The management team of sub-contract precision engineers ADP Precision Engineering were on the lookout for a new production control system following accelerated growth of the business. The Newcastle-upon-Tyne-based company had previously been relying on Sage 50 accounting software to control production, supported by the manual input of manufacturing data into Excel spreadsheets and Word documents.

However, this form of administration was slow, time-consuming and unable to meet the requirements of a fast-expanding company. ADP recognised the need for software that was bespoke to the needs of the sub-contract precision engineering sector and decided that PSL Datatrack fitted the bill. It has not only improved the administration of the company’s existing production processes but has also created a platform for the future.

ADP provides its services and high-quality products to a range of industry sectors including automation/robotics, automotive, medical, oil and gas, rail and subsea engineering. One particular long-term, ‘state of the art’ medical project that will help revolutionise the medical industry, and for which ADP is a sole supplier of machined components, particularly helped to drive the need for a better production control system.

Thanks to its modularity, PSL Datatrack offers a platform that can be easily expanded in the future as the business grows and further control over particular aspects of production are required. Anthony Ingledew, ADP’s managing director, explained: “Previously we had to create a lot of manual documentation but after the initial setup of PSL Datatrack the result was a more centralised, efficient and streamlined system which massively aids the flow of the business.”

ADP acquired a number of PSL Datatrack modules at the outset covering sales, administration, purchasing, technical functions (including process layouts and Work In Progress), Shop Floor Data Collection (SFDC), finance and management. Invoicing data can be imported to Sage 50, which is now used purely for its accounting capabilities.

Time saved raising quotations
One of the initial advantages for ADP was the time saved raising quotations, which became far more accurate and could be quickly adjusted for repeat business. After estimating the cost of manufacturing a component based on the process, material, sub-contract and tooling involved, the information is retained in the system and is re-used by the software right through to final invoice.

Mr Ingledew continued: “We found the training to be very clear and easy to implement, moving at a pace that suited us and after-sales support has also been excellent. There were a few things that we wanted to tweak, or add to certain reports, and these requests were dealt with in no time by PSL Datatrack.”

Furthermore, ‘Work To’ lists are now created at the push of a button. Work in progress is clear and easy to monitor, meaning management no longer need to intervene and manually check the progress of a job. Furthermore, full traceability is inherent to each order which is vital to the company's quality management systems and for maintaining its ISO 9001:2015 accreditation.

The system offers numerous benefits but there are some overriding advantages, according to quality manager Steve Cross. He said: “We have spoken to staff within different departments and each say the modules they use on a daily basis have simplified and streamlined their area of the business. Some tasks that were very manual, mundane and time-consuming are now completed in seconds. As quality manager, PSL Datatrack has made my life so much easier with all business data easily accessible. It has also made ISO 9001 audits easy with the full traceability and closed loop system being easy to demonstrate.”

Aside from Mr Cross, there are four other main users of PSL Datatrack, including the company’s two managing directors, secretary and office administrator. Shopfloor staff record progress in the workshop through the SFDC module.

Real time visual data
ADP has now added two Status Boards to display real time visual data around the factory. Information shown on these screens include goods due within seven days and works orders due within seven days. This information is helping to drive production and make the shop floor team more accountable in its work and inclusive within the whole operation. It is now easy for the team to see when products are due out and when materials are due in, allowing each cell to plan its workload more efficiently.

ADP closely monitors its key performance indicators (KPIs), covering sales won/lost, on time deliveries, supplier performance and cost of quality. These figures drive the company to provide high-quality products on time and at an affordable rate in a very competitive market. The introduction of PSL Datatrack has reinforced these capabilities and its statistics screen makes ADP very flexible in its approach.

The system has further helped with planning and means the company’s customers receive work on a faster turnaround than would normally be the case. Mr Cross concluded: “Our customers are benefitting from our investment in PSL Datatrack, as a result of our quicker response time to quotations, the opportunity to review job costings easily, our ability to pass on any potential savings and, as the system drives the business, it means they receive jobs on time. We couldn’t have found a better system than PSL Datatrack as it has suited our needs perfectly and we have already recommended it to one of our customers.”