E & S W Knowles & Company Ltd

 

A tailored service for E & SW Knowles Ltd

The Company:

Established in 1989, Sentry Doors has built a strong reputation for supplying fully certified bespoke timber fire and security doorsets to the social housing, public sector, commercial and residential markets.

The company was formed by Gordon and Carolyn Yates from a desire to offer a reliable solution to fire door safety. Initially a distributor of fire doors and fire doorsets, Sentry Doors moved into manufacturing in 1996, as a means of controlling the quality of its offering and to ensure that its customers’ requirements, which are almost always bespoke, are never compromised.

Not content to be anything other than the best in the market, in 2011 the company made the decision to specialise further, developing premium ultra-high specification timber fire doorsets and committed to be at the forefront of certification and compliance.

In August 2022 the company acquired E. & S. W. Knowles & Company Limited (Knowles), making us the UK’s leader in timber fire safety and security doorsets with a combined heritage of 130 years.

All manufacturing is now undertaken in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Doncaster and Birmingham, UK. With a combined 100,000 sq. ft these purpose-built spaces allow us complete control when it comes to quality manufacturing and has capacity for expansion. The company continues to invest in order to increase productivity and efficiency whilst maintaining our reputation for quality, compliance, and service.

The Need:

As a business, we had been utilising a Warehouse Management System (WMS) for some time via Opera ERP System. However, with a recent change in ownership, we saw an opportunity to align our two depots, which had distinct processes and products. Our primary challenge was to streamline our accounting systems to enable uniform financial reporting across the group. This transition to Sage ERP aimed to enhance transparency and collaboration between our companies, unify our approach, and empower us to share insights and drive success together.

The Solution:

With the assistance of the MJM development team, we developed a concept and process for collaboration on the capabilities being qualified by MJM. We established a timeline for completion and worked harmoniously to meet our goals. Given the variations in our product offerings, we required numerous bespoke changes, which MJM (particularly Elliott) supported and understood.

We viewed this operation as an opportunity to enhance processes by integrating functionalities of the WMS that were typically managed through the accounting software (SAGE) we were transitioning to. One significant improvement was the implementation of a label printing system that previously relied on XLS reports, which often led to inconsistencies.

While we are still collaborating with MJM to finalise the solution as our business requirements evolve, the proposed solution has been successfully implemented.

The Benefits:

The integration & transition of Bridge WMS into our SAGE ERP system has brought about several significant benefits:

  • Streamlined Reporting: The transition to reporting through Microsoft Access has significantly streamlined our processes, making data management more efficient and accessible.
  • Reduced Administrative Times: With user-friendly printing and automated processes, we have cut down on administrative times, allowing our team to focus on more strategic tasks.
  • Enhanced Visibility: We now have clear visibility over work orders, sales orders,and stock levels, which helps in better decision-making and inventory management.
  • Improved Flexibility: The enhanced FTP order input provides greater flexibility in managing job requirements, adapting quickly to changes and demands.
  • Increased Revenue Capabilities: This transition from the old system to the new has resulted in a remarkable 50% boost in revenue capabilities, demonstrating the tangible impact of the integration.

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to the team at MJM for all your help with the transition – Nathan Phillips – General Manager