Advisory service proves its worth

Figures from the DTI's Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) show it has added GBP 69 million of value to the firms who have come to it for help over the past year.

Figures from the DTI's Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) show it has added GBP 69 million of value to the firms who have come to it for help over the past year.

The 2005-6 figure brings the value-added total for the four years since MAS began to GBP 224 million, according to the latest MAS annual report.

The budget for the service has been GBP 41 million for that period, showing a good return on the money put in.

Almost 15,000 firms have had detailed diagnostic advice, and 4700 firms have been given in-depth help.

MAS gives independent straightforward practical advice from approachable manufacturing experts who themselves have years of hands on experience.

The service is subsidised, and for smaller firms much of the help is free.

Companies who have used MAS have found it increases the value of their business by a combination of increased turnover and reduced costs.

The report shows that at the firms helped by MAS: productivity has risen by more than a quarter; use of space and equipment has been improved by a third; and waste in the production process has been cut by 28%, and orders delivered on time have risen by the same amount.

The MAS annual report was launched by Margaret Hodge, Minister for Industry and the Regions, at a meeting with MAS Ambassadors, MAS Specialists and manufacturing stakeholders.

Margaret Hodge, Minister for Industry and the Regions, said MAS was a key to helping manufacturers overcome the challenges of competition, raw materials costs and rising energy prices.

She said: "3.5 million people work in manufacturing and they contribute more than GBP 150 billion a year to our GDP.

"We do all we can to encourage and support high value manufacturing.

One way we can do this is by maintaining a stable and growing economy, with low inflation".

"But we also need to provide help and advice tailored to individual firms, and this is where MAS fits in".

"The latest results show that progress has been sustained in the fourth year of a very successful programme".

"As the Chancellor recognised in his 2006 budget speech, there is no doubt that MAS has a continuous role to play in the future".

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