Godfrey Syrett powers fast innovation with Lectra

• 自动化与控制 - 自动化与过程控制系统
• 功能应用 - 制造执行系统 (MES)
• 功能应用 - 产品生命周期管理系统 (PLM)

• 质量保证

• 自动化制造系统
• 过程控制与优化
• 预测性维护

• 系统集成
• 软件设计与工程服务

The contract market has changed immensely since Godfrey Syrett’s founding in 1947. Over the years, the popularity of steel frame, straight-lined furniture in public spaces has given way to softer, more innovative and complex designs. Office furniture must be flexible in order to adapt to the nomadic nature of contemporary work environments. A rising number of companies are also ordering furniture equipped with charging docks and power sockets for reception areas. Customers are becoming more demanding not just in terms of style and function but also of delivery times. “Three or four years ago, we would have had six to eight weeks to deliver furniture to the customer. That has now been reduced to three or four. We even have products where we have to deliver within seven working days on receipt of an order,” explains Michael Donachie, Operations Director. The company’s manual manufacturing process was no longer suitable to its design, manufacturing and growth ambitions, creating capacity and quality issues. In addition to continuing to produce practical yet innovative furniture solutions, Godfrey Syrett aspires to expand its market share in the private and student accommodations sectors. Growth in these sectors will help the company reach its target of becoming a £40 million business within the next five years.

Formed in 1947, Godfrey Syrett has been working in partnership with its clients for almost 70 years now — providing high quality, well designed and stylish furniture solutions throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. Satisfying their customers is about more than just making furniture though. It’s also about providing a complete and hassle-free service that takes the weight off their shoulders. That’s why Godfrey Syrett offers a professional, end-to-end solution that utilizes the full range of services it provides. The company is known for its design-led approach to manufacturing hospital, university, and office furniture, and aims to continue delivering functional, on-trend furniture while increasing speed to market and reducing operational costs.

Lectra approached the Godfrey Syrett team to determine how it could help them on their transformation journey. “Lectra took the time to fully understand our needs right from the outset of the relationship. Whereas we were primarily focused on improving capacity, Lectra demonstrated that they could help us improve capacity, efficiency, quality and bring product to the marketplace with a much quicker process,” says Michael. Godfrey Syrett’s visit to Lectra’s Bordeaux campus, which coincided with Lectra’s annual furniture seminar, presented the double opportunity to gain an overall vision of Lectra’s furniture offer and perform benchmarking tests to see how Lectra’s technology and expertise could benefit Godfrey Syrett specifically. “After our visit, it became very apparent, very quickly that this would be a partnership, not just a supply chain. That we could tap into Lectra’s experience and innovation to improve our business,” continues Michael. With their new, digitized process—which, in addition to a VectorFurniture® fabric cutter, includes Brio®, Lectra’s automated spreader, as well as its automated pattern making and marker making solutions—Godfrey Syrett has improved manufacturing capacity by 70% compared to manual cutting. “Lectra helps us meet the strict deadlines. We used to have a team of upholsterers who cut the fabric manually, the wastage would be greater, and the time needed to cut the fabric to size would be five to ten times as long as it is now with the Lectra machine,” says David Hall, Group Sales and Marketing Director.

• Godfrey Syrett has improved manufacturing capacity by 70% compared to manual cutting.
• A more efficient process, including automated nesting, has enabled the company to reduce fabric waste.
• Minimizing waste matters to Godfrey Syrett not only for profitability reasons but also for environmental ones.

• Fabric savings of £150,000 per year.
• 70% increase in manufacturing capacity.