European
KITEDossier PROJECT TITLE Kinawley Integrated Teleworking Enterprise Ltd LEGAL ENTITY Company limited by guarantee COMPANY REPRESENTATIVES Sheila McCaffrey - Managing Director, Michael McCaffrey - Director DEMOGRAPHY Kinawley is a village located in a rural part of Northern Ireland, close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. The population of Kinawley is 700 persons (1991 census) 37.4% of whom are under the age of 20, with a greater proportion of males, as it is common in declining rural areas. Kinawley suffers from a high level of socio-economic deprivation and is among the highest in Northern Ireland. The region is characterised by low population density, low inward migration and high out-migration with a consequent decline in the number of households, caused primarily, by the lack of job-opportunities in the area. Unemployment in the area is higher than the average for Northern Ireland (20.8% vs 15.7%) with only 36.4% of the population being economically active (vs 42.2% in Northern Ireland). As there is no worthwhile manufacturing sector and very little service industry, its population depends on low-value-added farming (in most cases) or on travelling outside the area to work, and its infrastructure is poor, inevitably, therefore, the area contains pockets of quite severe deprivation. To address this trend KITE was set-up to create an industry in the information technology sector based in Kinawley. KITE has been actively involved in promoting the concept of Teleworking in Northern Ireland. While researching the idea of establishing a Telecottage in Kinawley, the company quickly identified the potential for Teleworking as an opportunity for the employment of women in rural areas. KITE has a detailed working knowledge of the county, its capacity and its potential for growing the economy of the region. OBJECTIVES The objectives of KITE have been the ability to put forward a positive and new image of Kinawley and its environs. The establishment of KITE has meant that a new image of this rural and isolated settlement has been brought to the forefront. The technology era combined with a day care facility has meant that Kinawley has become a shinning new example of what can be achieved in a rural area. Economic regeneration with a social focus has contributed to the development of the area for the benefit of all that live here. Achievement of the social objective has been targeted by acting in the following main directions which are closely related:
DESCRIPTION The company was established in 1993 and became operational the following year. KITE provides a Teleworking service to local, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Great Britain, Europe and North America markets. This service includes training and childcare. KITE is an outsourcing facility with computer, modems, faxes and ISDN telephony, where skilled teleworkers operate on outsourced contracts. The original objectives was to train unqualified people to become teleworkers associated with the provision of childcare to allow women access to training and ultimately work. The obtaining of commercial work from specialist marketing companies enabled eight jobs to be created in the rural area of County Fermanagh. The training programme was aimed at the creation of skills in:
Obtaining financial support from E.C (European Social Fund) for this was a sine-qua non pre-condition for success. The training was devised in a "pyramid" approach. This assumes that one must start training a larger number of potential teleworkers, since only a limited number of them will show sufficient interest, self-motivation and attitude to reach the top of the pyramid and become qualified teleworkers. The secret of success is also to link the levels on the "pyramid" to successful exits at whatever level is appropriate. Two years after the start of the commercial operation KITE achieved a profitability situation. The original objective of creating eight jobs has been largely exceeded and the number of permanent employees is expected to reach twenty eight once ten new candidate teleworkers have completed the training programme at the end of 1998. KITE has been the first initiative of this kind in the area and can be considered as a highly successful and innovative project which has been able to create permanent qualified jobs for women who have never worked before. Unlike in the case of individual teleworkers who work at home for organisations which are outsourcing part of their work, which can often result in particular legal, tax or social security issues, when teleworking is performed within a centre as in case of KITE, there are no special legal requirements. KITE teleworkers are for all effects employees of the company, that acts within the applicable rules of State where it is located (salaries, taxation, social security, accident insurance coverage, etc) Services are sold within the country or outside as normal commercial transactions. The main elements and factors pertaining to the success of KITE are:
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE KITE’s management structure is small but extremely efficient. It is centred around three key people who share the following duties and responsibilities:
ACHIEVEMENTS The most tangible results are progression of sales and the number of permanent employees: Sales; Employees;
1994 – 30,000 Ecus ? 1997 – 18 1995 – 237,000 Ecus ? Expected – 28 (end of 1998) 1996 – 340,000 Ecus
Served markets USA (60%) – UK/EIRE (30%) – EU/Pacific (10%) KITE won a prestigious award in 1994 it was named the Most Enterprising Business by The Business and Professional Women's Association (BPW) Sheila McCaffrey fought off tough opposition to come out on top with the coveted first prize. KITE is the first organisation to tackle the thorny subject of inter-community relations in Kinawley. The terrorism to which the inhabitants of Kinawley were subjected to for twenty-five years has left deep divisions and scars on the local landscape. Community relations were deemed in a recent report to be "non existent in Kinawley". To bring the two communities together has always been high on the agenda at KITE and both Sheila and Michael are both active within the community building the peace process. KITE's premises is the only building deemed as neutral in the area and both communities now meet together without having to be seen comprise their views or opinions. This is a real positive outcome and is something that both the McCaffrey's are proud of. The workforce is drawn from both communities. KITE have proven that changing attitudes in the workplace are a real catalyst in building the peace process. SERVICES PROVIDED Tradable services, including, medical