Five Stockport manufacturers in the home goods and furniture sector are taking advantage of a boom in their industry to accelerate their digital transformation with the support of the Made Smarter programme, and are urging others in their field to do the same.
Despite challenges facing their businesses over Brexit and rising inflation, a lockdown-induced focus on home improvement has driven up demand for interior design, home and garden products and customisation, and presents a significant opportunity for manufacturers in the sector. The UK furniture and home furnishings market is worth £14 billion and is forecast to grow 3% in 2022.
With consumer shopping habits continuing to shift in favour of online purchases, Made Smarter is currently working with five Stockport manufacturers in the sector to take their first steps into digital and take advantage of the boom, through expert technology and skills advice, and digital transformation workshops.
The five Stockport SMEs – Cheshire Joinery (Stockport); LE-AL Furniture (Stockport); Rotunda Living CIC (Stockport); Vida Living (Stockport); and Your Sash Windows (Stockport) – are among 140 manufacturers working with Made Smarter’s Adoption Programme in the North West to navigate the multitude of challenges and capitalise on changing trends.
Donna Edwards, Programme Director for Made Smarter’s Adoption Programme in the North West, said:
“While UK manufacturing is facing a challenging time, it also presents an opportunity to innovate and transform. Businesses working with Made Smarter over the last three years have shown that investing in technology and digital skills can build resilience and enable them to keep up with the fast moving industry.
“Digital tools can help manufacturers make marginal savings, set themselves apart from competitors in a volatile time, make products quicker, affordable and more efficiently.
“Working with Made Smarter we are helping businesses introduce technologies incrementally, making the most of funding and support to minimise the impact on budgets.
“To help demystify digitalisation and help SMEs to their first step, we have produced some vital guidance as well as explain why implementing digital tools is such a priority in this sector.”
Commending the impact of the programme, Jonathan Hindle, chairman of the British Furniture Confederation, a group which represents five of the main trade associations representing UK furniture manufacturers, said:
“The tremendous success of the Made Smarter Adoption Programme in the North West, and the support it is now offering to the sector in other UK regions, has demonstrated the value of targeted support for SME manufacturers to help them take those first steps on their digitalisation journeys.
“The UK furniture manufacturing industry has a global reputation for quality and innovation, combining skilled design and craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. To maintain that achievement and ensure the UK remains competitive against global competition, manufacturers need to embrace current and emerging technologies, and the huge potential digitisation offers, as well as to raise the skills and productivity of the people who work in our sector to the highest level.”
Made Smarter, which has supported hundreds of businesses to deliver an additional £176 million in gross value added, is now keen to reach more SMEs across the furniture and home goods supply chain. They have produced a free guide to help demystify digitalisation and drive technology adoption. The downloadable guide showcases the benefits of digital technology, how to get started, the top five technology trends across the sector, and case studies of businesses supported by Made Smarter
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