Competitiveness should never be at the expense of product quality.
On our manufacturing side, we shy away from production speed incentives which can result in quality problems and we target our inspection at job start-up rather than job despatch - It's better to prevent poor goods than to try to find them later!
We make regular but prudent capital investment, making use of improved manufacturing techniques but avoiding expensive leaps into 'state of the art' machinery unless value for money is proven.
Where we import goods to retain competitiveness, we foster long term supply relationships and do not chase the latest bargain price producers - only then can we guarantee consistent product and packaging.