Posted: 6th August 2019 | Back to news feed
Cheshire-based business, Abbey England, renowned for its vast range of equestrian wholesale supplies, has joined other business leaders in the North West to be amongst the first in the country to take part in the government-backed Made Smarter Leadership Programme for manufacturers in the area.
Photo: Peter Phillips of Abbey England (centre) with two other company MDs involved in the scheme, Gerry Weston of DT Engineering (left) and Alan Ryan of Technoprint (right).
The £20 million trailblazing initiative, which was formed in collaboration with Lancaster University Management School (LUMS), has been developed to assist businesses with the vision and skills to pursue smarter manufacturing. Running over an eight month period, the programme will involve workshops and facilitated learning sessions as well as site visits to ‘smart’ SME manufacturers around the region. It will enable companies to take the strategic view required to adopt high tech and digitally-based manufacturing techniques into their own production processes.
It will help them develop an audit to measure how digitally prepared their business currently is, as well as the value and true impact of any changes they make, empowering the participants to transform their businesses through the use of highly advanced manufacturing methods.
Abbey England supplies materials and tools for the equestrian industry and produces high quality metalwork including harness decorations, buckles, hinges, locks and commemorative brass plaques, alongside Equus-branded rubber items such as overreach boots and rein grips, all of which are manufactured in the Abbey foundry which has been in operation for 187 years.
Said Peter Phillips, IT Director at Abbey England: “Because our manufacturing process is very traditional, we are aware that, technologically, our business still has a long way to go. We have started to engage with Made Smarter on some potential technologies and even though they are small steps for now, I can already see things that will benefit us and that we can apply to our business. The programme is a great idea and is inspiring us and helping us focus on our digital strategy and preparation for further technological aspects.”
For further information contact: Abbey England on 01565 650343 or visit www.abbeyengland.com
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