Case Studies

Challenge

A small-to-mid-sized manufacturing client was struggling to manage multiple bespoke product lines. Each quote required manual duplication of information across several documents, with cutting lists and BOMs being recreated from scratch for every order. This approach was time-consuming, error-prone, and slowed both sales and production workflows.

On average, the client’s teams were spending 40+ hours per week preparing quotes and production documentation, tying up highly skilled technical and sales staff in low-value administrative work rather than revenue-generating or operational improvement activities. In addition, documentation errors were leading to material wastage of approximately £3,000-£5,000 per month.

Approach

• We implemented a standardised product template using Excel, integrating dropdowns, formulas, and data validation.

• All product data (dimensions, materials, options) is entered once and automatically populates: quote sheets, cutting lists, and BOMs.

• The workflow eliminated duplication and reduced the chance of human error.

Outcome:

• Reduced admin time by 70%, saving ~£4,200-£5,600/month in staff hours.

• Material errors reduced by 90%, avoiding ~£2,700-£4,500/month in waste.

• Faster turnaround improved sales response times and customer satisfaction.

Automated Quoting, BOMs & Cutting Lists

Challenge

Following the initial standardisation of the client’s product offering, creating technical drawings for each quote had become a major bottleneck. Each drawing was produced manually, often requiring multiple revisions to accommodate customer-specific dimensions and options.

This manual approach heavily relied on skilled technical staff and typically took several hours per order. As order volumes increased, drawing preparation began to constrain production scheduling, delaying order release to the workshop. Inconsistencies between quote data and manually produced drawings also led to clarification requests from the shop floor and occasional rework, further impacting throughput and delivery reliability.

Approach

• Automated drawing generation using CAD Software (SolidWorks).

• Linked drawing templates to quote data via Excel, so selections automatically updated dimensions, features, and annotations.

• Templates ensured consistent formatting and annotation standards while reducing repetitive work.

Outcome:

• Drawing preparation time reduced by 80%, saving ~£2,800–£4,400 per month in engineering hours.

• Drawing-related production errors and clarification requests reduced by ~70%, saving ~£1,050–£1,750 per month.

• Total monthly operational impact: £3,850–£6,150, freeing up skilled staff for higher-value work and accelerating workflow between sales and production.

Automated Technical Drawings from Quotes

Challenge

The client had no formal stock management system in place. Part numbers were inconsistent or missing entirely, making it difficult to track components accurately, and inventory records were scattered or incomplete. As a result, critical items were often out of stock, production was frequently delayed, and the team spent considerable time manually checking inventory and chasing suppliers.

Excess inventory of other components tied up working capital, while reactive purchasing and emergency orders created additional inefficiencies. Helping the client establish standardised part numbers and a centralised stock database became a priority to improve visibility, reduce errors, and streamline production planning.

Approach

• Built a centralised stock database using Airtable assigning standardised part numbers to all components.

• Implemented automated low-stock alerts and pre-order notifications via Make ensuring replenishment before items reached critical levels.

• Created dashboards for management to instantly see inventory status and identify critical items.

Outcome:

• Stock-outs reduced by ~50–60%, preventing production stoppages and late deliveries.

• Excess inventory reduced by ~25–30%, freeing up ~£1,800–£3,000 per month in working capital.

• Reduced emergency purchasing and expediting costs, improving reliability of production planning.

Stock Management & Part Number Standardisation

Challenge

The client’s CNC programming process was entirely manual and dependent on a small number of skilled operators. Quote information had to be interpreted and manually converted into CNC programs for each order, even for repeat parts with only minor variations.

As order volumes increased, programming time became a bottleneck. Inconsistencies between quotes and machine code occasionally led to errors, scrap, and rework, while valuable operator time was consumed by repetitive tasks rather than higher-value production work. This manual workflow limited throughput, increased operational risk, and made it difficult to absorb additional work without increasing costs or headcount. Establishing a more repeatable and automated approach became essential to support growth.

Approach

• Standardised ~50% of the client’s product line to create repeatable part templates.

• Developed automated CNC program generation by extracting quote data from Google Sheets and inserting it into pre-defined CNC templates, producing project-specific programs ready for the machine.

• Standardised templates ensured accurate, consistent code and eliminated the need for manual transcription from quotes.

Outcome:

• CNC programming time reduced by ~60%, saving ~£1,800–£2,700 per month in skilled operator time.

• Programming-related errors reduced by ~80%, avoiding ~£1,200–£2,000 per month in scrap and rework.

• Production throughput increased, allowing more orders to be processed without additional staff.

Automated CNC Program Generation