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Instrument Transformers Integrate Production Control With ProgressPlus

Established in 1973, Instrument Transformers Ltd (ITL) has expanded nationally and internationally such that they are now an internationally known name in the field of power measurement and protection. Since their inception in Scotland they have been specialising in the custom design and manufacture of low voltage current transformers for electricity utilities, switchgear, panel board and generator manufacturers.

Before implementing ProgressPlus, Instrument Transformers were using software they had developed themselves. Paul Munro of Instrument Transformers said “from the mid-90s to 2010 we used our own production control software built in dbase. There were inefficiencies with this system as everything had to be quadruple keyed – we would print the invoice, key it into Sage and then send statements. We also had to key in as quotations and design entries into Microsoft Word. It was clear with all this effort we needed integration.”

When selecting a new production control solution Instrument Transformers looked at two vendors. “We looked at Berkeley Myles Solutions and Emax, the price point was similar but the big deciding factor was the support provided by Berkeley Myles Solutions.”

Another important factor for Instrument Transformers was the reduced downtime. “From day 1 we were able to upload invoices to ProgressPlus and with a click of a button transfer stock and quotations data from Sage into ProgressPlus.”

Since implementing ProgressPlus they have now increased staff efficiency. Paul commented “ProgressPlus now gives us the ability to do Shop Floor Data Collection and reporting on production control. We have three Microsoft Tablets in the factory using Shop Floor Data Capture (SFDC). Staff can book on/off a job. It has allowed us to capture the data which previously was handwritten and also a person’s job to analyse. Now it is all in ProgressPlus and we can easily analyse it any point and on any job.”

Instrument Transformers can pinpoint where they are making money. “We have been profitable for 40 years but previously when asked, how much are we making on each job? The reply would be we are ‘sort of’ making… Now with ProgressPlus we have the facts and can say we ARE making money on this part know if there is a loss on another. If we are making a loss, then the engineering team can change the pricing in the future or adapt the process to make profit. Additionally, we can extract data into reports to show the accounts team forecasted revenue and projected turnover, this helps us identify how much we will be getting paid next month.”

Delivering on time is paramount for Paul, he said “we make sure we are time driven by day. With the old system a lot of system operators went for the easier job, but now with ProgressPlus they follow a report issued by the Engineering Director so that jobs are based on the day to help us to deliver on time.”

Instrument Transformers also like the flexibility of ProgressPlus, Paul Munro said “not one company is the same and therefore there is no standard fit solution,  we like using the user design fields as it helps us present information in our way to make sure the customers are getting the right thing. We feel the system is simple, streamlined and removes errors – long may the product continue.”