Reading-based Rodmatic Ltd (www.rodmatic.com), a precision machining sub-contract specialist, took the decision in 2017 to invest in a new production control system; one year on, it is helping the company to make all-round improvements to its production processes and customer service.

Martin Wilson, Rodmatic’s general manager, said: “We wanted a solution from a supplier that had a better understanding of the needs of our sub-contract engineering business.

“As a BTMA technical member, we knew that Bracknell-based PSL Datatrack had expertise, plus a good track record in our sector. There were also the advantages of the flexibility and customisation opportunities possible with the software.”

From the date of the order confirmation, PSL Datatrack started to acquire a firm understanding of Rodmatic’s production control requirements.

Mr Wilson added: “Once these were understood, PSL Datatrack was able us to give us the benefits of its considerable experience in the sub-contract engineering sector and recommend improvements that would benefit not only us but also our customers.”

From investing in the system to going live took just three months. During this period, PSL Datatrack (www.psldatatrack.com) provided assistance for a parallel run of both systems to ensure a smooth transition.

Individual training for the Rodmatic team also took place during this phase, so that each member understood exactly how the changeover would work.

Mr Wilson continued: “PSL Datatrack’s approach to running the business along a logical ‘quote to delivery’ way of thinking has been the most beneficial.”

It means that Rodmatic can fully trace the progress of any order for any customer, and it has much tighter control over the whole production process.

Within this, specific processes have been improved, including Rodmatic’s ‘order to pay’ system, which has been streamlined by integrating PSL Datatrack with the company’s existing Sage accounts package.