GO Productivity helps Western Canadian businesses improve competitiveness

From: Western Economic Diversification Canada

News release

Mélanie Joly announces coaching to help small to medium-sized enterprises focus on improvements that are sustainable and foster long-term growth.

February 11, 2020 – Edmonton, Alberta – Western Economic Diversification Canada

Edmonton’s GO Productivity, a not-for profit that delivers productivity, innovation, and professional consulting services, plays an important role in accelerating the growth of Western Canadian businesses. They are piloting an integrated productivity improvement program in Alberta and British Columbia. The Assessment Roadmap Coaching (ARC) program targets small to medium-sized enterprises that are looking to optimize their business to thrive in current and future markets.

We’ve got your back by investing in Westerners

Western Canada’s economy and jobs of the future depend on the ability of Canadian businesses to continue to adapt, innovate, and maintain their competitive edge in a fast-paced and increasingly global economy. The Government of Canada will always be an ally to help Western businesses create good local jobs here in Edmonton and all across the West.

This is why, while in Edmonton, Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, announced that Western Economic Diversification Canada will provide an investment of up to $596,300 to support GO Productivity in improving the competitiveness of western Canadian businesses.

The GO Productivity ARC program helps businesses focus on sustainable improvements and long-term growth. Participating businesses review multiple areas of productivity improvements including: lean implementation, communication improvements, defect/error detection, push/pull inventory, and production, and staffing improvements. For example, IMARK Architectural Metals used new ideas to make fabrication efficiencies, and open the door to opportunities to expand their business.

Quotes

“Strong and growing businesses are essential to Western Canada’s success and growth. By investing in local organizations like GO Productivity, we support local creative entrepreneurs and innovative companies and help them to improve their productivity, grow their businesses, and become global leaders. Working with you to grow West.”
– The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages


“By investing in local organizations like @GOProductivity, we support local creative entrepreneurs and innovative companies. We’ve got your back.” –Minister Joly

(Tweet this quote.)

“We’re pleased to receive this funding from the Western Diversification Program to enable GO Productivity to continue to work to help industry build its capacity for productivity improvement, innovation, collaboration, and operational success.”
– Brian Pardell, Interim Chief Executive Officer of GO Productivity and Associate Vice President, Business Development and Sales, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology Industry Solutions

“The ARC program has really acted as a springboard for changes we want to see in our business; a culture focused on continuous improvement, better service for our customers and new growth opportunities. Having already implemented over 10 of our ideas since the program ended, we are a third of the way to completing our idea list but the real benefit we are seeing is that more ideas are continually being added to the list—an indicator to us that the program worked and that our culture is beginning to change.”  
– Chris Sims, Operations Manager, IMARK Architectural Metals

Quick facts

  • This investment is being made through the Western Diversification Program (WDP), which is delivered through Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD).

  • The Western Diversification Program (WDP) makes strategic investments in initiatives with not-for-profit organizations that enhance and strengthen the economy of Western Canada. Contributions will be made to projects that support the development and diversification of the western Canadian economy, and activities where economic and/or employment benefits accrue primarily within Western Canada.

  • The GO Productivity Assessment Roadmap Coaching (ARC) pilot program is assisting 30 businesses, including 5 Indigenous companies in identifying productivity solutions.

  • Of the 30 participating businesses, 22 are from Alberta and 8 are located in British Columbia.

  • GO Productivity is a strategic partner with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and is based in NAIT’s Productivity and Innovation Centre.

Associated links

Contacts

Jeremy Ghio
Director of Communications
Cabinet of the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages
jeremy.ghio@canada.ca

Donna Kinley
Manager of Communications, Alberta
Western Economic Diversification Canada
donna.kinley@canada.ca

Marta Gold
Media Relations
NAIT
media@nait.ca

Stay connected

Follow Western Economic Diversification Canada on Twitter: @WD_Canada

Follow GO Productivity for more on productivity improvements: @GOProductivity

Follow NAIT, a leading polytechnic committed to student success: @NAIT

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