2018 – Reflections on a Momentous Year

2018 was a busy 12 months at AE Aerospace. Like many manufacturers and engineers, we are adapting to a changing landscape and those changes made 2018 a critical milestone in our 22-year history. From consolidating operations to installing a new ERP system, purchasing new equipment to opening our new glass factory, we’re embracing the challenges ahead by investing in people, processes and technology. This strategy has not only helped future proof the business, but win a raft of new contracts and awards.

Scope for growth

We started the year creaking at the seams. We are one of the fastest growing manufacturing businesses in the West Midlands and have more than doubled our workforce over the last three years. We needed to move to larger and more modern premises to accommodate our growth and ensure we keep up the pace of investment.

Last March, we consolidated our business operations, moving our Dudley-based Andover Precision staff to AE Aerospace’s site at Dymoke Street in Birmingham. With everyone working under the same roof, we were then able to focus on finding appropriate larger premises to meet our future requirements.

New plaudits

In the midst of this strategic planning, everyone has been getting on with their day jobs. We have continued to win praise for our strength and resilience.

In May 2018, we attended Insider’s annual Made in The Midlands Awards ceremony. We celebrated in style after beating off stiff competition from six other regional businesses to win the title of Manufacturer of the Year.

Judges said that our success in the category for manufacturers with a turnover below ￡25 million, was down to a winning business strategy. They said: “AE Aerospace is doing all the right things to keep it flying - investing in equipment, skills and really embracing Industry 4.0.” We then went up to Liverpool for the national finals where judges awarded us the only highly commended.

That investment focus incorporates a commitment to embrace servitization and we have worked closely with the Advanced Services Group at Aston University, to develop a more service-focused approach. The university has been so impressed with the progress we have made that it recently gave us an award for Strategy and Vision.

Reaching new heights at Farnborough

Indeed, as the year steadily moved on, the awards just kept coming. At July’s Farnborough international Air Show we were re-awarded the Bronze SC21 award. Given the progress the business continues to make, our sights are firmly set on the Silver Award for 2020 and entry into the SC21 Competitiveness and Growth award.

The Farnborough show offered an ideal platform for us to share our story with both new and existing customers and highlighted the contribution AE Aerospace continues to make to the Midlands’ aerospace sector. It also gave me the chance to talk to Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney about the issues faced by today’s manufacturers and what it takes to be competitive on the global stage.

Ongoing investment

Throughout 2018 we continued to respond to those challenges by investing in innovative manufacturing models, equipment and processes.   

On our journey towards implementing a “glass factory” approach, we worked on improving transparency across our organisation by investing in a new ERP system. The system links machines, production processes and administration into a harmonised manufacturing process that takes full advantage of the latest automated systems.

At the same time, we have continued investing in new equipment and machinery to extend our offer and boost productivity. In 2018, we purchased over ￡1m of Mazak machine tools, including three Mazak J500/5X Variaxis 5-Axis Machining Centres, a 4-Axis Mazak VCN530 Milling Machine and a Mazak Primos 3-Axis Milling Machine.

The big move

In October and November, all this hard work culminated in our big move to new premises at Network Park, Duddeston Mill Road, Birmingham. Our new facility will help transform the way we work. It will incorporate an open and transparent shop floor, providing full visibility and traceability to staff and customers alike.

Our new home opens up a wealth of new possibilities and will help us achieve our ambition of becoming a fully servitized business by 2021 when customers will have access to Machining by the Hour.

As we head into 2019, we’re introducing our automated Capacity Planning and Production Scheduling System, to streamline our production outputs. Our customer cells have now gone live, providing us with real-time production updates and we are all gearing up for the eventual implementation of Machining by the Hour which we are aiming to achieve by 2020.

We may have come a long way in achieving that goal but there is still a lot of hard work to be done. 2019 will, I’m sure, prove to be another transformative year. In the meantime, we should all pause, take a breath and be proud of just how far we’ve come.