Preparing for the MX Awards Judging
Ahead of the judging session, we prepared a full presentation explaining how Prime Sash Windows has been developing from a traditional joinery business into a more connected manufacturing operation.
A big part of the preparation was making sure we could clearly explain why we started this journey in the first place. The issue was never craftsmanship — it was the amount of information spread across estimates, drawings, emails, stock records, whiteboards and manual updates. We wanted one place where the team could see what was happening with a project at any time.
We also prepared material showing how the different parts of the business now connect together: the customer journey through the Prime Sash Windows 3D Configurator, structured product data, Joinery Core, workshop production and the new CNC machinery.
Another important part of the presentation was showing that Joinery Core is not just software sitting in the background. It is used to manage enquiries, estimating, production planning, stock, workforce, timesheets, delivery and project costs, giving the team one live source of project information.
We also prepared an update on our new CNC. At the time of judging, the machine had already been installed, training was underway and the first workflow connection between the CNC and Joinery Core had been achieved in around two weeks. We were very open about the fact that this is still an early stage of implementation, with the next focus being utilisation, downtime and OEE measurement.
A big part of the preparation was also responding directly to the judges’ earlier feedback. We prepared extra material on machine integration, continuous improvement, data governance, operational reviews and how we plan to measure the benefits of the Smart Factory journey over time.
We also prepared figures showing the commercial and operational impact of the changes already made, including reduced management costs, estimated staffing savings and the growth of Joinery Core outside our own workshop.
And finally, we prepared a full Q&A section, including extra slides on Smart Factory criteria, machinery-level capability and OEE, continuous improvement and how the business case will be reviewed monthly, quarterly and annually.
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