In May 2005 a 3 year plan comprising three key elements which together will substantially improve the financial performance of the Group was announced. The elements of the plan are:

  • Focus separately on two distinct customer groups (EEM and MRO)
  • Implement the Enterprise Business System
  • Create a lower cost infrastructure

This marks the next stage in the Group’s development which started with international expansion in the 1990s. The new businesses grew autonomously and so the operating practices differed. To ensure greater coherence and control a matrix organisation was implemented in 1996 and Group Processes were developed to support the individual businesses. From 2000 onwards the selling and marketing activities of the businesses around the Group were more closely aligned. In addition, the Group began to implement an Enterprise Business System around the Group and the new systems have now gone live in Asia, the UK and Europe.