System improvements transform efficiency for an aluminium die casting manufacturer

  • Existing FileMaker system transformed to automate manual business processes 
  • Order status and production data digitised and easily accessible
  • Business efficiency dramatically improved by ongoing system improvements

75%

Reduction in data entry

95%

Improvement in company-wide system usage

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Our client’s problem

Lupton & Place, leaders in the European aluminium diecasting industry, approached us to help their business run more efficiently. They needed real-time production data, and their own 30-year-old FileMaker system was not providing this, or being used effectively.

What we did

We started working with Lupton & Place to understand their business ambitions and discovered that they had a clear vision of what they wanted their system to achieve. We reviewed their existing FileMaker system (developed 30 years ago) and deployed a plan which rapidly improved, simplified and digitised processes, eliminating sources of manual error.

We empowered the business by integrating their data systems, giving them the visibility they need to make informed decisions. Today the system tracks the whole manufacturing process: from material delivery through to order creation; from production data through to order dispatch. The Lupton & Place team can sort, filter and view the status of each customer order easily. We also overhauled the database design, prioritising a modernised, improved user workflow – you can navigate to linked areas of the system at the click of a button.

The drive for improvement continues and we provide ongoing support to Lupton & Place. We have restructured their data to prepare for future growth and transformed their stock control system. Movement of stock items across the factory site is digitised, and live data collected through stock code scanning. This project has led to improved forecasting for Lupton & Place and transformed the business.

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“Working with Decent has transformed our relationship with data. If Decent were a member of my team, I’d be taking out key person insurance, they mean that much to us.”

Stephen Gill

Managing Director, Lupton & Place

The transformation journey

Audit of existing system

We took a close look at the existing FileMaker system to assess its efficiency and robustness.


Claris FileMaker platform upgrade

The system was running on an older and now unsupported version of the FileMaker platform. We coordinated all the steps necessary to ensure a smooth upgrade — upgrading user machines, provisioning a new server and providing a test environment prior to going live. Lupton & Place now benefit from the latest version of the FileMaker platform.


Initial FileMaker fixes

Improvements identified in the audit were delivered with immediate results, bringing the business in line with best practice. We additionally introduced some centralised components to the system to improve accountability and auditability.


Targeted projects to improved operational effectiveness

An ongoing programme of manageable development projects — all supporting the business strategy — continues to deliver meaningful business benefit while minimising disruption.


Technical strategy and continuous improvement

Our deep understanding of the client's business ensures our every recommendation and action positively affects their performance.


Consultancy support

Our client relationship is viewed as a strong partnership and we offer ongoing consultation.


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The results

Before working with us, Lupton & Place were reliant on an old system that they were not getting the most out of and that caused delays. We have not only improved the system but also expanded it to integrate with a new stock control system and other complementary processes which were previously manual and paper-based, such as managing material deliveries. These are now totally digitised. The ease of access to order data in the improved system, tracking orders from creation to dispatch, has revolutionised Lupton & Place, improved the business’s efficiency and is driving business growth. Future system improvements will also add further impetus.

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“Human error has all but been eliminated, meaning we are not only acting more efficiently but we can be much more transparent with our customers.”

Stephen Gill

Managing Director, Lupton & Place

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Services used

System condition report

A professional, impartial and rigorous report that identifies your system’s technical strengths and weaknesses.

Business process analysis

Discover exactly where and how your business can be improved, with a rigorous and impartial analysis of your business processes.

FileMaker improve

Do more with your existing FileMaker system and become a more efficient organisation.

FileMaker upgrade

Upgrade your Claris FileMaker system to make it more robust, secure and reliable – and you’ll be able to take advantage of new capabilities you didn’t have before.

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