2022 wrap up!
A message from Bruce & Kathy Hegan, owners and Managing Directors
Bruce and Kathy Hegan
2022 has been a year of unprecedented change in all aspects of our business at 4id. The speed at which our innovative team has developed and implemented new processes has been breathtaking.
We have seen new equipment commissioned that greatly improves production efficiencies. This, coupled with the development of our innovative quality control system, when fully commissioned, will provide 4id and our valued customer's full transparency on all aspects of our production.
To the entire 4id team, I would like to thank you all for your unwavering support and total commitment ensuring our collective success.
With this growth has come change. We know that our success will be built from how our team responds to the opportunities and challenges of that change, and we must all be mindful of the individuals within the 4id team.
Our success will be built on how we progress as our team develops. Our team is focused on respecting and looking after each other as we evolve. If we succeed in this area, we will flourish as a cohesive unit.
Many thanks to our valued customers and collaborative partners for your support as we strive to deliver and exceed your expectations.
We would like to wish you and your families a safe and wonderful Christmas.
Bruce and Kathy
Year in Review
Reflecting on 2022…
it’s amazing to think just how fast the year has gone by.
Growth and transformation, education and upskilling were constant themes throughout the year supported by long overdue international travel, expos and conferences.
The appointment of Judy Moore in our Finance Department in January was a valuable addition along with printer Brad Pearsall who joined our production team.
In February we celebrated the dispatch of our first 40ft container filled with RFID products. This is an enormous achievement since we dispatched our first 20ft container a little over two years ago. We now have the expertise to produce double our output in half the time.
Our team rallied behind Production Manager Rodney Joughin after an unfortunate motorbike accident in March resulted in substantial injuries and eight weeks recovery time. It was great to see everyone step up to manage the day to day operations to keep production running smoothly. Even better to see was Rodney returning to his role.
We welcomed Luke Hunter to our production team in April and bid farewell to Bruce, Kathy and Operations Manager Wayne Oldham in May, as they departed for the USA to meet with clients and partners. Bruce & Kathy planned an extended stay in the USA for the purposes of sourcing specialty adhesives and laminates, particularly relevant to the medical field.
In late May we registered to enter the Hunter Manufacturing Awards and worked on our submissions over June & July. We submitted applications in 5 categories:
* Excellence in Manufacturing Capability
* Excellence in Innovation
* Excellence in Marketing
* Manufacturing Leader Award
* Manufacturer of the Year, Less than 50 Employees
The application process was a fantastic opportunity to understand the business across all aspects, gain further insight into 4id Solutions and work closely with our team to answer the questions and criteria for each category.
Long serving team member Bradley Owers departed the team in August to pursue another career path giving Glen Bates the opportunity to join 4id and share his IT skill set. r it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Bruce, Rod and Wayne travelled to Chicago in September for LabelExpo Americas 2022, a long overdue opportunity to meet with partners, clients and suppliers.
And we were announced as a finalist in the Hunter Manufacturing Awards.
It was a busy, engaging and exciting month for our team in October. Wayne continued to represent 4id Solutions overseas where he attended the RAIN Alliance Rain in Motion Conference in Greenville, South Carolina and ventured to Malaysia to visit SmartTrac.
Continued growth made way for expansion into a 4th unit at our location in Wyong, having already occupied units 1 to 3.
Industry conferences were also in full swing during October. Our General Manager Trevor Clarke and Marketing Coordinator Michael Glenn attended the Hunter Innovation Festival and Trevor was invited to present at the NSW Smart Sensor Network ‘Innovation in the Circular Economy 2022’ Conference which was a huge success.
The pace didn’t slow down in November. Bonnie Cooper transitioned to a new Quality Control position and unique projects and partnership opportunities were presented to us with exciting prospects for 2023.
Business NSW and nbn Co hosted the 2022 Central Coast Tech Summit at Mingara where Bruce was invited as a guest on the Panel Session facilitated by Paula Martin, Senior Director, Regions and Visitor Economy, Business NSW. It was a fantastic opportunity for Bruce to represent 4id Solutions and discuss how we are helping businesses move forward using RFID products and technology with an emphasis on collaborations.
Congratulations also to our Project and Development Coordinator, Dee Wilton who got engaged.
Partnerships
Team work, relationships and partnerships have been pivotal to our growth and transformation this year. We have grown our existing relationships and we are actively pursuing new partnerships based on our unique capabilities and the evolving RFID space.
Our proactive approach has provided some wonderful opportunities to supply our products and services to local, interstate and international businesses.
As a manufacturing and RFID converting business based in Australia, we are proud to supply our products to international customers.
We have cemented a solid partnership with New York based customer and global solution provider Billfold Contactless Solutions as their preferred RFID wristband supplier.
Product Development
Innovation has once again been at the forefront of our operations. It’s the key to our future and our authentic point of difference.
Implementing new technologies and software systems to further support production capabilities and capacity for both our own internal processes and external customers allows us to stay ahead of the competition and promotes our unique applications for achieving accurate output.
Sourcing new material combinations has also been a huge focus and Bruce’s time in the USA in June and July proved to be a valuable investment.
Material supplies have been a global issue, however 4id Solutions has been prudent in sourcing stock and maintaining volumes of most inlays.
One customer example is the success of the revised design and adhesive for the Deer NZ project completed in July 2022 resulting in a high performance product meeting the customers specifications.
Capabilities
With the addition of new machinery and equipment we have increased capacity, doubling our output this year.
Due to our state of the art equipment and improved production efficiencies, our highly skilled team can produce RFID products to fill a 40ft container within 7-10 days.
There has been a significant reduction in rework due to the advanced technology and equipment available.
Education and Team Development
As we acquired new team members with various skill sets early in the year, existing staff members enrolled and studied in courses to further their education to apply this to their roles. Dee Wilton started a Diploma in Project Management and will complete it by the end of the year. Congratulations to Wayne who completed an MBA in August and graduates in December.
Production staff have also had learning and development opportunities with Shannon Clarke becoming a skilled Press Operator.
Hunter Manufacturing Awards
In August we entered the Hunter Manufacturing Awards and celebrated as a whole team at the Gala Event in October. It was with great excitement that Bruce, owner and Managing Director of 4id Solutions was awarded the Manufacturing Leader. An accolade that truly demonstrates and reflects the passion, drive and leadership Bruce has for his team and his manufacturing business. Congratulations!
Growth and Transformation
The past twelve months have highlighted our growth trajectory and how we continue to transform the business as the industry changes.
As reputable RFID convertors, Wayne’s role has transformed into an RFID specialist as our RFID products become more prominent.
A great example of this which we have already mentioned was the transition from 20ft to 40ft containers in February. Our inward inlay supply has grown and our outward quantity production has grown so it was feasible to transition our distribution requirements to a greater size.
Personal Staff Achievements
Production team member Luke Hunter launched his Chartered Fishing business in August.
In December, Marketing Coordinator Michael Glenn won Reserve Champion Small Galloway of the Year at the Equestrian Australia Show Horse Nationals and Graphics Manager Aaron McKeown competed in the 50km Ultra Trail Marathon in Kosciuszko National Park.
4id Fun Facts!
Number of RFID products processed - 40,000,000
Number of LinkedIn posts - 66
Number of website visits - 11,566
Number of education courses completed - 2
Number of conferences or events attended - 8
Number of engagements - 2
We are grateful for your ongoing support this year and look forward to working with you on new projects in 2022. Wishing you and your families a wonderful Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year.
The 4id Solutions Team
