Delivering An Invincible Customer Experience

By Rodney Weidemann

In mining and related industries, much as with other sectors, the implementation of diversification and innovation initiatives is critical, if an organisation is to remain ahead of the industry curve.

Invincible Valves has long recognised this fact, focusing not only on building a strong and diverse company culture, but also on diversifying operations through the acquisition of an additional facility.

According to Pam du Plessis, the company’s managing director and CEO, since making the acquisition, the new factory has proven to be a boon, allowing Invincible to streamline its operations and making the entire process more efficient, thus improving the overall customer experience (CX).

“With the new facility up and running 100%, we are now taking on a lot of new work, as we are now able to machine our own products, meaning we are no longer reliant on third parties for this. This reduces the risk of supply chain disruption, while enhancing our own capabilities, because we now have more control over deadlines and are able to deliver to clients’ expectations more effectively,” she says.

“We are also more self-sufficient than before, having put water storage facilities and generators on-site, to help us deal with ongoing power and water challenges. Initially, when we looked at the fuel consumption issue, we wondered if it would be worth the cost – but the positive impact this has had on our ability to maintain operations, and the improvement it has had on our CX, has made it all worth it.”

Du Plessis explains that any valve that is brought in for repair is thoroughly checked at the company’s original factory, before being sent to the new facility for repairs, which includes everything from blasting and welding to the installation of new spares, rubber linings and painting.

“The repairs, as well as the testing and painting, are all conducted at the new facility, before the repaired valves are sent back to the old factory, from where they are dispatched back to the customer.

“The fact that we no longer have to wait on deliveries, or for a third party to ship items – because we now make our own spares, with the manufacturing undertaken in the new factory – means our CX has improved immeasurably.”

Skills and culture

There is a very close level of collaboration between the two factories, she adds, fostered by Invincible’s strong company culture.

“More crucially, the new facility has created the opportunity to upskill staff. In particular, the fact that we now have our own machine shop means we need people with the relevant skills to work within it,” notes
Du Plessis.

“Skills development has always been a critical part of what we do, hence our involvement with various technical high schools, as well as Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa and Gauteng training centres. Internships also play a huge role for us, bringing in students to learn, who will then go on to become full-time employees.”

It is, however, about more than simply bringing younger minds into the business. Invincible focuses on ensuring that its employees are all multi-skilled.

“We don’t feel it’s enough to only know how to do one thing, which is why we teach all employees the various aspects related to the business. So even if your intention is to be a machine operator, we will still provide training around other areas, such as valves and switch boxes, so you are able to understand the full process of the organisation, and how your specific component fits into the broader whole.

“This offers the added benefit to the company that if someone critical to a project is unavailable, someone else has the skills to step up and fill the gap. It is also beneficial to the individual, as – should they move on to another organisation – they will have a range of skills and experience to draw on, to ensure they can continue to grow and expand their career path.”

Diversity and inclusion

As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Du Plessis has long encouraged other women to join the sector, through an ongoing – and free – mentorship programme she offers.

“Essentially, I focus on mentoring young women in the industry, and currently commit at least 10 hours a week to this. I believe it is necessary to share one’s skills and ideas, and ensure effective knowledge transfer, in order to give these women the courage to take whatever their next career step might be.

“Of course, all our employees have value to us, so we are constantly attempting to push them to study and obtain new skills. We also offer regular learnerships to students, who can then be absorbed into the business once their studies are complete,” she says.

She describes how a number of employees have graduated from working at the company reception desk to becoming key members of the human resources or accounts teams. As she tells it, this is a win-win situation, as employees are able to improve their skills and knowledge, while the business is also boosted by any such skills enhancements.

“One of the reasons I think our system works so well is because of the company culture that has been inculcated – I believe in leading by consensus, rather than by fear, as the former approach creates teamwork and a sense of working together to build a business all can be proud of,” says Du Plessis.

Looking ahead

As to the future, she says that this financial year will see her travelling a lot more, as the company focuses on opening up new markets. To this end, she says that she has already spent three weeks in Australia, engaging with various project houses and mines.

Next up, she adds, is a trip to the US and Canada – and ending in Columbia – with the goal of making new business connections.

“The aim is always to enhance our business, particularly as a lot of our market focus lies in exports – in fact, the ultimate goal is to become one of the biggest valve exporters in the world. We already export into large parts of Africa, but we are now also broadening our focus to include other key mining territories.

“I am really excited for the future, as it offers plenty of promise, thanks to a new valve design we hope to release to the market soon, a facility that significantly boosts CX, and a range of potential new international markets on the horizon,” she says.