Manufacturing growth has stultified in most parts of Africa due to gaps in entrepreneurship, knowhow, managerial effectiveness, finance and infrastructural support. In Nigeria for example, manufacturers grapple with rudimentary but critical factors as power, transportation and logistics, supply chain management, and finance for survival. Notwithstanding, manufacturing remains a critical pillar of growth for a transitioning and emerging economy with profound opportunities for growth. Practitioners therefore, require an appreciation of the deeply rooted issues that underlie the challenges faced by the sector, which includes strategy crafting, strategy revalidation and effective execution culture.
The issues pertain to what the company is producing and what raw material components are suitable within the context of the environment. It concerns the sustainability of the raw materials source and its long-term compatibility with the operating technologies of the company. The management of cultural challenges and building the right team. The challenges of people and organisation, the shop floor management, stocking and supply chain challenges, dealing with competition and differentiating products and markets for niche creation. The issues involve understanding the fluidity of the economy and policy regimes relating both to fiscal and monetary policies that affects valuation, pricing and profitability. The issues also revolve around the corporate ethos on sustainable ethical practices for the long term. These myriads of issues constrain effective operation on a day-to-day basis and into the long term even for the most prolific and ardent managers.
It requires profound understanding of the operating environment and long term planning for sustainable operations in the uniquely challenging operating environment where sadly, physical infrastructural capital is as challenging as the social infrastructural capital. Our partners and associates come with diverse and related expertise in the various areas that culminate into a melting pot for both a “helicopter view” and “in the arena participant view” of the issues affecting the manufacturing sector. We collaborate and work alongside the client to develop and nurture the unique strategic strengths, capabilities and resources of each client to enable them succeed in their journeys.