Category: Economic

Helping Calgary and Edmonton companies maximize productivity and profits through Lean Manufacturing and Operations!

WireService.ca Press Release (09/25/2014) Canada – The trusted Lean consultants in Alberta, Applied Performance works with companies to help them apply Lean principles with the right Lean tools and assists them to become more productive and profitable. Applied Performance will now serve as companion for companies looking forward to a successful and rewarding Lean journey by implementing Lean thinking and tools such as 5S, Mistake Proofing and Value Stream Mapping to unravel processes and improve the workflow for implementing successful and lasting change.

Most large corporations today employ one or more Lean experts. However, many mid-sized and small businesses do not have Lean manufacturing expertise in their companies. Faced by the challenges of competing in the global marketplace, such companies try to improve their productivity by making some local changes or by applying incorrect Lean changes. Such initiatives hardly lead to any results.

Done well, Lean implementation helps companies in accessing the places where real changes need to be carried out. Applying local changes or incorrect Lean strategies would invariably result in increased inefficiencies of the organization’s resources and eventually reduce the employee confidence in Lean strategies. Applying appropriate Lean strategy for a given industry is therefore of paramount importance.

Highlighting the crucial role of Lean change, the Marketing Head of Applied Performance stated, “Lean Manufacturing and Consulting at Applied Performance is not only about using the right Lean tools and maximizing value. We take pride in offering you the time to understand and acknowledge how you can directly involve your people with the task of implementing Lean changes. We use a highly integrated approach for change management in conjunction with the Lean tools to ensure all members of an organization are comfortable with their Lean journey.”

The team at Applied Performance comprises of expert consultants, both in Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, who have hands-on experience in identifying and dealing with challenges of team alignment and plant management. They also understand how lack of resources can affect a company’s profitability. The extensive experience, combined with the Lean and change management practices has helped the company to guide and implement successful and customized Lean plans for many business organizations.

No matter the industry – fabrication, oil or gas, non-profit, manufacturing, government or other service sectors – the expert Lean consultants at Applied Performance are in a position to assist all companies maximize their productivity and profits in Alberta. The company offers a variety of services to help businesses transit into a Lean organization. These include – training, coaching, consulting, change agent skills, operational survey and ERP implementation.

About Applied Performance:

One of the most trusted Lean consultants in Alberta, Applied Performance, has been delivering streamlined solutions for maximizing productivity & profitability of companies – all by implementing Lean tools and people engineering, ever since 2008. The company promises to deliver its clients 10 times payback within 12 months, with improved productivity, enhanced profitability, and consistency in quality by implementing Lean tools and change management applications.

Source:: http://www.wireservice.ca/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=12390&title=maximize-productivity-and-improve-profits

Relationship-based. Technology-driven firm re-locates to Burnaby, British Columbia.

WireService.ca Press Release (09/25/2014) Burnaby, BC – To better serve AGC’s growing customers throughout Western and Central Canada as well as the Pacific Northwest, The Axis Group is very excited to announce the expansion of its operations. AGC – The Axis Group of Companies (ATS – Axis Technical Services and ASG – Axis Systems Group) is moving to their new Burnaby, B.C. facility commencing October 1st, 2014.

“With the infrastructure in New Westminster constantly under construction, combined with AGC’s ongoing expansion, we at The Axis Group of Companies are pleased to relocate to a more safe, more clean and more central location. Our new technology-forward headquarters will allow us quicker access to major transportation infrastructure throughout the lower mainland and will increase our response time to valued customers.”
– Joana Barbulescu, President of AGC

Their new contact information and location is telephone: 604 559 AXIS (2947), email: ROI[at]TheAxisGroup.ca and address: Suite 104 – 3011 Underhill Avenue, Burnaby, British Columbia Canada V5A 3C4

AGC – The Axis Group of Companies, are dynamic teams of industry experts and accredited personnel, providing integrated and scalable solutions to the communications infrastructure community in Canada. With a goal to position itself as a BC industry leader, AGC specializes in a full range of project capabilities including POL – Passive Optical LAN, Fibre Optic Installations, Structured Cabling, Data Centres, Wireless Infrastructure, Security Systems, and Audio Visual.

Industries include Education, Health Care, Government, Entertainment, Resource-based, Media, Biomedical Research, Tourism, Hospitality, and Retail. AGC’s quality assurance process starts by asking strategic questions regarding the scope and scale of all developments.

CONTACT:
Joana Barbulescu RCDD, President
THE AXIS GROUP OF COMPANIES Relationship-based. Technology-driven
TheAxisGroup.ca | 604 559 AXIS (2947) | Joana[at]AXISTECH.ca

Source:: http://www.wireservice.ca/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=12388&title=agc-is-movin-on-up

Available as: PDF

The underwhelming recovery from the global financial crisis has challenged policy-makers to better understand the factors weighing on growth and to deal with greater uncertainty, Bank of Canada Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Wilkins said in Toronto today.

To conduct monetary policy, the Bank needs to assess how much of the slow growth is due to the hangover from an unprecedented crisis and how much is due to structural factors, Ms. Wilkins said in remarks to the CFA Society Toronto. The Bank also needs to know how these factors are affecting the neutral rate of interest in order to calibrate policy.

“The bottom line is that potential output growth in Canada and other industrialized economies will be lower than it was in the years leading up to the crisis,” Senior Deputy Governor Wilkins said. “We also think that the neutral rate of interest is lower.”

