TLDR: Operational Software created a bespoke label printing system, saving Batten & Allen 1,833 hours of work a year
Speedy and precise are the first words that come to mind when thinking about Batten & Allen, the Cirencester-based manufacturers specialising in stamping and reel-to-reel electroplating. With over 50 years of experience, the company produces components for the electronics, automotive, aerospace, and telecoms industries. Or in other words, they make the little bits that make up the big stuff that keep us all connected.
In total, they manufacture over 5 billion parts annually. That’s a lot of little bits.
To meet demand, they needed an effective label printing system - something they didn’t have.
Before Operational Software was instructed, Batten & Allen had been using Microsoft Dynamics NAV, which ran slowly and was expensive to change or improve. To try and address this challenge they implemented a smaller scale MRP system which was largely self-serve and more cost effective. It was a significant improvement, but this system too, fell short.
The new system was unable to produce batch labels which met the needs of the process, meaning labels still needed to be handwritten, or relied on a manual label printing process - both of which risked human error. This left the company in an interesting position; they were creating cutting edge electronics components, but might as well have been writing batch labels with a quill.
The main problems included:
- Handwriting or manually typing taking up an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute per batch
- A manual process could not include as much accurate information as a bespoke printed label
- The risk of human error was high
That’s where we came in. We developed a bespoke batch label template - featuring a QR code which contained the batch number and additional relevant information - as well as an automated label printing system which routed labels to printers on each press and line. This change eliminated the need for additional operator input. The custom label design meant we could even print two labels at the same time; a main label for the batch, and a smaller customised ‘sample’ label to track the batch through the inspection process.
The result?
- Simultaneous and seamless go live alongside a new ERP
- 1,833 hours saved per year (the equivalent of 5,000 episodes of Friends)
- 4.4 month payback period
- 8.3 X ROI over three years
Keep your eyes peeled for all the nerdy details on how we did it - coming out soon.
Until next time, keep it lean.