approach on how to implement new processes into your business.

2. Individual business mentoring. Your mentor will then work with you for up to five days to provide you with practical support as you begin to:

  • Identify and develop systems and procedures to support the business in gearing up to new / streamlined processes
  • Increase productivity
  • Increase operator flexibility to meet customer requirements
  • Reduce work in progress
  • Improve quality
  • Improve on-time delivery

 

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?

Businesses in the Belfast City Council and Lisburn City Council areas that:

  • Are not active Invest NI clients.
  •  Are owned / managed by people who wish to apply a growth strategy using refined processes.
  • Those with managerial authority to implement changes.
  • Batch manufacturers, process manufacturing, job shops, agriculture, services and administration will all benefit greatly.

 

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Belfast City Council and Lisburn City Councils are investing heavily in this programme to support participating businesses to maximise growth opportunities.

This is a FREE programme that provides:

  • Six workshops – delivered by people with extensive practical commercial experience.
  • Five consultancy days [equating to 30 hours in total] with an experienced business mentor who has a proven track record in the field of lean processes and business development.
  • The development of an action plan that is tailored to your business.

HOW TO APPLY?

Request an application form –

Contact Shane Kelland of Belfast City Council on 028 9050 0526 / KellandS@BelfastCity.gov.uk 

Contact Hazel King of Lisburn City Council on 028 9250 9484 / Hazel.King@lisburn.gov.uk

Contact Melanie Fitzpatrick of Ortus on 028 90311002 / melanie@ortus.org

Complete this application form and return to Melanie Fitzpatrick

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the Programme, please feel free to contact us.

Press Releases:

2010 Programme

To date 3 Lisburn companies have participated on a number of workshops which focused upon the concept of Lean Manufacturing, proven to be the most effective productivity enhancing technique currently available to companies in the world today. These businesses are also benefiting from mentoring support from qualified Lean and Design consultants in order to implement projects and explore new design concepts and sustainability options to improve their overall business efficiencies.

AIMS participant- Mark Smiley

Councillor Jenny Palmer with Mark Smiley, Cutting Industries, a participant on the AIMS programme in 2010.