Dean Henry, Founder of Inventor-e
The way companies access inventory management is changing rapidly and leading the charge is Solihull-based Inventor-e.
Founded by entrepreneur Dean Henry in 2001, the company is a major disruptor in the design, development, and manufacture of point-of-use inventory control systems, building a prestigious client base that features the likes of Babcock, Boeing, Rexel and Wolseley.
Its high-tech solutions offer connectivity and data distribution solutions that provide remote inventory information services in real time and can deliver a host of operational and cost savings for users.
When the company was formed, it was always designed to be a technology, software, and solutions provider, with no desire to move into the widescale manufacture of its systems.
Instead, it wanted to create a strategic relationship with a specialist manufacturer who could take on this role for them, a relationship that was created with PP Control & Automation (PPC&A) in 2019.
Working together, the two West Midlands companies have successfully brought to market SmartStores Secures, iVendCab, iVendScale and iBinScale, supporting the inventory management requirements of hundreds of companies and tens of thousands of employers.
Like all disruptors, this was just the start for Inventor-e and the focus must continually be on developing new products that will become the next mainstays in factories all over the world.
This means R&D never stops and, after listening to market demand, the company has recently released its latest offer…the iVendScale+ that is targeted at the fast-moving consumables and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) facilities.
It is the firm’s largest inventory management system to date with four separate cabinets housing up to 72 weight sensor-controlled bins that can store PPE, fasteners, springs, cleaning equipment and other industrial essentials.
End users receive full accountability as the software monitors what is taken by each employee, which typically will drive a reduction in consumption by between 20 to 40%.
The system also limits access to authorised staff only, can reduce walk around time by strategically locating them at key points-of-use and virtually eliminates stockouts as items are automatically reordered from the appropriate supplier when levels fall below their reorder point.
Again, Inventor-e turned to PP Control & Automation to manage the final electrical design and build of iVendScale+, giving them the difficult challenge of getting a working prototype ready in record time and guaranteeing it the ability to do last minute configurations to meet changing customer specification.
PP C&A had already built a strong working relationship with specialist engineering design agency Grove Design on previous Inventor-e models, so the process of getting the initial plans ready for manufacture was completed relatively quickly – another key benefit of long-term strategic outsourcing.
A lot of the existing technology had already been developed and a strong supply chain had been built with PP Control & Automation taking control of it to achieve cost downs and production efficiencies.
The challenges this time were speed to market (to build on existing and new customer demand for a larger solution) and the development of an inventory management system that is easier to maintain and offered more configurations than ever before.
“All three parties know each other so well now that a lot of the groundwork is already done before we sit down and discuss initial plans – there’s also complete trust in place with the client which is really important for this type of relationship,” explained Tony Hague, CEO of PP C&A.
“Everyone plays to their strengths. Grove has unbelievable design experience and used this knowledge to develop a mechanical build solution that would make accessing the wiring easier, whilst our electrical and automation expertise meant we could reduce the number of cables used without jeopardising any performance benefits.”
This latest model offers the client the largest number of weight sensor-controlled bins yet and with that comes the need for greater configuration, with a wider selection of consumables being selected. Inventor-e requested the ability to change configurations right up until a week before the build is complete and this meant PP C&A’s engineers developed standardised components that could be added or taken away depending on the client specification.
A production cell for the iVendScale+ has been added to the existing Inventor-e manufacturing lines at PP Control & Automation’s world class facility in Cheslyn Hay.
This has delivered the first models that have already been sold into Mitsubishi’s vast factory in Scotland and Babcock’s FastBlade facility that was only opened in Fife in May. Both sites employ thousands of people and require a fast and efficient way for staff to access consumables and PPE.
Lead times have been drilled down to between ten and twelve weeks if all materials are in place, a situation that has improved greatly after Inventor-e and PP C&A chose to overcome global supply chain disruption by buying a considerable amount of stock and electrical components up front.
Dean Henry, Founder of Inventor-e, added his support:
“We expect to generate over £1m of revenue from iVendScale+ over the next twelve months, but the bigger picture is a £50m global opportunity.
“Thanks to the relationship with PP C&A we have brought a new solution to market quicker than our competitors, a new solution that will change the way factories manage their inventory for years to come.”
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