This is why a home improvements boom can offer technology boost to Lancashire firms

Lancashire’s furniture and home goods businesses are being urged to make the most of the current boom in home improvements to help them modernise and go digital.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Many businesses have seen a rise in demand for interior design, home and garden products and customisation, as well as a further shift to online shopping - driven by lockdown-induced focus on home upgrades in 2021

And with the trend looking set to continue, a Lancashire business support programme says this presents a significant opportunity to manufacturers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Made Smarter leaders said the ongoing renovation boom means the UK furniture and furnishings market, worth an estimated £14bn and the second largest in Europe, is estimated to grow by around 3 per cent in 2022.

Furniture and home goods manufacturers across Lancashire are being urged to modernise by embracing digital technology amid a home improvements boomFurniture and home goods manufacturers across Lancashire are being urged to modernise by embracing digital technology amid a home improvements boom
Furniture and home goods manufacturers across Lancashire are being urged to modernise by embracing digital technology amid a home improvements boom

A total of 34 SMEs in Lancashire are among 140 working with Made Smarter’s Adoption Programme in the North West to navigate the multitude of challenges and capitalise on changing trends.

Read More
This is when Lancashire train users will be hit by new round of cancellations du...

By tapping into impartial expert technology and skills advice, and digital transformation workshops, Made Smarter aims to help them take their first steps.

The businesses include: ARC Lancaster (Lancaster); Barons Fylde Coast Supplies (Lytham St Annes); CPL heating and plumbing (Preston); Higher End Construction (Preston); Modular SIPS (Leyland); Mountain and Cowell Flooring (Lytham St Annes); Jordan’s Glass and UPVC (Blackpool); Sona shades (Preston); Specialist Building Contractors (Leyland); Stone Masters (Preston) and Vista Digital Group (Preston).

Donna Edwards of Made SmarterDonna Edwards of Made Smarter
Donna Edwards of Made Smarter
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Meanwhile, many of them, supported by matched funding, are investing in new digital technology to become more efficient, build resilience, increase productivity and sustainable growth, whilst creating new high-value jobs.

They include: Daedalian Glass (Poulton-le-Fylde); Dan Hurtley Installs (Lancaster); Inscape Interiors (Chorley); Integral Surface Designs (Skelmersdale); Mike England Timber Company (Chorley); Panaz (Burnley) and Woven Art Company (Clitheroe).

Made Smarter, which has supported hundreds of businesses to deliver an additional £176m in gross value added, is now keen to reach more SMEs across the furniture and home goods supply chain. The organisation has 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, including furniture maker Starlight Bedrooms and fabrics and upholstery expert Panaz.

Inscape are one of the firms making the most of Made SmarterInscape are one of the firms making the most of Made Smarter
Inscape are one of the firms making the most of Made Smarter
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

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.

Textiles firm Panaz has used automation to move its highly skilled design resource to more complicated design and range workTextiles firm Panaz has used automation to move its highly skilled design resource to more complicated design and range work
Textiles firm Panaz has used automation to move its highly skilled design resource to more complicated design and range work
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“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.”

Burnley-based Panaz, a supplier of high-quality decorative fabrics and wallcoverings for the hospitality, healthcare, workspace and contract sectors, leveraged the power of technology to boost its efficiency.

Working with Made Smarter it developed an end-to-end custom design and digital printing solution, which uses software to allow for design customisation and ordering in a single click.

This has radically accelerated and streamlined processes from two weeks to one or two days, doubled its production capability, and significantly reduced waste. Meanwhile, the automation means Panaz can move its highly skilled design resource to more complicated design and range work.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rollie Attard, chief executive, said: “We see Panaz as being at the forefront of innovation within its industry and, as a consequence, need to keep pushing the boundaries when it comes to technology investment,” he said. “Made Smarter has enabled us to get to where we want to be much, much faster.”

Integral Surface Design, based in Skelmersdale, is a manufacturer of doors and furniture components. With the support of Made Smarter, the firm is embedding a digital IT infrastructure in its new warehouse and logistics centre in Burscough, linking it up to its headquarters and manufacturing hub in Skelmersdale.

Integral Surface DesignIntegral Surface Design
Integral Surface Design

Dave Hourigan, digital transformation manager, said: “The furniture and fittings industries face unique challenges in a fiercely competitive global market, where there are ever-increasing demands for a greater range and complexity of products and services.

“We have identified an opportunity to enter a new market and, with the help of Made Smarter, have put data and systems integration at the heart of that solution.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This new venture offers us an opportunity to lay the digital foundations for a warehouse and logistics hub. Integrating the two sites through digital communication will enable better management of stock, orders and distribution, and establish full oversight of our operations.”

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."

To download the free guide visit: https://www.madesmarter.uk/resources/guide-digital-technology-in-the-home-goods-and-furniture-manufacturing-sector/