Challenge

Grady's, an established window and door manufacturer, recognised that their traditional systems were holding back growth. When they won a major tender in 2020 for fire door processing in the UK, they needed a mobile solution that could work offline with NFC capabilities - but this was just the beginning.

By 2021, their Excel-based order processing had become a bottleneck. Multiple spreadsheets, manual data entry, and lack of real-time visibility were costing them hours daily and limiting their ability to scale. The situation became critical in 2023 when they realised their manufacturing processes were completely disconnected from their order systems, making production planning a constant challenge.

Solution

Progressive Web App for Fire Doors (2020)

The fire door tender required field operatives to process orders on-site, often in areas with poor connectivity. We built a Progressive Web App (PWA) that dramatically reduced costs compared to native app development while delivering all required functionality. The PWA handled offline operation seamlessly, used NFC for instant product identification, and synced data automatically when connectivity returned. This approach meant Grady's could deploy to any device without app store restrictions or update delays.

Order Processing Transformation (2021)

We tackled their Excel dependency systematically. After documenting their existing processes, we built a web-based order processing system that maintained familiar workflows while eliminating manual bottlenecks. The system integrated directly with their accounting software, provided customers with real-time order tracking, and gave management visibility they'd never had before. We ran both systems in parallel during transition to ensure no disruption to daily operations.

Manufacturing Integration (2023)

The final phase connected everything together. We integrated the order system with manufacturing, enabling production planning based on actual orders rather than estimates. Factory floor tablets now update progress in real-time, quality control moved from paper to digital forms, and compliance reporting that once took days now generates automatically. The entire operation finally worked as one connected system.

Results

The transformation delivered measurable improvements across every area of the business. Fire door processing became efficient and error-free through the PWA solution. Order processing time dropped dramatically while accuracy increased. Most importantly, manufacturing now operates with full visibility of demand, reducing waste and improving delivery times.

Throughout the 5-year partnership, we made technology decisions with long-term maintainability in mind. Every system we built integrated smoothly with their existing applications. We hired and trained programmers on-site, ensuring Grady's wasn't dependent on external support. Today, their in-house team confidently maintains and extends all systems we built together.

Key Takeaways

This 5-year journey demonstrates how strategic technology partnerships can transform traditional manufacturing businesses. Starting with a specific need - the fire door processing tender - we built trust through successful delivery, then expanded to address broader operational challenges. The PWA approach for the initial project saved significant costs while delivering enterprise-grade functionality. By focusing on knowledge transfer and team building throughout, Grady's now owns their digital future completely.