Rejuvenating the Furniture and Wood Products

Manufacturing Sector

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology

Reviving the border region economy

Working in the border region:

Case studies

Dr. Patrick Tobin

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology 2

GMIT Letterfrack

Condensed History

• 1987 – Two-year certificate (18

students) Partnership with

‘Connemara West’

• 2009 – Nine degree programmes,

plus Post-Grad Diploma and Masters

options (250+ students)

• National and international centre of

excellence

Programmes

• Furniture Design and Manufacture

• Furniture and Wood Technology

• Design and Technology Education

• Other approved programmes

– Architectural Woodwork and Interiors

– Furniture Conservation and Restoration

• Learning Model

– Blend of practical skills, technology, design, and

management

– Lots of projects - formal and informal contact

– Interaction with industry

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology 5

Resources, Links &

Partners

• Lecturers & Technicians

• Library, Classrooms, Laboratories, Workshops,

Machine Hall

• Traditional & Hi-Tech Machines & Equipment

• Wide range of CAD, CAM & management software

• USA institutions & companies e.g. Virginia Tech

• EU institutions & companies – Finland, Denmark,

Germany, UK, Czech Republic, etc.

• Industrial placements – International links

• National Skills Competition

• Supplier sponsors e.g. - HOMAG

Options for Industry

• Student Projects and Placements

– Under Graduate & Post Graduate

• Academic Programmes

• Contract Research and Development

• Consulting

• Training Courses, Seminars,

Workshops

• Graduates

Projects with

Industry

Year 1 ….... 2 ……. 3 ….... 4 ……. 5 ….… 6 …….

Group Design

Projects

Industry

Placements

Applied

Projects

Research

Projects

8

Sample Projects

• Furniture Design

• Product Development

• CAD models, parametrics

• CAD libraries

• Product Costing

• Product redesign

• Design for manufacture

• Product / Materials Testing

• Jig design / construction

• Prototyping

• Outsourcing

• Sustainable design

• Process design

• Training

• Plant layout

• Work study

• Inventory control

• Project management

• Quality assurance

• Production scheduling

• Bills of materials

• Cutting lists

• Production Software

• Equipment design

• CAD Software

• CNC programming

Graduates

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology 9

• Machinists

• Cabinet-makers

• Fitting/

Installation

• Designer - Maker

• CAD, CAM, CNC

technician

• Furniture Design

• Product Design /

Engineering

• Production

Supervisor

• Production

Management

• Estimating

• Project

Management

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology 10

Furniture & Wood

Products Industry

• Domestic furniture

• Store fixtures

• Contract furniture

• Garden furniture

• Fitted furniture

• Furniture designers

• Cabinet-making

• Kitchens, Bedrooms,

Bathrooms

• Timber mills

• Commissioned furniture

• Furniture restoration

• Product designers

• Bed manufacture

• Architectural woodwork

• Soft furniture

• Component manufacture

• Joinery

• Office furniture

• School furniture

• Institutional furniture

• Interior designers

• Furniture retailers

• Wood based panels

• Equipment suppliers

• Software suppliers

Border Region

Sample Companies

• Hegartys Fitted

Furniture

• Specialist

Joinery Group

• MJM Group

• Orior Design

• Crane Furniture

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology 11

• Ashley Martin

• Irish Contract

Seating

• John Scott

Design

• Kelly Doors

• McNally &

Finlay

• Tru Wood

Declining Sector?

• What’s wrong?

• Many studies & reports since 1963

• Many common weaknesses

• Less agreement on strengths

– Relatively well equipped

• Market growing in size

• Irish companies losing share

• So, how bad a shape are we in?

12

Weaknesses

• Small companies, family owned / managed

• Lack of management expertise

• Neglect of training at all levels

• Weak operations management practices

• Lack of finance

• Poor working conditions

• Production led - Ignorance of design, marketing

• No representative co-ordinating body

• Fragmented industry

• Small home market

• Lack of cooperation

13

Potential

Company Action

• Examples –

• Lean Business – Sustainability - Training &

Development - Product Design &

Development – Innovation, R&D –

Outsourcing - Digital Manufacturing -

Information Technology – e-Business

• Strategic Coherence -

• Alignment of operations strategy with

marketing, finance and overall business

strategy

• Capabilities and competencies

14

Some interesting

case studies

• Thomas Moser

Furniture

(Maine)

• Mark Richey

Woodworking

(Mass)

• Project Based

Manufacture

= Service

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology 15

Potential

Group Action

• Get Organised

• Strong Representative Group

• Industry Task Force – policy proposals

• Actively develop cooperation initiatives

– manufacturing networks

– joint purchasing agreements

– joint marketing agreements

– training initiatives

• Industry Supply Chain Development

• Research needed

16

Potential

Policy Action

• Create conditions for coherent strategy

development and implementation

• Work with owners

• Training, advice and funding – focused

• Create incentives to foster co-operation

• Facilitate /support an industry task force

• Re-visit a strategic view of the industry

• Research needed

17

patrick.tobin

@gmit.ie