Llanelli-based Shufflebottom is helping deliver construction, agricultural and industrial projects across the UK, by manufacturing steel-framed buildings and structural steelwork. With support from the Welsh Government Innovation Team through its SMART Digital and Productivity Accelerator Service (SDPA), the company has already achieved substantial productivity gains of around 20 percent, strengthened planning and unlocked capacity for growth while supporting skilled jobs in Wales.
In 2024/25, the company continued to grow, with turnover exceeding £18 million and further growth forecast for the following year.
In 2025, the company received support through the Welsh Government’s SDPA Service, which provided a comprehensive diagnostic review of its operations. The assessment looked at workflows and how jobs are planned, identifying ways to collect better information and reduce delays caused by manual processes and last-minute planning.
Ben Thomas, Operations Director at Shufflebottom, said: “When I first came into the business, we were constantly working overtime to hit what was said to be our capacity, but we didn’t really know what that capacity actually was.
“The diagnostic confirmed that we needed a much better data set to make decisions moving forward and to start our digital journey properly.”
Following the review, the business carried out detailed studies of how work is done on the factory floor, including measuring how long each stage of production takes. This work enabled the development of a digital planning tool that calculates manufacturing time for different building configurations using real production data rather than assumptions, allowing more accurate scheduling, costing and capacity planning.
Over the following months, Welsh Government support allowed the company to:
- Capture accurate data on production processes and how long each stage takes.
- Replace assumptions about capacity with evidence-based planning.
- Develop digital tools to calculate manufacturing time and resource requirements.
- Identify practical improvements to streamline workflows and reduce inefficiencies.
Ben added: “We’re now in a much more organised manufacturing situation and able to plan ahead instead of firefighting day to day. It means we can see when extra hours are actually needed and when they aren’t, and make better decisions about growth.
“For a business employing more than 80 people locally, becoming more efficient helps secure those jobs and supports the wider economy.”
The impact of the company’s innovation has delivered tangible results:
- Productivity improvements of around 15-20 percent (30 percent planned following SDPA Service five-day completion).
- Reduced reliance on overtime through better planning and organisation.
- Greater confidence in capacity forecasting and financial decision-making.
- Preparation for additional recruitment to support growth.
Shufflebottom is strengthening its role as a major manufacturing employer in Wales, while supporting the resilience of local supply chains. By improving efficiency and competitiveness, the company is better positioned to secure new contracts and sustain long-term growth in a challenging market.
This progress contributes to the Welsh Government’s Innovation Strategy priorities by strengthening the economy and supporting a more productive, future-ready workforce.
Find out more about how the SMART Digital and Productivity Accelerator Service (SDPA) can support your organisation. Visit Business Wales Innovation to learn more.