Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?
“YES – for sure. I wouldn’t want to run a business without it. If I started another business the first thing I’d do is put in the Transfirm online management system.”
What would you say to others thinking of working with Transfirm?
“I would just say, “give it a go. Pick one part of your business that you’d like to improve and try it; What have you got to lose?”
CASE STUDY
Dalby General Steel is a regional supplier of steel and general hardware, established to serve the unique needs of industry in Dalby region.
What was happening when you engaged Transfirm?
I was starting to look into the operations of the business and recognised that we needed to improve our processes. I saw first hand the work Transfirm had done for another company and thought that would work well for us. It made me realise there was probably a lot we could improve on.
What was the first thing you did with Transfirm?
Transfirm spent a few days with me and together we identified what would make a difference to Dalby General Steel. So I guess the starting point was the Transfirm ‘Discovery Phase’.
I quickly realised that we needed to move beyond a google drive and a paper-based management system, so Transfirm set up the framework for what has become DGS’s online process-based Management System. This was probably the biggest game-changer for me because I could document processes and digitise them to make them real. Processes are now simply documented, usable, and to a high standard. That was a big step in our company’s journey to go from shared drives to an online Management System. It was a step that we didn’t know we needed until we started working with Transfirm.
Using the online management system we were able to significantly improve our WHS performance to what we now believe to be best practice.
How did you feel at the time?
I felt excited and a little overwhelmed. I felt like I had a lot to do and was excited because I knew how much better it would be.
I remember having a conversation about the training matrix and the penny dropped – once we sorted out our training it would bring the whole organisation up to a better level. I felt it would help our team a lot; we were doing it finally in a way that nothing would get lost. That ended up really good and we felt like a better organisation.
What made the most impact?
I don’t think there is one individual thing that made the most impact – it is the whole journey. You don’t do one thing to save the day. All the process improvements together make the impact; it made it much easier for me to manage a very complex thing well, and we manage it well to this day – the changes stuck.
What would you say you achieved overall from working with Transfirm?
We simplified the management of the business by having real processes that everyone can follow – whether in an app, online process map, or document. Overall this gave the team confidence to do their jobs well, and I have more time to focus on what’s important rather than the day-to-day. There is less ‘noise’ in the business and more professionalism in the way we do everything. Everything is done to a standard. Also, we have reduced our business and WHS risk – there is less opportunity for mistakes. Importantly, we now have a way to improve as every time we start an improvement we have a clear starting point – this is really important for any business.
Knowing what you know now, would you do it again?
YES – for sure. I wouldn’t want to run a business without it. If I started another business the first thing I’d do is put in the Transfirm online management system.
What would you say to others thinking of working with Transfirm?
“I would just say, give it a go. Pick one part of your business that you’d like to improve and try it; What have you got to lose?”
Nolan Keen
Managing Director – Dalby General Steel
