going to market with pollen asset advisory
Against a backdrop of growing capital investments – in 2018 the food industry beefed up its value of capital investments by nearly 5% on the year previous – many of Pollen Consulting Group’s clients are seeking to get more control of and optimise this spending. According to one estimate from a global analysis, up to 70% of asset management investments fail to meet their objectives, either in full or in part, while a sizeable chunk (~30%) even being cancelled before go-live.
“It is imperative that capital investments are utilised to the highest potential. In our work, we witness businesses that are investing but are experiencing shortfalls in process, resources and capabilities leading to missed benefits and failed projects,” said Paul Eastwood, CEO and founder of the Sydney-based management consulting firm.
While helping clients with operational and supply chain efficiencies, Pollen’s senior team found that the consulting firm could deliver more value-added by including a broader remit on asset management. “The two are very closely connected,” said Scott Varker, a director at the firm and head of the recently founded Asset Advisory wing.
“Getting the best out of capital investment decisions on sourced materials, equipment or engineering aspects can be just as important to the bottom line as buying something shiny and new,” he added.
POLLEN ASSET ADVISORY
Going to market as Pollen Asset Advisory, the offering blends engineering and operational experience to help clients make the best decisions with respect to both current and future assets. Varker himself has some 30 years of FMCG experience, of which several years in capital projects and asset lifecycle management roles.
Over the past six months, Pollen Asset Advisory has managed to win a number of capital planning, portfolio management and implementation transitions, said Varker. “The projects have ranged from identification and evaluation of new automation options to manufacturing relocation assessments. Reliability has also been a significant driver with clients focusing on repair and maintenance costs and equipment uptime.”
At one client in Australia, Pollen Consulting’s team successfully delivered significant savings on repair and maintenance spend while improving service levels on the major contracts. Another project aimed at helping a FMCG player grow the maturity of its engineering capabilities through a range of team performance, training and personal development interventions.
Fully integrated into the firm, the arm can tap Pollen Technology for digitisation expertise, and Pollen Academy for learning & development support. “We are able to provide complimentary services to meet our client needs with a holistic but practical approach, from shop floor to boardroom,” concluded Varker.
Originally published by www.consultancy.com.au – October 2019