Increasing manufacturing capacity/productivity

[RobinBHM]

Thanks I will look into how we can do this.
We do use the same delivery company and on bigger jobs get them to do all the lifting in etc. to the awkward properties which saves a lot of stress.
Thanks again for your input.

I always used a man and a van -to collect our orangeries, usually that ended up being 3 deliveries on a luton

get a guy that has all the blankets and is very very careful wrapping and tying it all.

 

[andthatwasthat]

1,100 sq feet is your biggest constraining factor.

You've outgrown that by a long way, I assume you have a panel saw -they take up 250sq feet alone

Yes the panel saw has 1350 rip capacity and 3.3m bed so takes up the most room, then the throughfeed CNC is around 2.0x3.0m excluding infeed/outfeed and have managed to fit in a spindle, 500wide p/t and and edgesander around it all. We've had to move the benches onto the fab deck where we dry fit everything. When you had in all materials stock and parts for half a dozen orders it's really not ideal.

We are also in Zone 2 in London so rent is not the cheapest, although I think our landlords give us a reasonable rate considering the location. I think we are the last industrial business on the site now. But, it is a very good location and brings us a lot of enquiries.

I always used a man and a van -to collect our orangeries, usually that ended up being 3 deliveries on a luton

get a guy that has all the blankets and is very very careful wrapping and tying it all.

I think we have about managed to sort the delivery situation, although our delivery guy sent another driver for a decent sized delivery on Friday (extra LWB packed full) and the guy turns up in flip-flops...

 

[u38cg]

It sounds to me like you can split the business fairly easily between customer facing (service, marketing, etc), installation, and manufacturing. In which case why not use your current location as a delivery depot and office, get manufacturing out somewhere on the other side of the ring road (Croydon, Dagenham, Enfield, Northolt) into a really suitable facility, keep the benefit of your present location, but you get the space to scale everything? Downside is the rent bill but if you can kick your turnover up a gear by being able to say yes to much more, then seems like it could be worth it.

 

[andthatwasthat]

It sounds to me like you can split the business fairly easily between customer facing (service, marketing, etc), installation, and manufacturing. In which case why not use your current location as a delivery depot and office, get manufacturing out somewhere on the other side of the ring road (Croydon, Dagenham, Enfield, Northolt) into a really suitable facility, keep the benefit of your present location, but you get the space to scale everything? Downside is the rent bill but if you can kick your turnover up a gear by being able to say yes to much more, then seems like it could be worth it.

This is a good idea, thanks for the input; something similar occurred to me a few weeks ago – I think probably I would turn the current space into a showroom and office. The only downside it it would require more capital investment inc. moving the machinery and redoing electrics, ducting and air, and we would need a sizable reverse. I think this is probably a good back up option if we can't secure one of the adjacent units but would depend on feasibility of raising the capital, and would probably depend on what happens with the economy and the upcoming downturn. For all the above I am hoping on persuading our current landlords. The only good time for us to move is probably Christmas when we are shut 2-3 weeks, as we don't have a summer shutdown, so it would have to be Christmas 2021!

 

[Doug71]

Wow, how do you fit all that in 1,100 sq feet! I have a small joinery business, just me, my workshop is about 900 sq feet. I don't have a panel saw and generally make windows etc which take up less space than kitchen cabinets and my workshop is getting too small.

You need more space.