Business on the up, says MRP/ERP software developer 123 Insight

Says managing director Guy Amoroso (pictured): "The UK manufacturing economy really kicked into place in 2013, with the last two quarters really showing strong performance. The message that we are hearing from directors across all manufacturing types is that they now have the confidence to invest. Their order books have increased and they are now focused on improving their manufacturing processes and control systems." Craig Grant, operations director, added: "What we're seeing is that manufacturing companies are striving for lean manufacturing, examining every process to see where it can be improved. Areas such as serial number tracking, which have traditionally been costly to implement and cumbersome to maintain, are of the greatest interest. Doing the basics well is just as important. Stock control is also an area where many can reap immediate benefits, in terms of stock accuracy, faster booking in/out and the ability to identify the whereabouts of stock quickly using mobile devices." 123 Insight offers its software via a low monthly subscription, serving all industries and manufacturing types. Over the last six years, the company has been a finalist, highly commended or winner of 21 awards, due to its unique business model. Prospective customers can attend one of several Evaluation Workshops held across the UK. If they feel the product is suitable, they can then attend the six days of no-obligation training on the understanding that they only pay for the training if they subscribe. Licences are charged at a fixed low monthly fee, with all prices published at 123insight.com. In December 2013, 123insight.com website saw a 56% increase in traffic over the same period in 2012, with enquiries via the site also increasing significantly. Concludes Mr Grant: "The tabloid media, at times, are all too quick to bash British manufacturing, stating that we no longer manufacture anything. That simply isn't true. The trend is moving to quality and specialist engineering. UK manufacturing is as advanced as it is diverse - and what we're seeing now is that they are going to step up a gear in 2014. We're already nearly fully booked for some of our Evaluation Workshops for January, which is a key indicator of the level of activity out there."