Contract manufacturing consultancy, remotely or on your shop floor.
Over thirty years in engineering and manufacturing: building and leading teams, running production and quality, and representing companies to OEMs around the world. We help contract manufacturers win the right work, get new products through customer approval and fix quality problems for good. We help OEMs get the best from their suppliers. And we help both put AI to practical use. Every job has a fixed price, agreed before we start.
Who we work with
- Contract manufacturersExtra experience for winning new customers, a busy NPI, a demanding customer approval, or a quality problem that keeps coming back.
- OEMs and buyersAn independent engineer on site with your supplier, whether they're down the road or you're overseas.
What we can help with
- Sales strategyChoose the markets and customers that suit your factory, then build the pipeline.
- RFQ and quotingQuote faster and more consistently, and win more of the work you want.
- Key account managementGrow and keep your most important customers.
- Pricing and marginCosting and quoting models that protect your margin.
- Sales process and CRMTrack every lead and quote, so none go cold.
- Positioning and messagingKnow what makes you different, and say it clearly.
- Web designA clear, modern website that turns visitors into enquiries.
- Sales collateralCapability decks, case studies and website copy.
- Trade shows and outreachPlan events, follow up properly and run campaigns.
- New product introductionFrom design release to stable production.
- DFM / DFA reviewsCatch build problems before the first build.
- Process validationShow the process is capable and repeatable.
- ECN / ECO implementationCut engineering changes in cleanly, with no mixed builds.
- APQP and PPAPPlan for quality and get the customer's sign-off.
- PFMEAFind where the process can fail, before it does.
- First article inspectionCheck the first build against every requirement.
- 8D root cause and corrective actionFind the real cause, fix it and prove it's fixed.
- Supplier selectionFind and qualify the right manufacturing partner.
- Run at rateProve the line can build at the quoted volume before the orders arrive.
- Project deliveryRun the project from kick-off to steady production.
- RFQ and BOM handlingRead customer BOMs and drawings, clean up part data and quote faster.
- Sales and admin automationDraft RFQ replies, chasers, meeting notes and CRM updates.
- Documents and qualityDraft work instructions, 8D reports, procedures and audit prep in less time.
- Data and reportingGet answers out of your ERP exports, without new software.
- Getting started safelyWhich tools to use, what's safe to share, and guidance for your team.
30+ years
Colin Astbury
Colin began his career in 1992 as an aircraft engineer in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm, working on Sea Harriers, and served as a weapons engineer in the Gulf and the former Yugoslavia. He then spent 18 years at TT Electronics plc, progressing through test engineering, quality, production and project management to lead sales for the UK, Ireland and Northern Europe.
He went on to manage EMEA accounts for Joyson Safety Systems, a global Tier 1 automotive supplier, before returning to operations as operations manager at DVR Ltd (now Note Basildon) and Leonardo.
His experience covers quality, NPI, production and commercial leadership, on both sides of the customer and supplier relationship, across automotive, industrial, aerospace and defence, medical and rail.
Connect with Colin on LinkedInHow we work
Every job follows DMAIC, the Six Sigma improvement method.
- DDefineThe problem, the scope and a fixed price.
- MMeasureHow things run today, from your data and the shop floor.
- AAnalyseFind the real cause.
- IImprovePut the fix in, with your team.
- CControlMake sure it stays fixed, with a written report your team keeps.
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