Leading a productive business means Don Oborowsky, the CEO of Waiward Steel Fabricators Ltd, maintains a commitment to innovation during boom times, as well as when business slows down. Learn how he did it in this Q&A.
In the last five years, Oborowsky led the company through major operations changes to increase efficiency. This included a complete overhaul of shop-floor processes, which allows Waiward to increase production without increasing manpower.
In this interview, Obrowsky outlines some of the leadership and productivity practices that keep his business competitive in changing markets.
Q - Why is it so important to you to be involved in promoting productivity?
A - I think a little different than most people. It’s interesting, this weekend I was talking to someone about another business that I’m involved with. Some people like to look down at their competition. It’s important to them to think that way and I’ve always been the other way around. I like to see my competition do well because if you don’t have your competition doing well, they go under and if they don’t go under, then they have absolutely horrid pricing and they don’t last long anyway. So I think it’s important for your industry to do well, whatever industry it’s in. I think it’s important for somebody like myself to take a leadership role and to pass on some of my knowledge (they’re not going to beat me anyways!). I want them to be better, to be more competitive. I want to keep the work in Alberta, as opposed to offshore or from some place, some country or another province. I don’t think that is healthy.
Q – What do you do and how you have fostered fostered productivity in your own company?
A - We are the first for everything. In 1988-89 we first started using automated CNC equipment and people told me how foolish I was because everyone in the steel business who did this before went broke. CNC control is equipment that follows the command of the computer. You input data into a computer and it tells the machine to do whatever is related to that data.
Q - It sounds like a big part of your commitment to productivity is the willingess to take risks with new technologies?
A - That’s a big part of it but also we retooled the whole shop in the last 5 years. While people where busy just trying to get the work out the door, we retooled the whole shop because we wanted to get it out quicker yet with the same man power. We’re not just that company that looks at buying equipment to improve productivity. When you talk about innovation or improving productivity, a lot of people think that you just buy this machine, plug it in and away you go. You can plug in the most wonderful machine in the middle of a farmer’s field and it will do absolutely nothing. You can plug it in the middle of your shop and it will do nothing, but it’s making sure that the process prior to it and after it is also upgraded to accommodate that piece of equipment.
Q - Do you have any strategies’ to encourage your employees to be more productive?
A - We have a variable pay program in our shop that based on productivity, safety and quality and we pay out monthly. It’s about working smarter and safer.
Q - How many staff do you have?
A - It varies, sometimes over 850 and down to 500. Right now we are about 600-650. Education and training is a big piece of it all, 20% of our shop people are apprentices. We are also continually doing upgraded training in all areas of our company and if we don’t somebody else will.
Q - What kind of tips would you have for somebody in a leadership role who wants to increase productivity?
A - Bonus incentive programs. When somebody comes up with a wonderful idea, no matter who it is, reward them. We are in a custom steel fabrication business, we don’t make potato chips. We don’t make the same chip all year long, every chip that we make here is different, so the approach to everything varies as well. If somebody says “Why don’t we do this, this way instead of that way,” we certainly pay attention and listen.
My theory has always been, there’s always a quicker, better and safer way of doing absolutely everything,you just have to find it.
Q - And what are some of the leadership challenges associated with becoming more productive?
A - Nothing other than getting a sore shoulder from patting yourself on the back, which you don’t do. People want to work for other successful people and people want to be a part of a winning team and I think I can safely say that I have the best of the best work force. I have the best people in the steel industry working for Waiward Steel. That is right across the board, I have the best janitor in the city.
Q - Anything else in regards to leadership?
A - When you’re looked on as a leader, you have to be a leader. It’s about sharing your experiences and your knowledge in that role. It pushes you too, once you are a leader. It’s like a hockey player that always gets 2 or 3 points a game, if he doesn’t get 2 or 3 points for a while, then he is in a slump. He will put a lot of pressure of himself. We are always looking for something that is new and innovative and keeps us at the forefront all the time. Even when we think we have the best, we want to make that component or that piece of equipment better yet. It’s success driven.
