Whitehill Spindle Tools (WST) has been manufacturing tooling for the woodworking industry for the last 70 years. Having invested in training and capital equipment to increase productivity, WST quickly realised that disparate software systems were acting as a roadblock, preventing orders from being made remotely, and limiting communication between machines.

WST needed a software solution that can link all their machines together and help deliver step changes in efficiency and lead times. Using an Innovation Voucher, WST are on track towards re-engineering their processes to incorporate a unified software platform.

Not only will this give their clients the option of putting their orders through remotely; it will also boost the productivity of skilled operators as they use each machine. By having everything from order processing, inventory control, materials supply to finance, and customer relationship management on one system, WST stand to make significant gains in efficiency and profitability.

The work with the University helped to identify the core issues of the problem and possible solutions.