Our commitment to creativity is not restricted to the books we publish. Innovation is very much a part of our everyday, as the examples below demonstrate.

The Novel Ideas Team (NITs)
NITs is a small, diverse group of Transworld staff which reports to the Publishing Strategy Board with new and exciting ideas. Made up specifically of junior staff the team’s role is to work together in generating new initiatives across a wide range of company matters. From making Transworld the best it can be for its employees and new joiners to brainstorming important strategies for maximising the bottom line, the team works hard to establish ideas which are both innovative and practical. Proposals are presented to the Board which actively listens to and responds to the group’s ideas.

Innovations
A ground-breaking, innovative and fun group of people whose ideas are taken seriously!

The Innovations Group was formed in January 2007 and consists of staff from all divisions who are interested in the digital world. Every quarter they discuss ideas, share enthusiasm, discover interesting web sites, blogs and writers, predict what the next big thing will be and suggest opportunities for our books and authors.

In between meetings they share ideas and feedback on trendy websites, cool gadgets and innovative approaches to market authors and titles in their exclusive group on Facebook.

Continuous Improvement in Distribution
For over 3 years, our Distribution teams have been championing Continuous Improvement. This process helps us to continue to meet customer requirements at the lowest cost by releasing the potential of all employees.

CI has been adopted by many successful companies around the globe and first came to light in post-war Japan where it was known as ‘kai-zen’ or ‘Change is Good’. The concept is simple: ‘front-line’ workers are more likely to be able to identify the issues in their daily jobs which may hinder efficiency than their managers. CI as a process gives those people the freedom to express their concerns and encourages managers to listen. Most importantly, it involves everyone, whatever level, they hold in the company in finding possible solutions.

Our CI ‘champions’ are trained in various problem-solving techniques as well as presentation and group discussion methods. Their main role is to assist staff in working through their projects using these techniques. A steering group made up of management and staff coordinates CI and promotes the strategies within and outside the company.

So far, we’ve saved nearly 0.5 million pounds and made countless people’s daily jobs more clear-cut and productive using the principles of CI.