Driving Change

Disrupting the traditional manufacturing culture for a better employee experience

Digital Advanced Control (DAC) was established more than 10 years ago as a way to do things differently. We had the desire to disrupt the industry and tackle the ongoing issues that caused customers to be left short by outdated systems and expensive products. However, our commitment to driving change doesn’t end there. We are committed to continuously challenging traditional industry norms and building a diverse community that is fit for today.

Building Diverse Teams

Traditionally, manufacturing has been a male-dominated industry, often portrayed as middle-aged white males set in their ways. However, that’s not who we are, and we continue to challenge this stereotype. We recognise the different skills and abilities individuals can bring to our organization, so we’re committed to employing people of all ages, ethnicities, genders and backgrounds. We know there are biases and privileges that can prevent people with different backgrounds from developing certain job skills. So we hire our team based on attitude — skills can be trained, but attitude is more challenging.

Investing in Continuous Improvement

Our core value is that of continuous improvement. We strive to instill this in every aspect of our business, from the manufacturing process to the customer service we provide. This also includes our employees. We encourage a culture of continuous improvement – something may be good, but it can always be improved.

One of the main ways we ensure we’re continuously driving change is by investing heavily in our team. With a wide availability of training and upskilling as a member of the DAC team, there’s always something for everyone to learn.

This commitment spans our whole organisation; even our CEO Yan Phoenix recently completed a 10-week Lean manufacturing course alongside the rest of the team.

Encouraging Collaboration

We never want our management team dictating processes. Our teammates on the floor or in the office are the ones doing the job each day and, therefore, are best placed to let us know where we can make improvements. We empower everyone to feel confident bringing their ideas to the table. Their ideas often provide significant improvements that save us thousands, which we can then invest back into the business or pass on in savings for our customers.

However, the key to this is to create an environment where we can challenge ourselves and others, and it’s important to build a safe culture where everyone can speak out. Regardless of what department our team works in, we’re committed to empowering them to tell us ways we can improve what we do and ultimately improve things for the customer. 

Coaching Rather Than Managing

There are many reasons why people come to work, and we want to make sure we appeal to each of those reasons. We also want to ensure that one of those reasons is knowing they can improve themselves.

At DAC, we like to know what drives our people and get the best out of everyone. Our operations manager recently completed a degree through DAC, which enabled him to learn new skills regarding business management and social intelligence, learning how different people respond to different approaches.

We don’t treat every employee with a one-size-fits-all mentality, but rather as individuals. We help our teammates become the best possible versions of themselves and offer (and encourage) as much training as possible to help them achieve their goals.

Fostering a Sense of Camaraderie

We want to make sure that everyone is pulling in the same direction. With the entire company, including upper management, completing courses, we demonstrate that we believe in training and everyone is in this together. We see the value in making sure we are working as a team.