Hamilton,
16
June
2020
|
15:30 PM
America/New_York

Mohawk College researcher helps local company meet increased demand for Canadian products

NSERC-funded applied research project to help RegattaSport prepare for increased orders due to Canada Summer Games

Mohawk College has received research funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to help local company RegattaSport update its order management system - just in time to help the company prepare for an increased volume of orders expected for next year’s Canada Summer Games.

RegattaSport is the official licensed merchandiser of the Niagara 2021 Canada Summer Games. As a manufacturer and designer of custom sports performance gear, RegattaSport already produces official apparel for organizations such as World Rowing and Dragon Boat Canada. Faced with ever-growing demand for its products but operating with an inefficient process for collecting and tracking orders, the company turned to a Mohawk College faculty expert for assistance.

Thanks to an NSERC Engage Grant, Chris Spraakman, professor of business analysis at the McKeil School of Business, will help the Hamilton/Niagara-based company enhance and automate its existing order system. NSERC Engage Grants are designed to help innovative Canadian companies access college expertise to solve company-specific problems.

This digital transformation project will automate the order process, reduce errors and waste, centralize the tracking of work, and improve delivery times, says Spraakman. The applied research project will prepare RegattaSport for increased demand from current and future large-scale clients. It will also create employment for four Mohawk business students, who will work on the project as research assistants.

“As a research team, we will understand their processes and needs, recommend areas for improvement, and then implement a modern efficient IT system that meets their needs and provides better results for both them and their customers,” explains Spraakman.

For RegattaSport’s co-owner Joe Camillo, the federal support to help them adopt an enhanced order process is welcome news – both for the company and for the Hamilton and Niagara communities.

“We manufacture 100% of our custom apparel in Canada,” says Camillo. “With this partnership with Mohawk, we have a tremendous opportunity to meet the increased local demand for made-in-Canada products and to compete globally for more business.”