Manufacturing operations consultancy

Manufacturing operations help from someone who's been on the shop floor

From family-run manufacturers to OEMs and contract electronics manufacturers, I've spent 20 years helping businesses make things more reliably and more profitably. I help growing manufacturers fix their processes, get their systems working and take new products from prototype to production.

Book a free intro call

Is production holding the business back?

The problems I hear most from growing manufacturers.

"We've grown, but we're still running production off spreadsheets."
"We have a great prototype, but no idea how to manufacture it at scale."
"Designs keep coming back from production because they're hard to build."
"We know we need an ERP, but we're worried it'll derail everything."
"Quality issues keep repeating and we can't pin down why."
"Keeping up with compliance is swallowing our time."

How I help manufacturers

Manufacturing businesses tend to grow faster than their systems do. What worked with a handful of products and a small team starts to creak as volumes, SKUs and customers increase. The result is firefighting, rework and cash tied up in the wrong places.

I work across discrete and batch manufacturing, electronics and PCBA, and offshore production. I learn how your shop floor really runs before changing anything, then put in practical processes and systems your team will stick with.

Manufacturing process and compliance

A review of processes, from shop floor layout to regulatory compliance, so you meet industry standards without drowning in paperwork.

ERP and MRP selection and rollout

Choosing the right system, mapping your processes into it and managing the rollout so day-to-day production keeps running.

Prototype to production

Supplier sourcing, tooling decisions, quality requirements and production planning to turn a prototype into a manufacturable product.

Design for Manufacture (DFM)

Working with your design and engineering teams so products are built with manufacturing in mind, cutting cost, lead time and quality issues.

BOMs, SKUs and product release

A clean SKU structure and a release process that takes products from engineering through to production without gaps.

Workflow mapping

Mapping how orders, materials and information move through the factory to find the handoffs that cost you time.

Recent manufacturing work

OEM scale-up, delivered in 3 months

Prototype to production, with the systems to match

A growing OEM moving from prototype to production was running purchasing, stock and financials through Excel and Xero. I selected and implemented a full ERP, integrated it with HubSpot and Xero, built warehouse management for stock control, and designed a new SKU structure and product release process from engineering through to DFM.

New product streams now have full manufacturing stage tracking on the ERP.

"Nick was a fantastic asset and got to work fixing systems and processes for the better. He gets stuck in and learns about how our business operates before choosing the best path for us."

Technology Manufacturing

How it works and what it costs

Clear pricing, agreed up front. If a price is agreed, it won't change.

2

Scoping session

Fixed fee, £750

  • Operations and process review
  • Written action plan you keep
3

Hands-on support

Optional monthly retainer

  • From £1,400/month
  • On-site and remote implementation
  • Regular check-ins and reporting

Manufacturing consultancy FAQs

What types of manufacturers do you work with?
Discrete and batch manufacturers, OEMs, contract electronics manufacturers (CEMs) and PCBA businesses, and companies manufacturing offshore. Most are SMEs, start-ups or family-run businesses.
Can you help us get a prototype into production?
Yes. That covers supplier sourcing, tooling decisions, quality requirements, production planning and Design for Manufacture reviews, so the product can be built reliably at the cost and volume you need.
Do you help choose and implement an ERP or MRP system?
Yes. I help select the right system, map your processes into it, integrate it with your CRM and accounts, and manage the rollout so it doesn't derail day-to-day production.
Will you work on the shop floor?
Yes, when the work needs it. Some projects can be done remotely, while others need time on your shop floor or in your warehouse. We agree what makes sense up front.

Let's talk about your operation

A free, no-obligation 30-minute call. Tell me what's slowing production down and I'll give you an honest view of how I can help.

Book a free intro call

Based in Wokingham, Berkshire. On-site across the South East, remote UK-wide.
Or call 07872 617 397 · nick@clearrouteconsulting.co.uk

Related services