Nampak Flexible Is First African Company To Gain Oliver Wight Class A Accreditation

Online, April 26, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Africa's leading flexible packaging supplier, Nampak Flexible, has become the first South African organisation to gain Oliver Wight Class A accreditation for Integrated Business Planning (IBP).

Operations and Supply Chain Director, Grant Page, says that since implementing the Oliver Wight IBP programme, doing business with Nampak has become much smoother for its customers. "Lead times have reduced significantly, inventory has almost halved and service levels are much higher. IBP has become the way we do business; it's part of our culture and has produced great communication between people and departments, resulting in end to end quality."

Now, well in to its journey to business excellence, Nampak has reached the stringent levels required for Class A accreditation for Capable IBP, a significant step towards full Oliver Wight Class A status. IBP can most simply be described as advanced sales and operations planning (S&OP). However, unlike S&OP, it brings with it a truly strategic perspective. It allows senior management to plan and manage the entire organisation over a 24 month horizon or more, aligning the strategic and tactical plans each month, and allocating critical resources - people, equipment, inventory, materials, time and money - to satisfy customers in the most profitable way

Oliver Wight partner Lloyd Snowden says the company could not have achieved its success without the commitment of the leadership team: "Nampak Flexible is well advanced in many areas, including supply chain management and strategic planning, which is helping it create closer partnerships with its clients. Its performance really is top class."

Nampak Flexible is part of the R18.5 billion Nampak Group, Africa's largest packaging company with a presence in more than 20 countries. A publicly listed company, Nampak provides a wide range of metal, glass, paper and plastic packaging; including plastic bottles to the UK dairy industry. Nampak Flexible which employs around 1,000 people has received Class A accreditation for IBP across all three of its sites, situated in Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

Nampak Flexible's Cluster Strategy Manager, Monte Maritz, believes the Class A award has also brought added credibility to the business: "It gives our customers increased confidence because they know our business processes have been independently audited by an international thought leader like Oliver Wight," he says.

Managing Director, Robin Moore agrees. He says that successful assessment against the renowned Oliver Wight Checklist is a sought-after goal for any company with a serious commitment to high standards. "This is a significant milestone for our business," he says. "It proves to our customers that we are not only the best choice supplier, but a valuable strategic partner."