Elmleigh System Integration Specialists

The Facts

Elmleigh Now Enjoys: Consistent project workflows and clear visibility of project costs from start to finish.

Elmleigh Now Can: Maintain target profitability across projects with enhanced cost tracking.

Elmleigh Now Has: Scalable processes that support ongoing growth and business expansion.

The Figures

30% annual growth rate over the last 7 years.

240% increase in headcount in the same time span.

The Story

Who They Are — Elmleigh

Established in 1984, Elmleigh is a leading specialist in the design, assembly, and installation of electrical and mechanical automation systems. Based in the heart of the UK’s engineering hub in Hinckley, Leicestershire, Elmleigh supports manufacturing operations across the UK with a focus on the food and beverage, parcel sortation, and aggregates industries.

“We’re proud of our journey, from humble beginnings as an electrical installation contractor to a full-service system integrator,” says Chris Southwell, Director of Operations at Elmleigh. “Today, we’re trusted by blue-chip companies and preferred contractors across multiple UK sites.”

What They Do — System Integration for Automation

Elmleigh specialises in providing complete automation solutions. They design, assemble, and install electrical and mechanical systems for clients across multiple industries. With a growing team of 85 employees, Elmleigh is well-equipped to handle complex automation projects, ensuring their clients remain efficient and competitive in their respective fields.

Why They Started With Simpro — Lack of Workflow Consistency

Before implementing Simpro, Elmleigh faced challenges in maintaining consistency across project workflows. Different project teams used varying tools and methods, which led to discrepancies in job costing and limited visibility into project profitability.

“One of our biggest challenges was the inconsistency in how our teams costed their jobs,” explains Chris. “We lacked visibility into project costs until it was too late to intervene. This created a lot of stress and operational inefficiencies.”

How Simpro Changed Things — Driving Growth with Clearer Processes

Since adopting Simpro, Elmleigh has experienced a complete transformation in how they manage their projects. By standardising workflows and improving visibility into project costs, the business has been able to achieve its target profitability more consistently.

“Simpro has been vital for our growth,” says Chris. “The ability to see project costs and profitability from the quoting stage means we can make informed decisions early on. It’s helped us correct errors and streamline our processes.”

This visibility has been a game-changer for Elmleigh, enabling the business to scale with a 30% growth rate over the past 7 years. All without compromising quality or profits.

In addition, the implementation of project-focused workflows that use the language of Elmleigh’s trade has ensured consistency across disciplines. Simpro’s robust data warehouse enables cross-functional data to be exported and used to generate full-suite business reports. “The data is both rich and diverse,” notes Chris, “and enables the creation of various reports for different sectors of our business, from marketing and admin to workshop fabrication.”

In terms of productivity, Simpro has made a noticeable impact. “Front-of-house response time to enquiries has vastly improved,” Chris explains. “Simpro’s actionable tasks help capture the timing of invoice generation and provide traceability of workflows.” Additionally, Simpro has proven to be a highly effective tool for cost control, improving purchase ledger management through purchase invoice matching.

One of Elmleigh’s favourite features in Simpro is the ability to view all jobs by Project Manager. This feature provides critical analysis of projects, ensuring transparency in tracking due dates, assigned operatives, timesheet completion, and profitability throughout each workflow stage.

Where To Next — Continued Expansion and Innovation

Elmleigh plans to continue leveraging Simpro’s robust platform to support its growth. The next steps include further refining their reporting capabilities and exploring new ways to use Simpro’s features to drive operational efficiency.

“Simpro isn’t just a tool for us; it’s the backbone of our business,” says Chris. “It drives 80% of our business transactions and has proven essential in helping us scale successfully.”

With such a strong foundation in place, Elmleigh is poised for further growth. And with Simpro’s support, they’re confident in their ability to continue delivering exceptional automation solutions to their clients across the UK.