By Neil Parton, MD, Elumatec,

January is the month for fresh starts and resolutions. Unfortunately, towards the end of January, many resolutions are abandoned amid a big dose of reality. The antidote to this is straightforward: be prepared to deal with it.

But what should we expect to face? The last couple of years have been different and very disruptive, and we’re not out of the woods yet.

There are many problems in global supply chains. Prices are rising and delays in sourcing are now commonplace. Attitudes to employment have changed. Individuals and businesses are rethinking their priorities.

Resolve to push on

Although failed resolutions are something of a joke, the new year is, I believe, a suitable time for pushing on. A lot of us will have spent the tail end of 2021 planning. The festive season is behind us and we’re still months off the peak holiday season. What’s more, the glazing industry’s customers are waiting for us to act. If we sit around waiting for supply chain issues to resolve themselves, we’ll go backwards, not forwards. Give those plans a review now and make things happen.

Don’t dither. Do.

Fresh starts are often accompanied by something like a spring clean. Whether practical or symbolic, don’t make the mistake of keeping on cleaning and tweaking. It’s a form of procrastination. At some stage, you need to commit and make progress with the work.

Flexible planning

Many people believe that to achieve something you must stick rigidly to a plan, but what if that plan is no longer relevant? You could be achieving the month-on-month planned increase in output of a product you cannot sell? Plans should be flexible and kept under review.

Address problems

Don’t put up with things that are holding you back. If a machine can’t operate at the rate you need, look at replacing it. Delaying won’t solve the problem and throwing extra shifts at it might cause extra unnecessary complications.

Know when to quit

Persistence and determination are admirable qualities. So is knowing when to quit. If it doesn’t work and it can’t be fixed, don’t exhaust your energy and finances trying. Find another way.

Keep learning

Don’t think you know everything. Keep an open, curious mind. When you look at a process, question whether there might be a better way to achieve it. If you have a problem, the answer might come from a team member, your industry peers or an unrelated source but don’t give up.

Embrace change

The pace of technological change presents challenges, but you need to embrace it. Without technology, businesses will be reduced – at best – to being niche suppliers with limited potential.

Think about automation

While automation may seem a step too far for some businesses, it can bring many benefits including precision, productivity and safer working practices. Use your people for the skilled jobs machinery can’t handle, and where possible leave repetitive tasks to robots.

Embrace sustainability

Following COP26, there’s been a lot of talk about sustainability being a throwaway term routinely used by all sorts of organisations. It needs to be more than that. Legislation and consumer demand will make it so. You’ll have to do it soon enough, so embrace it and enjoy the potential savings.

Get on with it!

This is the real world. You will make mistakes. You will miss targets. You might have to change track, but when you keep going, working towards your goal, you’ll also enjoy successes, make discoveries, clinch deals, and eventually, you’ll nail it.

Good luck and happy New Year.