The neutral interest rate enables the economy to operate at full capacity with stable inflation after cyclical forces have dissipated. The Bank estimates that the rate for Canada now stands at between 3 and 4 per cent, down from a range of 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 per cent in the mid-2000s, the Senior Deputy Governor said. With the overnight rate at 1 per cent, that means monetary policy is stimulative.

Disentangling cyclical and structural factors is never an exact science, Ms. Wilkins said. “Our approach is to consider the main sources of uncertainty in our deliberations on how best to achieve our inflation target.”

“When we do this, it is clear that continued monetary stimulus is needed to return the Canadian economy to sustainable growth and to maintain inflation at target,” Ms. Wilkins said. “And, depending on the evolution of data, it is possible that persistent headwinds will mean that some degree of stimulus will be required even after the output gap is closed to keep inflation at target.”

Bank of Canada policy-makers will also continue to take into account the impact that low interest rates might have on the country’s financial stability, she added.

Source:: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/2014/09/underwhelming-recovery-poses-challenges/

Available as: PDF

The Bank of Canada is calling for nominations under its Fellowship Program for 2015. This program fosters excellence in research in Canada, and develops partnerships with experts outside of the Bank.

Canadian universities are invited to nominate exceptional academics for the two prestigious research awards available through this program: the Fellowship Award and the Governor’s Award.

The Bank of Canada promotes the economic and financial welfare of Canada through its activities in four main areas: monetary policy, currency, the financial system and funds management.  The recent experience of the financial crisis and its aftermath has shown that issues related to central banking go beyond traditional monetary policy theory. The Bank therefore wishes to encourage applications from candidates across a broad range of fields.

The Fellowship Award provides financial support for a term of up to five years to professors in tenure or tenure-track positions at a Canadian university who are widely recognized for their expertise and excellence in areas important to the Bank’s mandate, and whose leading-edge research contributes to the development of knowledge and research capabilities in those areas.

The Governor’s Award provides funding for a term of up to two years to exceptional assistant and associate professors at a Canadian university who have demonstrated the potential to make exemplary research contributions in fields supporting the Bank’s mandate. Candidates must have obtained a PhD within ten years of applying for the award.

Nominations for these awards must be submitted by Friday, 14 November 2014. For more information on the Fellowship Program, award requirements and the nomination process, please visit the Bank’s website or call 613 782-8888.

Source:: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/2014/09/calls-nominations-2015-fellowship-governors-awards/

The team at Integrated Sustainability Consultants Ltd. (Integrated Sustainability) is pleased to announce that company President Stuart Torr is being recognized as an Honouree of the 2015 Delta Management Clean50 Awards in the “Consultants” category.

WireService.ca Press Release (09/18/2014) Calgary, AB – Canada’s Clean50 Awards are announce annually by the Delta Management Group to recognize those 50 individuals or small teams, from 16 different categories, who have done the most to advance the cause of sustainable and clean capitalism in Canada over the past 2 years.

Honourees are chosen after rigorous screening and research by Delta Management with advice from internal researchers and external advisors. They are selected from a pool of over 550 well qualified candidates from across the country. Delta’s criteria in determining Honourees is to consider carefully actual measurable accomplishments, demonstrated innovation, collaboration with other organizations, and the power of the Honouree’s contribution to inspire other Canadians to take similar action.

“The process to narrow down to just 50 this year was extremely difficult-the great news is that there are many wonderful and committed leaders in organizations across Canada, working in many different fields, who are all concerned about the course of Canada’s future if we don’t take action-and are doing so themselves. These individuals are rarely waiting for regulations to drive their organizations forward -but are leading by example. The individuals we choose for the Clean50 this year are true leaders, and should be an inspiration to all Canadians” said Gavin Pitchford, Chief Talent Officer of the Delta Management Group.

“We are extremely excited to have Stuart be selected as an Honouree in Canada’s Clean50 for his ongoing leadership in sustainability. When Stuart founded Integrated Sustainability he envisioned a more holistic approach to providing engineered solutions, one which was not commonly provided by engineering consulting firms in Canada. Three and-a-half years later, sustainability is not only a part of our name, it is the cornerstone of the way that we think, communicate, design/deliver projects, and measure success. Integrated Sustainability’s teams not only provide effective water, waste, and energy solutions to our clients, but also enable our clients with new ways of thinking and delivering projects differently. With Stuart’s leadership, Integrated Sustainability is making a difference in industry and providing a rewarding organization for talented people to be a part of,” said Oksana Kielbasinski, Director of Sustainability and Risk for Integrated Sustainability.

In addition to being named to the 2015 cohort, Stuart, along with Mrs. Kielbasinski and other past and present Honourees, will be participating in the “Clean50 Summit 4.0” on Toronto Island on September 17, to spend a day amongst peers and colleagues tackling common sustainability challenges.

For more information about Integrated Sustainability, or to interview Stuart please visit www.integratedsustainability.ca or email info@integratedsustainability.ca

About Integrated Sustainability

Integrated Sustainability was founded in 2010 by Stuart as a niche full-service engineering consulting firm specializing in servicing Canada’s Oil and Gas Industry with sustainable answers to water, waste and energy management problems. Through a growing reputation for providing unique and effective solutions to clients through the entire lifecycle of projects, the company has grown rapidly. Other corporate awards include OilWeek’s Rising Star 2014 and being selected as a finalist for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award in the “Breakout Business” category. The innovative approach taken by the Integrated Sustainability team helps clients drive to a radically enhanced return on investment with more sustainable solutions for all industry stakeholders.

Source:: http://www.wireservice.ca/index.php?module=News&func=display&sid=12365&title=stuart-torr-of-integrated-sustainability-honoured