Whittan is the largest manufacturer of steel storage products in the United Kingdom. Operating through a number of market leading brands; we design, manufacture and install storage solutions for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications.
During the past 18 months, under the leadership of new CEO, Jon Templeman, the Whittan Group has focused on a continuous improvement plan, based on adopting single IT platforms, investing in modern, efficient factory equipment and introducing Group-wide policies and procedures. The aim of these initiatives is to establish Whittan as the partner of choice; easy to do business with; a centre of excellence.
Since joining the company, Jon has carried out a strategic review, seeking to drive ongoing improvement and optimisation of the Group businesses. This will see significant, multi-million investment into the business during the coming years. To help deliver this plan, a new management team has been brought on board, bringing extensive industry knowledge and expertise into the Group. Jon explains, “As business leaders, we are responsible for ensuring that our teams adopt the right behaviours, understand what is required of them and deliver consistently and appropriately”. Jon continues to say, “Getting it right first time, it is a philosophy that drives Whittan Group forward across multiple levels”.
Central to this philosophy, is to roll out the Group’s SAP ERP system across remaining UK sites, the next site being our factory in Milton Keynes this September. This integration will enable seamless operations in procurement, manufacturing, sales, finance, and HR for all Whittan brands. In turn, this delivers operational efficiencies, allowing Whittan to organise resources and ready the Group for future success.
Investment in software is not just confined to the SAP ERP system. A new bespoke design and specification software, Design 360, will be introduced to internal and partner designers. This unique system allows customer requirements to be quickly and easily translated into workable designs, utilising Whittan’s full portfolio of storage products, along with a wide range of complimentary dynamic storage equipment. As layouts evolve to their final approved designs, specifications alter in real time, ensuring the latest manufacturing information flows smoothly through to SAP. This agility reduces manufacturing errors, improves material flow and ensures project timelines are delivered, on time, in full.
The Group has also invested heavily in new equipment across its manufacturing locations to improve efficiency, expand customer choice, maintain quality and reduce its environmental impact. An example of this is our new powder coating paint plant, installed at the Group’s shelving factory in Brierley Hill, Birmingham. This state of the art facility delivers higher throughput; efficient colour changeover; greater paint recovery and better energy utilisation.
Whittan is committed to ensuring a great quality product is manufactured, delivered and installed safely. This means that its own management systems are an integral part of its overall group assurance model and that external verification of process excellence is considered of paramount importance. Whittan sees those such as Quality Management Systems (ISO 9001), Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001) and (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSAS 18001) key to providing foundations for operational excellence.
UK based and centrally located pallet racking, shelving and locker manufacturing sites, ensure continuity of supply, quick access to stock and an optimal carbon footprint, through reduced delivery distances. As the UK’s main provider of steel storage equipment, Whittan has a long history of designing and manufacturing storage products and is quite rightly proud of their steel forming experience and heritage. This tradition continues today, making Whittan well placed to compete in the uncertainty that the UK market faces, post-Brexit.
To find out more about the Whittan Group, why not visit our stand at IMHX where we will particularly focus on our two leading warehouse brands, Link51 and Apex. You may simply be looking to explore some ideas or have a clear understanding of exactly what you require. We will have senior members of our team on call throughout the show to demonstrate the pedigree of the Whittan group and the depth of products and solutions that we offer.
Visit us at stand 20C100 at IMHX 2019, which runs from September 24-27th at the NEC, Birmingham.
Whittan
t: 0800 169 5151
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