Manufacturing Process Digitisation
Many mid-sized factories in the Midlands still track production runs on paper. We replace physical clipboards with rugged tablets connected to a central scheduling sheet. Your operators log raw material usage and machine downtime in real-time. This reduces scheduling errors and prevents sudden line stoppages. We configure the system to match your current shop floor layout without forcing you to buy new machines.
We started Ordinary Industries in November 2018 because we saw too many West Midlands factories losing money to slow paperwork. A batch of machined parts often gets delayed because a paper job sheet is sitting on a desk in the back office. Our team of 4 specialists replaces these paper clipboards with industrial-grade, IP67-rated Android tablets. We configure a central digital dashboard that displays actual production schedules directly to your operators in Dudley or Wolverhampton. From clipboards to cloud databases.
Let's look at the actual numbers on your shop floor. On average, a machine operator spends 22 minutes per shift filling out paper logs. This manual tracking often leads to errors when copying numbers into Excel at the end of the week. In our recent project with a metal press shop in West Bromwich, we replaced paper tracking with three touchscreen tablets. Within 14 days of setup, the scrap rate dropped by 18% because supervisors spotted material discrepancies in real-time.
Our Simple Three-Step Process
We do not do fancy slides. We configure software that works. Here is exactly how we get your shop floor digitised in less than 28 days:
- Week 1: Floor Audit. We spend 6 hours on your shop floor in Birmingham to map how work orders move from raw stock to final packaging.
- Week 2: Tablet Setup. We source 4 heavy-duty tablets and write simple custom screens with large buttons so operators can log issues in just 2 taps.
- Week 3: Live Testing. We run the tablets alongside your old paper system for exactly 5 business days to make sure the data matches up and operators feel comfortable.
(By the way, we do not require you to purchase expensive ERP system upgrades or buy new machinery. We link the digital tracking sheets to your existing Excel databases or accounting packages via standard API connections.) This keeps your setup costs low and means your team can keep using the systems they already understand. We typically complete the full integration within 4 weeks of starting the project.
Real Results for Midland Manufacturers
Many of our clients were sceptical that their operators would adopt digital tools. For example, a heavy fabricator in Coventry with 47 workshop staff told us their team would refuse to use tablets. We designed the interface using high-contrast screens and physical buttons for glove-wearers. After only 9 days of training, 43 of their staff were logging machine downtime of over 5 minutes directly on the screen, completely eliminating the Friday afternoon paperwork rush. To see if your shop floor is a fit, book a 20-minute intro call with our team by calling +44 121 496 0735.