Why legacy manufacturing systems fail in 2026 (and why it rarely looks like failure)
Nothing’s crashed… that doesn’t mean it’s working as it should. Here’s why legacy systems in manufacturing quietly stop earning their place, and why 2026 is making that harder to ignore.
Elemental Concept strengthens global leadership team as it enters its next growth phase
Bringing together the leadership of both Elemental Concept and Purple Shirt under a single global structure.
UK’s social media ban for under 16s – is this the right instinct, applied to the wrong problem?
The UK government’s announcement of a social media ban for under-16s raises some genuinely interesting questions for anyone working in digital product design. Is a blanket ban the most effective intervention, or are the quieter measures in the small print doing more of the heavy lifting?
From business units to national infrastructure: Unison’s strategic transformation
Unison engaged Purple Shirt to move beyond a collection of independently optimised businesses and define the value of the Group as a whole, resulting in a fully aligned board and executive team with a strategy that positions Unison as a critical enabler of New Zealand’s electricity infrastructure and its response to electrification and climate change.
From crisis response to strategic clarity: how surf lifesaving New Zealand rebuilt for the long term
Following a surge in government funding after a major weather emergency, Surf Lifesaving New Zealand worked with Purple Shirt to pressure-test its strategy from the ground up, achieving board-level alignment on its critical priorities and triggering an organisation-wide transformation in how it supports the network of volunteer clubs that deliver its mission on the ground.
From decline to growth pipeline: rethinking ANZ superannuation proposition
ANZ’s wealth management division was losing ground to specialist competitors, so Purple Shirt applied a decade-refined innovation process to uncover an underserved customer segment and develop a validated new value proposition with genuine growth potential.
Designing a student-centred support framework for the University of Waikato
The University of Waikato partnered with our Customer Experience consultancy, Purple Shirt, to redesign student support services.
Modernisation and legacy innovation in UK Manufacturing
UK manufacturers face real pressure, skills shortages, rising costs, and growing compliance demands. This blog explores why modernisation must come before AI or automation, and how to make the case for investment in language that lands with leadership.
AI Readiness for UK Manufacturing Leadership
UK manufacturing is under real pressure; rising costs, skills shortages, and growing digital compliance demands. Yet only 8% of manufacturers have successfully adopted AI. The gap isn’t really about technology, it’s about readiness.
New whitepaper: The Roadmap to Readiness. Why AI strategy must start with a diagnosis, not a deployment.
Launching our brand-new whitepaper, “The Roadmap to Readiness,” a concise guide for executives to assess AI readiness, navigate disruption, and define their next steps with confidence.