Department of Engineering

Sofa, so good

Sofa, so good

Cambridge University's Institute for Manufacturing is working with Sofa & Co (Sofa), a manufacturer of high quality bespoke furniture, to help them meet the challenges of a 50% increase in demand following the opening of its new retail outlets in Chelmsford and High Wycombe.    

This sudden growth was threatening to cause late delivery, rising inventory and increased labour costs.

The IfM team worked with Sofa's senior management team to help them understand the current actual and potential lead times fully. The team then recommended ways of planning and scheduling to drive down lead times from six to eight weeks and provided coaching and assistance during the implementation phase. They then developed simple balanced performance measures to help Sofa & Co evaluate its progress not only financially, but also in terms of its customers, staff and internal processes. Sofa & Co is now achieving 100% on time in full delivery and are continuing to work with the IfM to make further improvements to their productivity and service.

For more information visit the IfM web-site.

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