Suppliers of luxury cloth products Holland and Sherry will be able to realise their ambitious expansion plans after SMAS helped them make dramatic efficiency savings.
The company
Founded in 1836 in London, Holland and Sherry moved to Peebles in 1965. They have been based there ever since and employ 86 people in the sourcing, cutting and distribution of some of the finest cloths in the world.
The business has customers around the world, and international demand is growing.
The challenge
Holland and Sherry have seen 20 per cent year-on-year growth in business over the past two years, meaning that efficiency improvements were required to ensure that customer demand could be met. SMAS also looked at the use of space in the warehouse, to see if this could be used more effectively.
Holland and Sherry were put in touch with SMAS through their local Scottish Enterprise office. Representatives from SE have worked closely with Holland and Sherry and recommended SMAS, as they believed their outside expertise could the company work more efficiently.
How SMAS helped
SMAS carried out a free diagnostic Manufacturing Review and made a number of recommendations based on their findings. The implementation of these brought several benefits, including:
- Efficiency improvements
- The introduction of a method for measuring daily output
- Raising awareness of personal targets throughout the company
Further improvements are planned for the future, as Operations Director David Scott explained:
"A lot of ideas have come about that will benefit us in the long run. There are things we took from it that are ongoing. SMAS brings material benefits to Holland and Sherry."
"The SMAS practitioner was very helpful and we were able to tap into his knowledge. What he talked about was very practical."
This includes the space review by SMAS, which has currently been put on the back burner due to the installation of a new computer system. There are plans to go back to this in future as potential improvements include:
- Faster production
- Easier management of stock
- More efficient flow of materials
All of this will help Holland and Sherry meet their growing international demands, predominantly in Russia, South America and India.
Key outcomes
The work by SMAS has improved efficiency at Holland and Sherry, meaning the company will be able to continue to meet customer demands and expand in the future. Staff throughout the business have been made more aware of targets, and output can be measured each day. The recommendations from the space review are set to be introduced in the near future.
David Scott highlighted the expertise of the SMAS representatives, saying:
"Both practitioners were very helpful and we were able to tap into their knowledge. What they talked about was very practical."
Whatever kind of manufacturing help or support you’re looking for, the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service can provide it professionally and quickly. Most of the time the support is free of charge.
SMAS will help you address any pressing issues, and will assist you in embedding continuous improvement practices into your business to ensure that the changes you make now will continue to provide real business benefit in the future.