transcription, database builds, ASCII text file manufacturing, increasing intelligence on basic information, conference management, accounting data input and business support services, publishing, www services including design and management of web pages, training services including computer, personal development, assertiveness, and business support training. Childcare In addition to the offices at KITE there is an on-site day-care provision which has recently been enhanced by an after schools club. The day-care can cater for children from six weeks old up to primary school age and the after schools club caters for school children up to the age of twelve. The childcare facility is a purpose built centre which incorporates full, play, rest and outdoor areas. KITE can also provide outreach childcare facilities to ad-hoc events. KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMERS Through our Managing Director who deals with the large and international clients; the relationship that has built up with these contacts, together with new contacts made at exhibitions, conferences and trade fairs, ensures we are kept in touch with the needs of our customers. We regularly review long term contracts and update procedures to meet the needs of our customers. Our company brochure is updated annually and mailed to our database of potential customers. We also advise our existing customers about new services. Our track record with our existing customers and their satisfaction with our performance is our guarantee to new customers Taking part in exhibitions, conferences and trade fairs gives us an opportunity to compare our service against the competition. We are able to collect competitor information from these events, from publications and advertising material. We believe our competitive advantage lies in the fact that we adapt fast to changing technologies which keeps us one step ahead of the rest. We have a quick turn-a-round time for processing high volumes of data. Our staff have undergone a progressive training programme covering all aspects of the service which we provide. We use E-mail and snail mail to mailshot our customers to update them on our service. Attendance at exhibitions, conferences and trade fairs gives the opportunity to further develop our markets. We provide to our customers a high level total support service and assist them in the development of their organisational structures by accessing innovative technology based services. Our commitment to delivering a quality service on time and at the right price pays dividends with our customers who offer us new contracts. We follow all sales with a telephone call, letter or a visit to our customers. We find that the personal touch is most appreciated, this also allows us the opportunity to pursue further contracts. Each staff member enters each job on the job log which is provides a record of the job progress this is cross referenced against other jobs so that everyone has an understanding of each other's jobs; this ensures there is no duplication of work and provides a complete picture of our business process. Regular meetings give everyone a chance to put forward ideas for improving our cost effectiveness and cost efficiency We continuously compare our service against other providers and we hold brainstorming sessions in-house to generate new ideas We have quarterly management meetings at which we review our processes. We record all customer complaints on a non-compliance form and this is dealt with under non-conformance procedures. YEAR 2000 KITE is presently undertaking an impact analysis of all its internal systems and infrastructure components, to provide a reasonable level of confidence that where appropriate, its internal operations and interfaces to third parties and external systems will not be adversely impacted by Year 2000 issues. STAFFING FOR QUALITY Performance and quality standards for each job are advised to candidates at the interview stage. We also hold aptitude tests which provide us with an overview of the candidates suitability to perform as a member of staff. A performance review is conducted with an annual appraisal beginning of each financial year. All staff are trained in quality standards trough the induction process upon recruitment. All employees are encouraged to further develop their skills and qualifications. We do organise specialist training courses to meet our customer’s requirements, this takes the format of in-house training as well as hiring of external trainers. Staff are well paid in comparison with this sector. Bonuses take the form of a gratuity, which is paid at the Christmas holidays. Our quality strategy is based on the procedures of BS EN ISO 9002 1994 and all members of staff are made aware of their role. All members are trained and are encouraged to deal directly with our customers as necessary. Within our review meetings we do examine any problems which have occurred. Our employees are the success of the business. Their job satisfaction and continued loyalty is key to that success We have secured contracts from international markets, we are a household name in Teleworking in Northern Ireland. In 1994 our company won an award for the "Most Enterprising Business" presented by Business and Professional Women's Association Northern Ireland. Also in 1994 KITE was featured by BBC documentary series "Home Truths" and in 1996 by RTE series "Ear to the Ground" KITE gained BE EN ISO 9002 accreditation in June 1997. KITE has realised that an effective quality management system was vital in this industry since day one of our operations. As well as demonstrating our company’s commitment to quality, ISO 9002 certification has a whole host of benefits. These include greater competitiveness, better performance, and reduced costs, less waste, increased sales and more satisfied customers. CLIENTS KITE have over the years developed a wide client base. The rationale behind this approach to marketing is to protect against peaks and troughs in the industry due to seasonable and other influences, spreading the client base over a wide platform ensures smooth running of operations and provides full order books. Some examples of KITE's clients are: Global Software Resources KITE acts as a back office to this recruitment consultancy which is based in San Francisco. The Women’s Talent Bank The European Women's Lobby (EWL) appointed KITE as UK co-ordinator to compile a database of women experts in 24 areas of competence corresponding to the Directorates General of the European Commission. The database also contains the names of experts in their area. It also contains the names, qualifications, addresses of the experts, who will be classified by nationality and area of experience. See www.womenlobby.org Kays the UK's largest home shopping is operating a satellite shopping office from KITE. Orders are placed electronically. KITE have handled after office enquiries and sales for Sandpiper Camping Holidays. KITE have processed medical data on behalf of UK opticians Specsavers. Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals KITE’s services to assist with organising conferences and support to field representatives. Forbairt a Government agency in the Republic of Ireland use KITE as business consultants providing support to start up teleworking businesses. Cavan Monaghan Leader Company have been using KITE’s training services for over two years. The Leitrim Guardian The Leitrim Guardian is an annual publication all about life and living in County Leitrim. 1998 is the 30th annual publication. In 1996 The Leitrim Guardian's faced a major problem of getting their 1997 publication to press within three weeks of the publication date. KITE contracted the typesetting, layout and design of the magazine. This has resulted in a first class quality glossy magazine being produced and a web site maintained See: www.leitrim-guardian.ie Rope Access Specialists This company takes on any work that involves using high rope techniques for difficult locations. RAS are kept busy on location, their work is entirely away from base. The nature of their work is such that they do not need permanent secretarial staff, so when administration work piles up RAS contracts KITE to take care of it. An American university conducted a series of interviews to research areas of development in Ireland. These interviews were recorded, transferred to KITE, who in turn transcribed them and delivered them (via E-mail) to the University. Similar transcription work has been done for Universities in England and Ireland. When a client needed 3,000 telephone research calls made to clarify and update a database of hotels in the British Isles, KITE instigated and executed these calls over a four week period. The research included speaking to the hotels and finding out about their ratings, capacity, conference facilities, leisure facilities and ownership. This information resulted in the relevant 10,000 records being entered onto a database. This formed the basis of a major publication for the client. Theses and Acdemic Papers As one can imagine the end of the academic year, KITE is extremely busy, with the result of students studying hard for different courses. Here is an example: KITE produced a fine presentation of a study of the mathematical constant pi for the degree of Bachelor of Education, which was submitted to Queens University, Belfast. State of the art analysis equipment in KITE ensured graphical representations were clearly laid out in accordance with the lengthy research. This is one of the many reports that KITE have produced for a variety of clients and students studying for levels as high as Ph.D. Northern Ireland Electricity sx3 NIE contracted KITE to manage a conference which was held in Lisburn, Co Antrim earlier this year. The project was managed remotely using video conferencing and email. KITE uses the advantage of time and lower cost to service its customers when they need it. Thereby customers only pay for the service when they need it. APPOINTMENTS Sheila McCaffrey is currently: Chairperson of TWI (Telework Ireland) Director with TCA (UK Telecottage Association) Member of NACT (National Advisory Committee on Teleworking) This committee has been commissioned by Mr Noel Tracey TD Minister for Enterprise and Technology with the Dublin Government to advise on the development of a national strategy on teleworking. Director TWN (Training for Women Network NI) Michael McCaffrey is currently: Teleworker advisor to Cavan Monaghan Leader Company IT mentor with OCN (Open College Network) Secretary to (Kinawley Community Partnership) This community group was set-up in May 1995 on a cross-community basis, primarily to address the social, economic, environmental and infrastructural issues and deficiencies which currently affect the Kinawley area and which are, at present, creating impediments to this area’s development and to its potential future growth. SUMMARY Sheila and Michael McCaffrey are ideal candidates for this award as their company has become a real success. This is due to the drive and commitment of the McCaffreys who work long and hard to ensure the success of the company, they have been quick to adjust to the emerging technologies and they have used their business skills to develop a slick organisation. The site at Kinawley is impressive two buildings have transformed the landscape from farmland into a technological success story. The company is trading in international markets particularly USA and is using the time zone to full advantage to secure contracts. The jobs that have been created are new jobs and have allowed women to become professional teleworkers. The business not only has proved a success for the McCaffrey's but for the population of Kinawley as a whole, Kinawley is now the talking point of many a discussion many countries through out the world and this has became possible because two extraordinary people have taken on the world and are at the forefront of the technology league. No honour is great enough for KITE and it will continue to go from strength to strength and it is one of the success stories of this century and will make its mark on the next millennium. PUBLICITY MATERIAL -FOR PRESS RELEASES KINAWLEY INTEGRATED TELEWORKING ENTERPRISE (KITE) KITE are one of the entrants in this years European Telework Week Awards Competition. The company was established in 1993 and became operational the following year. KITE provides a Teleworking service to local, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Great Britain, Europe and North America markets. This service includes training and childcare. KITE is an outsourcing facility with computer, modems, faxes and ISDN telephony, where skilled teleworkers operate on outsourced contracts. The original objectives was to train unqualified people to become teleworkers associated with the provision of childcare to allow women access to training and ultimately work. The obtaining of commercial work from specialist marketing companies enabled eight jobs to be created in the rural area of County Fermanagh. Two years after the start of the commercial operation KITE achieved a profitability situation. The original objective of creating eight jobs has been largely exceeded and the number of permanent employees is expected to reach twenty eight once ten new candidate teleworkers have completed the training programme at the end of 1998. |
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