After using a manual production and management system for several years, Daro Connectivity needed help to run their business effectively. The transition to ProgressPlus enabled them to revolutionise their efficiency by providing real-time access and seamless operations. This user-friendly system has made employees “jaw hit the floor” after discovering how accessible and straightforward it is to navigate their prescribed tasks and accurately monitor their stock management.
Company Background
Daro Connectivity design and manufactures communication network solutions. The company is built on robust British design and manufacturing, from specification to prototyping to production, assembly, sub-contract assembly, and delivery.
Before the company began to use ProgressPlus integrated production and management system, the company was struggling to overcome day-to-day challenges. They were running on a system sourced from the United States and had been used by the Daro Group for over 20 years. However, this manual system allowed little to no integration at department levels and meant that work could have been faster and more modern.
To stay competitive, the business needed to make a change. They required production control software that would be able to facilitate greater efficiency, support integration, and rapid communication of updated information across all relevant departments.
Problem
- The already-in-place system was sourced from the USA. Given the time difference, it often took up to 24 hours to get purchase orders, making it impossible to respond to customer needs quickly.
- Customer response times took much longer than expected in the industry, negatively affecting customer satisfaction and brand reputation.
- The time difference made it even more challenging as it meant work couldn’t be completed in real-time, making it outdated and inaccurate.
- Stock monitoring was tedious as it was done manually, requiring significant time and effort from staff. It also meant they had to close for a few days, resulting in a loss of sales and profit.
- Access to updated information regarding the product design, customer requirements and variations to relevant departments within the company was slow and inefficient.
Solution
- One system that aids all departments within production and administration rather than requiring multiple systems.
- A user-friendly system to reduce staff training time and human error.
- Accurate information on stock levels, minimising time and effort for manual checks.
- Confidence in the accuracy of stock management and monitoring helped to minimise downtime, eradicating the need to shut the factory down for 4-5 days every year.
- Efficient responses to customers through a built-in CRM system, ensuring they could enhance and maintain high levels of customer satisfaction.
Matthew Craig, the Design Engineer and Product Line Manager at Daro Connectivity, commented on the user-friendly system’s usage and required minimum training for other staff to use it. When Daro Connectivity employed “ProgressPlus,” they found it to solve their problems and became their ideal “one solution that fitted the process”.
In conversation with Dave Cheale, the Operations Manager, he mentioned how the system has helped them improve the monitoring and management of their stocks. He further added,
“We haven’t done a manual stock check for three years now, as the system provides the most accurate levels, and we save on costs as we don’t close down our stores for days to conduct these checks that were done manually before the system was in place.”
He further shared that when he demonstrated how to use the system to them, the reaction of his staff was “their jaw hit the floor” because of the system’s minimum level of complexity. The team have emphasised their enthusiasm for how operations are not only more streamlined but more accessible and quicker. Any information from the supplier’s or customer’s end is updated quickly and circulated within the business’s respective departments.
Mathew and Dave added that the overall system is comprehensive and helps transform each business operation.
Results
ProgressPlus has facilitated Daro Connectivity by:
- Revolutionising their operations and enhancing their competitiveness in the industry.
- Enriching communication with suppliers and customers, cultivating satisfaction across the board.
- Ensuring the flow of information is substantially more efficient, enabling employees to navigate their prescribed tasks effortlessly.
- More accurately monitoring their stock management as manual inventory checks have been eliminated, further aiding in saving costs and enhancing the system’s return on investment.
- Enhancing transparency of operations and reporting throughout the company.
- Escalating confidence in the system’s accuracy and making business more proficient.
Mathew and Dave concluded that the system has encouraged exceptional strategic decision-making and how the performance analysis of various tasks helped them detect issues arising and devise corrective measures. Mathew added, “I’ve worked on many systems over the years but have found this particular one to be the easiest in terms of its usability and cost-effectiveness.”