Performance Improvement in the Private Sector
Through structured operational transformation, Sharing in Growth helped Sylatech improve productivity, strengthen governance and unlock scalable growth, increasing EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation) by 1022% while improving quality and delivery performance.
Sylatech, a precision engineering manufacturer supplying demanding global markets, has delivered a major operational transformation that significantly improved productivity, profitability and organisational capability.
In 2021 the business was technically strong and had a healthy order book, but growth was constrained by operational bottlenecks and limited production flow. Delivery pressure was increasing, margins were tight and the organisation had reached a performance ceiling. The company recognised that improving output alone would not unlock sustainable growth. Instead, it needed to strengthen the systems and governance that converted effort into scalable business performance.
Working in partnership with Sharing in Growth, Sylatech embarked on a structured programme to improve operational performance within its existing business areas. The objective was not expansion through additional headcount or short-term cost cutting, but structural improvement: removing operational constraints, eliminating waste and embedding the leadership capability needed to sustain long-term improvement.
The programme began with a comprehensive diagnostic to understand the underlying causes of performance limitations. This analysis identified the machine shop as the primary constraint governing throughput across the business. Until this bottleneck was addressed, improvement elsewhere would have limited impact.
A structured daily management system was introduced, creating clear visibility of performance and enabling teams to identify issues quickly. Visual management boards, daily stand-up meetings and short-interval control routines improved communication and accountability across the shop floor. These changes stabilised production flow and allowed the organisation to move from reactive firefighting to proactive problem solving.
Once the machine shop constraint was stabilised, improvement efforts moved to the foundry, where scrap, rework and yield losses were consuming significant capacity. A structured problem-solving programme was launched, supported by targeted investment in robotics and process upgrades. These changes significantly improved yield and reduced waste, releasing capacity back into productive flow.
The results of the transformation have been substantial. Between 2021 and 2025, revenue increased by 51%, and more significantly, EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation) increased by 1022%. These improvements were achieved without increasing headcount, demonstrating genuine productivity gains rather than expansion-driven growth.
Operational performance improved across multiple measures. Value-add per employee increased by 33%, while machine shop output per person rose by 45%. Subcontract spend reduced by 70% and inventory levels fell by 66% in key areas, strengthening working capital control.
Customer performance improved alongside internal efficiency. Right First Time production rates reached 99.5%, and delivery schedule adherence consistently exceeded 97%, strengthening customer confidence and supporting new contract wins.
Beyond financial and operational improvements, the transformation significantly strengthened Sylatech’s internal capability. Governance systems, daily performance routines and visual management are now embedded across the organisation. Leaders and teams are able to identify operational constraints, solve problems and drive improvement independently.
Today Sylatech operates with a structured performance management system, improved production flow and stronger organisational capability. What began as a targeted operational improvement programme has evolved into a sustainable transformation that continues to strengthen the company’s competitiveness in global markets.
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