In 2007, public company CSR Limited acquired Victoria’s DMS Glass and the Australia/New Zealand arm of Pilkington Glass, creating a new consolidated business called CSR Viridian.
The key asset of the new company was a glass-making factory in Dandenong, however cheap glass imports from international manufacturers had placed the Dandenong facility at a competitive disadvantage over the years so CSR Viridian had to modernise.
With support from the Victorian Government, the facility was shut down for major renovation and repurposing. In just five months, the Dandenong plant was rebuilt with a greatly expanded main float furnace and a cutting-edge chemical vapour deposition (CVD) facility, which could produce environmentally-friendly hard-coated glass. The innovative CVD glass would give CSR Viridian a value-added product for the Australian market and generate export opportunities as well.
The $130 million reconstruction project was immense and subject to strict time pressure. With major works being conducted on such a large industrial facility, there were a wide range of issues relating to environmental protection and work safety that had to be monitored.
SITUATION
The CSR Viridian glassmaking factory in Dandenong had a radical facelift last year, with compliance management by Compliance Experts.
In 2007, public company CSR Limited acquired Victoria’s DMS Glass and the Australia/New Zealand arm of Pilkington Glass, creating a new consolidated business called CSR Viridian.
The key asset of the new company was a glass-making factory in Dandenong, however cheap glass imports from international manufacturers had placed the Dandenong facility at a competitive disadvantage over the years, so CSR Viridian had to modernise.
With support from the Victorian Government, the facility was shut down for major renovation and repurposing. In just five months, the Dandenong plant was rebuilt with a greatly expanded main float furnace and a cutting-edge chemical vapour deposition (CVD) facility, which could produce environmentally-friendly hard-coated glass. The innovative CVD glass would give CSR Viridian a value-added product for the Australian market and generate export opportunities as well.
The $130 million reconstruction project was immense and subject to strict time pressure. With major works being conducted on such a large industrial facility, there were a wide range of issues relating to environmental protection and work safety that had to be monitored.
CSR Viridian asked Compliance Experts to provide assistance in meeting the regulatory obligations of the Dandenong plant project.
With renovation works conducted by contractors, and international partners in CSR Viridian who were not aware of the complex web of local regulations and laws relating to the project, Compliance Experts was brought in to monitor compliance and educate the project managers about ‘best practice’ standards in Victoria.
SOLUTION
Coming into the project at a critical time, Compliance Experts had to implement a proactive model for auditing and policing environmental and work safety, clearly defining compliance responsibility and aligning contractor and manager objectives to minimise risk.
For Compliance Experts, the Dandenong plant renovation represented one of the most complex auditing and compliance projects the company had ever managed. Compliance Experts had to manage a new array of regulations including hazardous goods compliance and greenhouse gas protocol, as well as the impact of 350 workers operating in an environment typically used by 120 staff.
Compliance Experts backed up its compliance expertise with powerful software to deliver a unique solution to CSR Viridian.
Compliance Experts’ cornerstone software is Compliance Checkpoint, an innovative compliance management tool in the cloud. With this combined surveillance program and technology, CSR Viridian was able to demonstrate compliance and secure the necessary Works Authorities and Approvals from the local and state government, driving the project forward.
Compliance Experts worked for 15 weeks on the Dandenong glass plant project, monitoring the Environmental Management Plan and WorkSafe practices. During this engagement, Compliance Experts conducted 24 hour surveillance of construction vehicles, forklifts, the furnace area and graded waste product, relaying information to contract managers via the web based Compliance Checkpoint software.
The system generated regular reports with recommendations and messages noting key compliance issues. Several contract managers on the project received updates via the internet or mobile devices, allowing immediate adaptation on site.
“Real time monitoring was essential, to avoid potentially dangerous situations,” said Neil Robinson, then Project Manager with CSL Viridian and now at Oricon. “The value of the entire system was that it allowed the project managers to quickly identify compliance issues and address them, so that the plant could be completed in the projected timeframe.”
“The ISO (International Standards Organisation) was impressed with our responsiveness. The systems we set up showed a very high level of control.”
“It’s about making sure everyone is on the same page,” said Mr Robinson. “The Compliance Checkpoint system helped get management up to speed and transfer knowledge quickly, which helped make compliance a major priority during construction.”
The message is that good systems save money and save time.
BENEFITS
“For us, there was an element of good conscience in the project, too,” explained John Jago, CSL Viridian’s Environmental Manager.
“The Dandenong plant is a major site in our own backyard. It’s important to be compliant to protect our local environment and protect the employees, our neighbours.”
“Viridian’s focus on business and economy helped the contract managers at the Dandenong plant to understand that regulatory compliance was in their own best interest.”
A successful project on this scale has also opened up new possibilities for Compliance Experts and Compliance Checkpoint in manufacturing and construction.
“The biggest gaps in compliance auditing are in big industry and large-scale developments,” said Paul Molenaar, Director and founder of Compliance Experts.
“We are now completely confident that we have a one-stop solution. With the successful completion of the Dandenong plant project, we’ve set a new international benchmark in industry.”
Compliance Experts demonstrates the incredible calibre of software expertise available in Victoria. Access to skilled professionals has been critical to the ongoing success of the company.
“Compliance Experts now employs 20 people and will continue to add qualified professional resources to meet growing demand for our products and services,” said Mr Molenaar.
“We couldn’t have developed a product like Compliance Checkpoint in any other Australian city, or without the far-sighted support of our technical partners, industry associations and the Victorian Government.
“A project such as Viridian CSL reinforces the value of the Compliance Checkpoint product.
“The relationships we’ve built up and the ICT expertise that exists here in Melbourne are the foundation of our business and they’ll be integral to our ongoing success.”
MICROSOFT .NET
Microsoft .NET is software that connects people, information, systems, and devices through the use of Web services. Web services are a combination of protocols that enable computers to work together by exchanging messages. Web services are based on the standard protocols of XML, SOAP, and WSDL, which allow them to interoperate across platforms and programming languages.
.NET is integrated across Microsoft products and services, providing the ability to quickly build, deploy, manage, and use connected, secure solutions with Web services. These solutions provide agile business integration and the promise of information anytime, anywhere, on any device.
