Customer Success Story : A2R Tooling
Ridder iQ to help A2R Tooling set new standards for injection mould tooling
A2R Tooling is in the process of implementing Ridder iQ, so they no longer need to rely on inefficient manual processes.
About A2R Tooling
A2R Tooling is a UK manufacturer specializing in high-precision injection mould tooling and plastic components. The Portsmouth-based manufacturer produces and supplies components internationally to well-known brands like Aston Martin.
The challenges
The team at A2R has ambitions to set a new standard for injection mould design and production – but it needs efficient processes to achieve that.
They discovered Ridder iQ when searching for a modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and quickly realised it could solve a lot of challenges they were facing, such as improved revision and stock control. Owen Hammacott, plant manager at A2R, says: “I found a lot of ERPs that do a similar thing, but none of them fit the function of A2R as much as Ridder iQ did.”
Stopping stock shortages: How Ridder iQ prevents supply chain emergencies
A2R tooling relies on a spreadsheet to manage stock and is forced to revert to pen and paper when the spreadsheet is locked and in use by someone else from the team. This has led to big errors like stock shortages, which they had to mitigate by expediting air freight to prevent supply chain disruption.
With Ridder iQ, they will have full visibility into inventory levels and orders, reducing the risk of stock shortages. The team is also planning to implement mobile scanners, so when containers are delivered, often containing thousands of parts, they can be scanned ready for their customers.
“Obviously the long-term plan for Ridder iQ is implementing a scanner, where we pick up a box, scan it and it can go on the shelf where it needs to go for the customer.”
Full visibility into production with Ridder iQ
The team has a disconnected system that could be hindering their growth plans. But Ridder iQ can solve this key challenge by offering immediate visibility into production, so the team can track projects, materials and any bottlenecks.
The board of directors will use the KPI dashboards to view progress and get real-time updates into projects or programs. They will be able to login at any point and view status updates and get key information, such as how many components are built in a day, all in real time.
“We will be able to communicate where we are as a business to our CEOs and board of directors at any time, showing them a dashboard of our progress, how well we’re doing, and the progress of projects and programs in real time.”
Version control
Version control is one of the team's biggest challenges – they are currently working from separate spreadsheets and projects are manually up-revved.
Ridder iQ can handle revision control to take the pressure off the team and save significant time. The system uses the original revision of a part, enabling the team to use an easy drop-down menu to create a new version and duplicate the data. At the same time, it offers a full history and traceability.
“Ridder iQ will make my life easier, everything will be in one place and not across twenty spreadsheets.”
How Ridder IQ supports A2R’s growth
The team is confident that Ridder iQ will transform business operations, solving key challenges such as inventory management and lack of visibility. The cloud-based ERP is a modern solution. It will set the foundation for a transformation. Plant manager Owen Hammacott is certain the ERP will support growth: “I see Ridder iQ as a foundation for our business to grow on. It's a structure. It's something in place that we can expand from, that will grow with us and not be left behind.”
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