One of the first, vital tasks for Bradda Engineering was to invest in a production control software system. PSL Datatrack was identified as meeting all of the start-up company’s initial requirements.

“The control that PSL Datatrack would bring to the business was clear. We are primarily engineers and PSL Datatrack takes care of everything so we don't have to get bogged down in manual administration work. It was exactly the platform we needed,” comments owner Kenneth Oates.

Experience told Kenneth that investment in production control software was essential in order to provide the highest levels of customer service. “Understanding how to make the most of stock and materials so that we could be as efficient as possible with minimum waste was a prerequisite,” he says.

PSL Datatrack manages the generation of quotations and all the engineering steps required until delivery and final invoice. When a works order is raised, a material requirement is generated and the Purchase Orders module used to place an order with the supplier. The job is traced through the shop floor and data collected on operational costs, tooling, materials and the machining processes involved for complete visibility and management review.

Bradda started trading in Luxembourg in July 2021, equipped with a new Mazak CNC milling machine and lathe. For Kenneth, it meant finally fulfilling the ambition of establishing his own precision engineering company, having spent many years developing his skills and experience with organisations in the fields of motorsport and aviation including Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Rolls Royce.

He initially researched a number of production control systems but few seemed to fit the exact needs of a small engineering company. “They did not seem flexible enough and were quite complicated to use. We also wanted the modularity that would enable us to build up a system as we grew and attracted more customers,” continues Kenneth.

An internet search led him to PSL Datatrack. Customer testimonial videos featuring small precision engineering companies, with similar aspirations and production control requirements to his own, were an eye-opener. “PSL was offering a system designed specifically for the subcontract precision engineering sector. It featured a range of complementary modules, could be extended over a period of time and customised to our requirements,” comments Kenneth.

Following an online meeting with PSL Datatrack, Bradda decided to go ahead. Having recognised the real potential of the system and how it could help a growing company in the future, they actually invested in more modules than originally envisaged. The administration, sales, purchasing, scheduling, Shop Floor Data Collection (SFDC) and financial modules were installed at the outset.

Following introductory training on Zoom, the company was then ready to start using PSL Datatrack to manage new customer orders, including 3D modelling and production of structural wing parts for Luxembourg's leading cargo airline. “The visual Roadmap that is included with the system is invaluable. Alongside the training, it enabled us to become familiar with the information flow throughout the entire system very quickly,” says Kenneth.

Whether one-off pieces or longer production runs, Bradda’s aim is to produce everything exactly to the time schedule agreed with the customer and, with PSL Datatrack, start and end times for all process operations are calculated accurately. A full history of each order is recorded and can be easily recalled, enabling quotations for new or repeat business to be generated in seconds.

Customers are invoiced in Euros but PSL Datatrack has the option to run with any currency as its base, automatically performing any exchange rate conversions. Equally important for Bradda and its customers is the professional presentation of quotation and order acknowledgement letters and other documents, generated by the software in seconds.

Bradda Engineering is therefore now in a position to take on more work, safe in the knowledge that the production control system in place since the outset will manage with any increase in demand. “When the time is right, further investment in additional PSL Datatrack modules is possible as we attract new customers who may have differing requirements from our existing customers,” Kenneth concludes.