Continuous improvement institute honours Deer Park web2print facility for world-class results and a strong culture of operational excellence.
The award is the first time a printing company worldwide has been recognised for its operational excellence. Having opened in 2010, Vistaprint’s Victorian plant is also one of the youngest ever to receive the award.
Robert Bruce, managing director Vistaprint, greeted the award as vindication of the company’s long-term strategy to excel. “Right from launch our plant in Australia established a clear vision – to become the best mass customization manufacturer in Australia. The keys to our success have been establishing a clear and long term vision, assembling an amazingly talented and dedicated team here in Melbourne, setting the bar high from day one; and providing continual encouragement and support to the team in order to bring our vision to life.”
The company’s Deer Park facility is one of five manufacturing plants that Vistaprint operates across the globe. The company focuses mainly on small and highly customised orders, often in single digits directly to customers. Sophisticated automation systems reportedly allow most of the orders to be fulfilled without human intervention. (The company is notoriously shy about allowing media access to its plants.)
Gareth Brown, Deer Park plant director reckons creating a great place to work has helped the entire team stay focused on the goal. “We recognize that improvement is a journey and there is still much work to be done. Receiving a Shingo Award is a significant milestone that validates we are moving forward in the right direction.”
Vistaprint employs over 4,400 people worldwide, operates more than 25 localized websites globally and ships to more than 130 countries around the world. Vistaprint's broad range of products and services are easy to access online, 24 hours a day.
The Shingo Institute at Utah State University is named after Japanese industrial engineer Shigeo Shingo who distinguished himself as one of the world’s leaders in developing the management systems and improvement techniques that have become known as the Toyota Business System. It educates leaders about developing an organizational culture that continually strives for improvement and progress.