Case Study: Pinkmans Bakery and Made Smarter

Consultation with the NCC

After Ross’s successful application, the first stage of the programme was a site visit from the NCC where they visited the production site to assess limitations and hear about the business’s goals. Drawing from their experience with other bakeries, the NCC helped identify where to focus investments to improve productivity quickly and effectively. From this assessment, Pinkmans received:

A bespoke digital transformation report and technology roadmap, specific business
A summary of potential digital solutions to overcome identified challenges

The NCC recommended Pinkmans apply for all three support measures from the programme to give them the best chance of getting the business back on its feet.

How the grant was used

The Made Smarter grant allowed Pinkmans to invest in equipment to improve production processes.

“We hoped to be able to maximise our limited cash flow we had access to get as many efficiencies in place as possible to free up our skilled bakers from mundane, time consuming jobs within the business.”

The grant enabled the team to make several machine purchases which has had a drastic, positive impact on streamlining their production processes. With the grant, Ross purchased:

BDM machine: Automates the portioning and rolling of dough, handling 3kg batches and eliminating the need for manual work.
Spiral bread mixer: Prepares 80kg batches of dough in one go, saving several hours a day as it replaces a system of mixing smaller 5kg batches multiple times daily.

These investments delivered clear benefits:

Labour savings: Freed up 45 hours of skilled labour each week, equivalent to one full-time employee, without additional hiring.
Revenue growth: Introduced a wholesale service, generating an additional £2,000 per week with the same staffing levels.

The internship: developing a KPI dashboard

“Having heard about the option to have a funded internship I saw a chance to introduce something I wanted to bring into the business but hadn’t had the mental bandwidth or money to invest in.”

With support from Made Smarter, Ross was able to take the leap and hosted a fully-funded internship to create a dashboard for real-time tracking of key metrics like revenue, labour costs, and sales. The intern also incorporated machine learning to improve forecasting and planning.

“The intern is still working on the final product but I am fully involved in the development of it and what I have seen is exactly what I was aspiring for and they have really understood the brief. We will have valuable data displayed cleanly and easily to make instant, informed decisions about the business in real time.”

Once finalised, the dashboard is expected to:

Enable faster, data-driven decisions.

Reduce wastage and improve cost management.

Enhance forecasting for production and staffing needs.

Leadership training

Ross also participated in the ‘Digital leadership and management training’ course provided by Made Smarter. With no formal business education, he saw this as an opportunity to strengthen his skills.

“The course has given me access to valuable material and information about tried and tested theory behind running a business and implementing change. It has shown me the importance of planning our digital change and making a roadmap for delivery that I can share and use to communicate with the wider team.

It has also allowed me to meet other business leaders from different industries and allow me to hear and learn for other peoples challenges.”

The course has helped Ross:

Plan and manage digital transformation within the business.

Improve communication with his team and streamline decision-making processes.

Build confidence as a leader, particularly in working with senior staff.

Impact of Made Smarter

The support provided by Made Smarter has brought measurable improvements:

Productivity has increased with the introduction of efficient equipment.

Data-driven tools are being developed to help the business plan and operate more effectively.

Leadership training has supported better decision-making and team management.

Pinkmans has not only recovered but is now positioned for sustainable growth, with a stronger operational and leadership framework in place.

“The programme has had a huge impact on our business, helping us to make significant improvements and progress far quicker than we could have managed alone. The support was easy to access and tailored to our needs. I’d encourage any business to explore it.”

The support provided by Made Smarter has been instrumental in helping Pinkmans Bakery rebuild and grow.

The programme is delivered in partnership with the University of the West of England and The National Composites Centre.