Bridges and bitumen and the power of one percent

AFTER a career in agricultural accounting, Amanda Mogford wasn’t sure about shifting to an industry involving bridges and bitumen – but then she met the people.

“The people here are knowledgeable. They relish this industry and that’s what has got me so interested and excited” says Amanda.

Amanda has been the business support manager at Quality Roading and Services for nearly a year.

Born and raised in Wairoa, the 33-year-old had worked with agricultural clients for the past five years, at Gisborne accounting firm BDO.

Nervous, but open to change, Amanda was enticed back to Wairoa by QRS chief financial officer Siobhan Storey. In addition to helping ensure QRS’s business data and reporting requirements are met, she investigates and carries out due diligence on projects to increase QRS’s productivity and profitability.

“I really enjoy the conversations with staff. Analytics and trends really excite me and it’s interesting to share profit and loss conversations with staff who may not have looked at their work that way before.”

Currently, QRS staff are focused on the incredible power of the one percent margin for improvement. Amanda and staff apply it to every aspect of the company’s daily operations.

“It’s about finding small continuous improvements in any task. It may be small but if you improve the way you do something, then multiply that improvement over the number of people doing it, dozens of times a day, a year, then small things add up to big change.”

Amanda didn’t become an accountant following the usual trajectory. Bored at school she chose to work part time at a panel beater auto repair shop as part of a school gateway programme. She didn’t aspire to prepare and paint damaged car panels – she just wanted to get out of school.

Aware of her potential, her Wairoa College accounting teacher helped her get a job at Tarrant Cotter and Company accounting firm under the guidance of Gary Mayo. The experience propelled her into studying accounting through Open Polytechnic NZ, the only tertiary institution that would take a student so young. It took six years to get her degree and become an associate chartered accountant.

Since then, Amanda and her partner Michael McMillan have taken on farm management at Cricklewood Station, and they have a three year old son, Colt.

Amanda says living rurally means she often hears community chatter about the state of the roads. Since coming to QRS she better understands the skill and dedication QRS staff bring to each job, each day, and she is in awe of the knowledge around her.

“You can go to anyone at any time to explain what they do, and they do it with such passion and knowledge. I wish everyone could see what I see.”

One of Amanda’s favourite parts of her job is meeting with project supervisors and learning more about their mahi and challenges, while sharing her own calculations and observations.

Siobhan says Amanda is excellent at digging into the processes used by QRS divisions, and the two-way exchange at meetings and all-staff gatherings is enlightening for everyone.

“She’s working across the company bridging the gap between technical solutions and business needs.”

Photo caption: When she’s not at work, QRS business support manager Amanda Mogford loves being on the farm. She has a passion for dogs and has in the past volunteered for the SPCA in the Cook Islands.

11 June 2024

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