Business South October 2020

| 23 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Dunedin - Fisher & Paykel Staying on target through testing times T Kim Newth H aving to work from home during level four lockdown earlier this year had a silver lining for Fisher and Paykel’s Dunedin design and development team, with the shutdown proving how readily they could adapt to changed circumstances. Richard Butler, who is Fisher and Paykel’s Dunedin Site Manager and General Manager Electronics, says no-one was too sure what would happen once the usual collaborative way of working around products and testing was no longer available. “As it turned out, we were able to be highly productive working from home. If this had happened ten years ago, “I think we would have struggled but now so much is done on screens. Technology has got to the point where it is very enabling.” Since returning to their usual 4700sqm operational site above Wall Street Mall and the adjacent Penrose’s building, the Dunedin design team has not missed a beat and stayed on-focus with development targets. Fisher and Paykel is a significant employer in Dunedin’s city centre, with a staff contin- gent of around 180 people predominantly working on product development. There are flow-on benefits to local ancil- lary companies too, such as engineering and courier firms. The Dunedin operation is geared around cooking and dishwashing product design and development, for Fisher and Paykel and DCS brands, but also for other brands such as Haier. Finding alternative ways to operate in the global pandemic has been critical to the ongo- ing success of the design centre this year. “We normally attend twice yearly conferenc- es in China, but we can’t go there currently. Instead, we’ve been having virtual conferences and are finding these are almost as effective. We’ve had to put systems in place to facilitate other virtual activities too. “For example, we usually travel to factories in Thailand and Mexico to introduce new products but now we have to be there virtual- ly. Thankfully, it is all working pretty well.” Fisher & Paykel’s Dunedin operation is geared around product design and development for cooking and dishwashing. Innovation one layer at a time • 3D Printing • Additive Manufacture • 3D Scanning • Urethane and Silicone Casting 38 Otepuni Avenue, Invercargill Ph 03 216 6650 www.f-i.co.nz THE TEAM AT BETECH ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT FISHER & PAYKEL 26 Harrow St Dunedin PH 03 474 0612 MOTION & CONTROL As well, early action was taken to shift sup- ply chains from Europe to Asia, as it became clear that the pandemic was striking harder in European countries. Richard says it turned out to be a prudent move, as Fisher and Paykel has come through in a much stronger market position than Euro- pean-based competitor brands. Fisher and Paykel’s brand vision is to be the most human-centred appliance brand in the world. It is a vision that resonates well with con- sumers, particularly at a time when so many people are spending more time at home and not able to travel. The global pandemic has actually fuelled sales in the home appliances market with Fisher and Paykel a preferred and trusted brand for many. Sustainability is a key brand focus that is also going down well in an increasingly envi- ronmentally conscious global market. Being able to develop new products - and deliver them to market on time - is vital to the ongoing growth of a business such as Fisher & Paykel. “We’re pleased that we have been able to carry on operating with minimal disruption. “We can’t predict what will happen in the next 12 months but so far we’re doing much better than we expected or feared.” “....we usually travel to factories in Thailand and Mexico to introduce new products but now we have to be there virtually.”