MCA Awards 2021: Vendigital announced as a finalist in four categories

Vendigital has been announced as a finalist in the following four categories for this year’s MCA Awards:

Commercial Excellence with Protean Electric
Performance Improvement in the Private Sector with Bombardier Transportation
Rising Star – Andy Roderick, Consultant at Vendigital
Team Leader Consultant of the Year – Matthew Flynn, Managing Consultant at Vendigital

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 1st November 2021.

Commercial Excellence with Protean Electric

In 2019, Protean was manufacturing its fourth generation in-wheel motor and Evergrande – its parent company – had challenged the business to achieve a significant reduction in its bill of materials (BoM). However, some design complications were proving difficult to eradicate and, had they been left unresolved, could have undermined investor confidence.

A targeted design-to-cost strategy was proposed to drive down the BoM, whilst refining the product on route to market. The combined sector knowledge and engineering expertise of Vendigital’s team made it possible to apply ‘should cost’ modelling techniques and challenge every aspect of the product’s design and production.

By the end of 2020, the project team had validated with supplier quotes that the BoM reduction target was achievable and could even be reduced further. Vendigital’s hands-on delivery in sourcing suppliers and supporting the engineering process also helped to resolve several design challenges and add commercial value.

Performance Improvement in the Private Sector with Bombardier Transportation

Bombardier Transportation had won five major bids to supply new trains, based on its successful Aventra platform, within the space of just two years. While this was obviously good news, the business recognised that in order to meet some incredibly challenging delivery targets, it needed to achieve tough material availability and ensure sufficient supplies were available to keep production moving.

Vendigital was invited to support the business in finding a solution to this pressing problem, while also reviewing the structure and improving the capability of the onsite procurement & supply chain (P&SC) team. Adding another layer to the challenge, Vendigital was also tasked with identifying and recommending cost reductions to support the delivery of targets set by the Group’s Cost on Track programme.

The cost reduction opportunities identified and implemented by Vendigital, in support of the company’s Cost on Track programme, delivered substantial cost savings. Vendigital also supported the business in applying a design-to-cost strategy, which resulted in significant savings, and learnings were shared with the onsite team, helping to bake in improved ways of working.

Rising Star – Andy Roderick, Consultant at Vendigital

Having joined Vendigital as an intern, it quickly became clear that Andy had the makings of a highly capable consultant and he was appointed Analyst Consultant in June 2018.

As well as demonstrating high-level strategic thinking, his intellectual curiosity and ability to understand concepts, business models and industry economic models quickly, have proved great assets in his career to date. Andy has led a range of successful client projects, generating significant cost reductions for clients in the media, retail and transport sectors underpinned by a tenacious work ethic, across procurement & supply chain, process improvement and change management.

His people-focused approach, combined with his passion for delivering transformational improvements from both a cost and cultural perspective, set Andy apart as a consultant who strives to understand clients’ needs and win their support. His ability to cut through jargon and communicate solutions in a transparent and accessible way enable him to win trust quickly and get things done.

Team Leader Consultant of the Year – Matthew Flynn, Managing Consultant at Vendigital

In his role as a Managing Consultant, Matthew has excelled as a multi-talented leader, who consistently inspires his team to go above and beyond client expectations. This included managing the development and roll-out of a bold cost reduction model for a transportation client, resulting in significant savings.

Matthew’s enthusiasm for the transportation sector has been noted in team member feedback. In particular, his commitment to ‘knocking through brick walls’ to deliver positive client outcomes has led those around him to adopt a similarly creative, solutions-based approach. Matthew’s resilience to overcome multiple hurdles, convince his clients to think more boldly and pass this skill and confidence on to his team members has led to delivering beyond expectation with opportunities that would ordinarily be blocked.

Matthew’s exceptional leadership qualities are also evident in his passion for developing and bringing out the best in his team members. His one-to-one, solutions-focused approach to coaching junior consultants has been vital to their success, enabling them to overcome personal and professional challenges and accelerate their progression.