Greenaway Harrison Ltd. are a highly reputable financial and digital printing firm serving the equity and capital markets around the UK and worldwide. Founded in the city of London by Daniel Greenaway in 1853, the firm is represented in major business centres throughout the nation with a formidable standing for quality, security and reliability, holding two Royal Warrants for servicing the Queen and the Queen Mother amidst other grand accolades.

 

Greenaway Harrison had several key areas of interest for which the company requested the assistance of two of Shell Step’s finest students to take the helm. Firstly, the printing specialists needed help in developing a new and efficient costing system and secondly, they also were looking to acquire the PAS75 accreditation (the quality assurance kitemark equivalent for the printing industry as of 2005). The successful completion of both projects would ensure that Greenaway Harrison would stay ahead of the market and continue to progress.

 

To provide support in estimating expenditure versus turnover, the firm enlisted the aid of Mathematics major Gbemisola Ayininuola who was able to provide fresh ideas for an efficient costing system. This required setting up an accurate invoicing process, creating a manual system for determining costs (which would later develop into a software system) and analyzing data to monitor trends in profit margins and customers.

 

“Gbemisola was asked to prioritize objectives, discuss the issues with local management and implement the system within an agreed timescale,” says Michael Gardner, Managing Director of Greenaway Harrison.

 

“She was also responsible for training a member of our finance team to take on board any additional entries that were required. This type of project seemed perfect for Gbemisola who has a natural ability for communication and who was able to meet objectives with determination and a positive attitude.”

 

Designing a new costing system meant Greenaway Harrison needed to change the way they operated. More effort was put into work tickets and a greater attention to detail within management and operator levels was imperative to the success of the system.

 

“There were a number of errors and issues arising from the new system, and Gbemisola was persistent, encouraging and very self-assured in approaching everyone within the company to ensure that accurate information was supplied.”

 

Greenaway Harrison was very impressed with the student and the subsequent results: “She has a very methodical way of working and was able to understand the complexities of the new costing system. We had a number or ways of analysing the data and Gbemisola used her problem solving and creative skills to ensure that the best and most user friendly solution was used. The implemented system has already helped by identifying key weaknesses in our invoicing procedures and also guarantees that cost recharging between functions is now accurate and timely.”

 

Greenaway Harrison’s second student, Kate Stevens, was brought in to tackle another task altogether. She began work on the company’s PAS75 accreditation: a benchmark of excellence in the print industry. The kitemark proves that a company can demonstrate that their business is managed efficiently and responsibly with excellent levels of quality and customer service, which is especially useful and agreeable for the integrity of a company like Greenaway Harrison who have been established in their field for over 250 years.

 

Far from a simple feat, the process would have consumed ample amounts of company time, resources and money were it not for Kate Stevens taking the reins and beginning the groundwork. Michael Gardner had nothing but praise for Kate on her unimpeded enthusiasm and approach to a highly detailed and demanding project:

 

 “The project was challenging as it required a great deal of in-depth analysis and indexing a large amount of information. This included documenting policies and procedures in existence, and identifying gaps where information was needed but did not currently exist. Kate was diligently able to take these current policies and procedures and adapt them to meet the criteria of PAS75. She was also able to examine the gap analysis and talk to individuals within the operation to try to minimize the gap and maximize the documentation.”

 

“Kate is a very likeable, approachable and hard working student who used her skills to ensure that her timetable was met, and the appropriate information was gathered. The action taken by Kate has ensured that a great deal of management time, which would have been used and diluted on this project, has now been focused through Kate in getting the project to the final stages of implementation.

 

“Thanks to Kate, the company now has clearly identified a requirement to complete the gap analysis and to achieve accreditation within a reasonable timescale.”