b'A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWNNew digs in their comfort zone anymore; they wereThe GFC had understandably slowednot standing where they used to; their toolsthe rate of construction. It was terrible for D&H Steels new, purpose-designed structuralwerent exactly as they used to have them.about the first 12 months because we hadnt steel fabrication facility opened in 2010,They struggled to change from the oldfinished the building, laughs Dean. The complete with an official ribbon-cuttingprocesses to the new processes. They were southwesterlies used to scream through the ceremony and attended by then-Deputy Primeused to doing everything themselves, such workshop until we got the money to get down Minister Bill English. as collecting their own cleats. In the newto the end and close the building in.The event coincided with D&Hs first bridgeworkshop, someone would get the parts One of the drivers behind the move was project getting underway, Kopu Bridge in for them. to bring all of the operations together and the Coromandel. Minister English witnessedThe new smoko facilities and changingenjoy the efficiencies of having the whole the first bridge beam coming off therooms simply couldnt beat the longing someteam under one roof. The office-based team, production line. had for the rundown workshop at Span Farm.including the shop drawing team, and Mike Opening that plant, and giving staff theChange management is a massive thing.and Bob, shifted from Span Farm to the office facilities that they deserved, was the highlightHumans naturally do not like change, saysin Glendene in 2002, leaving the day-to-day of my career, says Mike Sullivan. Mike. When you understand that, youworkshop management at the old site.It was a big move. The once manualunderstand that you have to bring them alongIt was a regular source of frustration, operations were now replaced with highlyon the journey.recalls Yakub Kadir. In the days before automated processes. It placed new demandsThe team adjusted but it took time to getcomputers, any time the workshop team on everyone to learn and adapt. It was athe operation functioning properly. It was astruck an issue, it either had to phone the reluctant change for some.good learning. Mikes advice to others buildingshop drawing team or drive to the off-site Many were nostalgic for the old ways andnew facilities is to allow a couple of years foroffice to resolve the problem. The separation familiar surroundings. George Leefe likened itbedding in new processes and operations. hampered project coordination and impacted to leaving home. The move from Span Farm to the newthe pace of work.It wasnt an easy transition, remembersfactory occurred in two stages. The workshopOnce the operation at the new Dean Pouwhare, who was surprised to findteam made up the advance party and operatedHenderson site had settled down, the level out that the rest of the team didnt share hisat the new site for about a year before theof sophistication stepped up and there were excitement. Thats because they werentoffice team moved in.clear improvements in productivity. New ways 88'