IQ-Magazine-Issue-14

IQ business profile
out the root causes of problems, rather than just their
symptoms,” Ashley said.
Ashley wanted to encourage the business to take
calculated risks to stimulate growth, rather than stagnate
in crowded market places. Ashley worked with everyone
from the manufacturing team to the board of directors,
on the development and launch of a new product range
that entered the business into a new market. Ultra Board
first started trading in 2005 and provided a range of
innovative board solutions for the print design and retailer
markets.
By working with the internal team, setting realistic goals
and communicating with all stakeholders, the launch was
a success but it wasn’t without its challenges. In addition
to developing new products within the business, Ashley
introduced new lean manufacturing processes that would
change the shape of the company.
the launch was a
success but it wasn’t
without its challenges
“Changing mindsets was always going to be the biggest
thing to overcome. We needed to show people how the
changes we were looking to make would actually improve
their day on a very real level. It wasn’t just something
that was coming out of the boardroom, dictated down.
It was important for us to bring everyone with us on the
journey, so they could perform their jobs more accurately
and efficiently.”
In addition to launching new products and introducing
lean manufacturing processes, Ashley took it upon
himself to research, roll out and manage a full front to
back management information system (MIS) within the
company. “The MIS has taken a good 18 months to bed in,
as it had to become a central part of how we work. Ranging
from marketing, purchasing, sales, profitability and more,
there is nothing our MIS doesn’t touch and report on. It’s
been a big move for the business, as it’s given us a visibility
across everything we’re doing on a whole new level.”
His vision and years of hard work earned Ashley a place
at the directors’ table. He’s now responsible for managing
the whole team, new product development, marketing,
internal processes and more. Not one to rest of his laurels,
Ashley continues to look for ways to continue to grow the
business. “I want us to become the clear market leader in
honeycomb boards throughout the UK and have a strong
presence in all parts of the developed world. We’re on our
way, with resellers already operating in Australia, Portugal
and Denmark. We’ve also partnered with a company, and
set up Dufaylite Americas, primarily focusing on Mexico
and will be used to expand into the USA.”
Now two years down the line, changes have bedded in
and there’s a real sense of focused momentum within the
growing team. “The key to any development is working on
your people and helping them to evolve. I’ve always wanted
to do as much as I can, but this whole process has shown
me the importance of focusing on one thing at a time.”
When asked what the future holds, Ashley is already deep
into researching the impact that 3D printing will have on
their sector. “I think it’s going to shake things up more than
we realise, and it’s not something that’s years away, it’s very
much on our doorstep.”
Ashley has retained full-service marketing agency,
Cubiqdesign, as the company’s strategic partner, and is
in the process of redeveloping the websites for each of
Dufaylite’s brands, Clayboard, Envirolite and Ultra Board.
“We’ve got some very exciting developments in the months
ahead, as this is our 60th year in business,” Ashley says,
“I’m looking to keep things simple. Now that we have our
systems and processes in place, our products can shine,
thanks to the hard work of our talented people.”
More Information
www.dufaylite.com
issue 14 | page 31