DAWS doubles growth with Made Smarter support
Aluminium fabricator, Door and Window Systems (DAWS), based in Knowsley, has doubled its growth and created 15 new jobs after investing £50,000 in software solutions, with the help of Made Smarter.
Launched four years ago, the business is said to have grown rapidly, but needed to improve infrastructure and introduce automation to achieve its scale-up ambitions.
With the support of the Made Smarter North West adoption programme, a government-funded initiative to help SME manufacturers digitalise, decarbonise and grow through technology, DAWS has created a digital roadmap and invested in a software solution to manage customer interactions and sales, and secondary software to integrate with production and dispatch.
According to DAWS, the project had ‘an instant impact’, increasing back office productivity by 50% and freeing up staff to focus on more high value tasks and sales opportunities.
Julian Wetherall, director of DAWS, hailed the partnership with Made Smarter as ‘transformational’.
“We’ve had an amazing first four years, but now we are focussed on scaling the business and becoming a go-to supplier for our customers,” he said. “This means hitting delivery targets and delivering an even more exceptional level of service.
“Our move to new premises in Knowsley has overcome our storage and supply chain challenges, as well as giving us the space to grow and so now we have all the ingredients in place to go to the next level.
“Our experience of Made Smarter has been incredible. The team has guided us through a complex process to invest in technologies which are having a huge impact on our business,” he continued.
“The software we have chosen fits us like a glove and we have experienced an immediate improvement. The digital roadmapping exercise and grant funding has really accelerated and de-risked our investment. It has enabled us to see the reaching benefits of further technology investment.
“By removing the headaches and challenges of moving information around the business, we can start to look ahead at creating a modern, smart factory which embraces automation.”
Launched in the North West in 2019, Made Smarter is said to have supported more than 2,500 businesses. This includes 250 manufacturers who have collectively invested £18m in technologies which enable them to integrate systems, capture and analyse data, and even create simulations of their plants and processes.
By adopting cutting-edge technologies, these businesses are said to be benefiting from improved productivity and revenue, an upskilled workforce, lower energy bills, and a reduced carbon footprint.
Donna Edwards, director of Made Smarter’s North West Adoption programme, said: “We are delighted to be supporting DAWS to accelerate its digital transformation.
“It is a fantastic example of a small business investing in technologies as a route to growth and new highly skilled jobs.
“DAWS is among hundreds of manufacturers in the region grasping the opportunities offered by Made Smarter which include expert, impartial technology advice, digital transformation workshops to help take that first step to transform a business, support with technology investment, and leadership and skills training. I would encourage other SME manufacturers to do the same.”
