Labfacility is a South Yorkshire, family-owned, manufacturer of temperature sensors and related products, with a rich history spanning 53 years.
Operating from Dinnington, the company is ISO:9001 accredited and has grown substantially since its inception.
In 1991, Labfacility purchased a small, three-person company in Dinnington, which has now expanded to an 18,000 square foot facility, employing more than 40 members of staff. The company sells its products worldwide to over 120 countries, both directly and through distributors like Farnell. Labfacility continues to innovate and grow with plans for further capacity expansion, including a new mezzanine floor.
Labfacility reached out to the Made Smarter Yorkshire & Humber programme, delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice and engaged with Digital Manufacturing Advisor Marcus Pearson, to address workload management and strategic plans while tackling issues affecting efficiency and operational performance.
The primary challenges identified were:
Data Analysis Improvement: A need to improve their in-house data analysis capabilities using the existing operating software.
Packaging Operation Efficiency: A need to increase the capacity and throughput of their manual and costly in-house packaging operations.
With the support of Made Smarter, the Digital Manufacturing Advisor and £27500 grant funding Labfacility implemented the following solutions to overcome those challenges:
Qlik Software: A software which allows quicker and detailed analysis across all operations, including sales, purchasing, and stock management. Seven staff members at Labfacility were trained in using Qlik software for in-depth data analysis.
Automation in Packaging: Labfacility invested in a fully automated packaging machine with a hopper, significantly improving efficiency by increasing output and reducing manual input. This change allowed staff to refocus on more productive and profitable operations.
The assistance from Made Smarter Yorkshire & Humber has been instrumental in enhancing various aspects of Labfacility's operations, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and solidifying its market-leading position in the temperature sensing field.
According to David Holcombe, Key Account Manager at Labfacility, the primary benefits of implementing Qlik software and packaging automation were:
Qlik software is invaluable for my data analysis. Its easy-to-use interface allows me to visualise and explore data quickly, connecting multiple data sources for a comprehensive view. This integration enhances our ability to gain deep insights, make better decisions, improve operational efficiency, and ensure our business processes are streamlined and data-driven."
Additional benefits seen across the company as a result of working with the Made Smarter programme were:
Improved Purchasing Efficiency: Tony Mitchell, Procurement Officer, highlights the benefits , stating, "Previously, manual reporting and analysis of supply lines were time-consuming. Qlik has automated these tasks, enabling alerts and providing regular reports. This has significantly reduced the time needed for analysis and freed up time for other tasks, allowing us to stay on top of more suppliers and lines efficiently."
Packaging Efficiency: The new packaging machine, excluding the hopper which will be operational by June 2024, has made the packaging process at least twice as efficient with less manual input.
Thanks to their ongoing investments in digital technology, the company infrastructure and driven by their excellent determined, hardworking staff, Labfacility is on track to achieve its highest sales level in its 53-year trading history.
Along with securing a new contract with worldwide distributor DIGIKEY, Labfacility has created seven new skilled jobs and plans to create another twelve within the next twelve months.
Marcus Pearson, Digital Manufacturing Advisor, said, “The support provided to Labfacility by Made Smarter is a perfect example of how building and developing a strong relationship with key local agencies and intermediaries is crucial to the delivery of aligned business support that adds real impact to the recipient SME.
Martin Riddett was introduced to me by David Grimes, his Key Account Manager from Rotherham’s local authority. The fact that I have worked with Dave for many years and been able to demonstrate that I would ensure that his clients needs were handled efficiently, professionally and in a way that would minimise the level of bureaucracy and paperwork so that they could focus on their business critical issues, ensured that when he set up my initial contact with Labfacility, he had already got Martin and the senior teams buy in to what we were all about.
Without the trust of the local business support and advice community – and having their commitment to recommending the company’s that they work should be accessing Made Smarter – there is a real risk that the programme doesn’t maximise its reach, its why we invest so much time building solid relationships and ensuring that the work that we do not only enhances the growth prospects of the business, but also endorses the reputations of our local partners.”
Labfacility is committed to ongoing development in operational efficiency and digital improvements, including investigating barcoding and capacity increases through possible mezzanine installation.
The company is also focused on new product research and development, which will require additional tools and machinery. With continuous investment, Labfacility are aiming to maintain and strengthen their market position within the temperature sensor sector and increase their financial growth.
