Case Study
Building a Connected Factory using Google Appsheets
Turning fragmented processes into one connected way of working.
The Client
Our client is a door and veneer manufacturer with a complex operation that spans sales, site measurements, production, quality, installation, customer service, maintenance, inventory, and logistics.
As the business grew, many of these processes were being managed through paper records, spreadsheets, phone calls, and separate tools. This made it harder for teams to share information and for management to get a clear picture of what was happening across the business.
PaveIdea helped bring these processes into one digital system, with tools designed around the way the business actually works.
The business
A complex business with many moving parts.
The client manages the process from the first customer enquiry through quotation, measurement, production, quality checks, installation, and after-sales service.
Behind that process are multiple teams handling different parts of the operation, including sales, customer service, production, quality, maintenance, inventory, and logistics.
As the business grew, keeping all of these activities coordinated became increasingly difficult.
The challenge
Information was spread across too many places.
Different teams were relying on different records and tools to manage their work. This made everyday tasks harder to coordinate and made it difficult to get a complete picture of what was happening. For example:
- Track enquiries and follow-ups
- Build and manage complex quotations
- Coordinate site measurements with production
- See production productivity and material yield
- Track quality issues and customer complaints
- Manage maintenance, inventory, and logistics
The business didn't need more tools. It needed the tools and information it already relied on to work better together.
The approach
We started with the way the business already worked.
Rather than asking the business to change its processes to fit a generic system, we looked at how information moved through the operation and where teams needed to work together. We then built digital tools around those workflows using Google AppSheet.
Make it easier for each team to manage its work while making information easier to share across the business.
How the system works
One journey, from enquiry to service.
Information can now move through the business with the work, rather than being recorded separately by different teams.
Sales
Enquiries, quotations, CRM, and field visits.
Customer Service
Site measurements, installations, complaints, and field visits.
Production
Production tracking, material yield, tool management, and inventory.
Quality
Production deviations and quality issues.
Operations
Maintenance, vehicles, inventory, and cross-functional activities.
What changed
A clearer, more consistent way of working.
The new system gave teams a clearer and more consistent way to record and access information.
A clearer view of each job
Teams can follow a project from the initial enquiry through quotation, measurement, production, installation, and service.
More consistent quotations
Product combinations and pricing are structured in the system, reducing manual calculations and keeping quotation information organized.
Better production information
Production data such as productivity, material yield, idle time, and tool wear can be recorded and reviewed instead of being difficult to track.
Information captured in the field
Sales and customer service teams can record visits, measurements, outcomes, and expenses while they are working on site.
Better connection between quality and production
Production issues and customer complaints can be recorded and connected, making it easier to understand where problems occurred.
Less reliance on paper and spreadsheets
Teams can enter information on phones and tablets while working on the factory floor, at a project site, or in the warehouse.
The result
A simpler way to manage a complex operation.
The business now has a more consistent way to capture, share, and manage information across its teams.
Instead of information being spread across paper records, spreadsheets, calls, and separate tools, teams have digital systems that support the way work moves through the business.
The technology is built around the business, making complex processes easier to manage day to day.
Built around the client
Built around the way the business works.
The solution was designed around the realities of door and veneer manufacturing, including product configurations, material yields, site measurements, production tracking, quality issues, and installation.
Rather than replacing the business's existing way of working with a generic system, we built tools around the processes that matter most to the team.
The technology fits the business, rather than forcing the business to fit the technology.
Let's pave the way
Have a process that could work better?
Every business has processes that become harder to manage as it grows. Let's look at how your business works today and identify where a better system could make things simpler.