Sourcing a Proven MRP System to Support Rapid Growth
Over the past seven years, Thurston Group has tripled in size — a trajectory powered by innovation, investment, and a clear ambition to lead the modular construction market. With plans to reach £104 million turnover by 2030, the business recognised that continued growth depended on one thing: smarter, standardised, data-driven operations.
To achieve this, Thurston set out to modernise its manufacturing backbone — integrating automation, eliminating paper-based processes, and creating full production visibility across all sites.
After evaluating multiple Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems, the team selected WrxFlo, a cloud-based SaaS platform designed to identify inefficiencies, capture live production data, and drive continuous improvement.
Crucially, WrxFlo could integrate seamlessly with Thurston’s existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system — allowing the business to retain its valuable historic data while transforming how it was accessed and applied. The brief was ambitious but clear: give every manager the ability to drill into live project and customer data within three clicks.
The initiative was led by Production Director Dan Pollard and Production Manager Joe Hatfield, with strategic input from Managing Director Matt Goff and Finance Director Nick Petrovic. Collaboration across the business — from leadership to shopfloor — was key in ensuring the system worked in practice, not just on paper.
Overcoming Legacy Systems and Workforce Adoption Challenges
The greatest challenge wasn’t the technology — it was cultural. More than 350 operational staff needed to adapt to a new, digital-first way of working. Rather than imposing change, Thurston involved employees from the outset, giving them ownership of the process.
Teams participated in interface design, testing, and phased trials, helping to shape functionality and drive early buy-in. Initial pilots focused on digital job tracking, quality checks, and timesheet processes before rolling out across the wider operation.
To support this shift, Thurston also invested in upgrading its shopfloor infrastructure — establishing a solid foundation for data-led decision-making and future automation.
Embedding Digital Discipline Across Every Site
The WrxFlo implementation became a cornerstone of Phase 1 of Thurston’s Manufacturing Transformation Project (MTP) — a strategic programme to modernise operations and strengthen company culture.
Led by Dan Pollard, the project focused on four priorities:
- Standardising processes
- Optimising material flow
- Building workforce leadership
- Aligning teams across the business
Close collaboration between WrxFlo and Thurston’s internal teams ensured that the system reflected how people actually worked, not how software expected them to. Together, the teams defined success measures, refined interfaces, and built trust through co-creation.
The partnership also delivered a bespoke Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, giving the leadership team live visibility into performance data — from budgets and pipeline to project delivery metrics.
“This wasn’t about technology for technology’s sake,” says Dan Pollard, Production Director.
“We wanted a system that reflected how our people actually work — and gave them the information to do their jobs better.”
Building a Culture of Data-Led Decision-Making
Thurston invested £250,000 in the WrxFlo rollout, including a purpose-built sub-assembly area with digital displays and overhead signage aligned to machine operations. This investment also introduced 5S principles (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain), improving safety, flow, and organisation across the shopfloor.
- Standardised processes: Digital data capture replaced manual paperwork, giving managers real-time visibility across four sites and transforming decision-making from reactive to proactive.
- Operational efficiency: Reporting lag reduced from days to instant visibility, improving responsiveness and collaboration.
- Cultural shift: Strong adoption driven by employee involvement, embedding lasting behavioural change.
Thurston now operates with stronger data discipline, clearer accountability, and reduced waste and rework, creating a scalable foundation for future growth.
Measured Results
| Outcome | Improvement |
|---|---|
| Production data captured digitally | 85%+ |
| Annual admin hours saved | 1,000+ |
| Reporting lag | Real-time |
| Material waste | –14% |
| Defect rates | –22% |
| Module cycle times | –18% |
| On-time delivery | +27% |
What the Team Says
Matt Goff, Managing Director:
“The visibility WrxFlo gives us across projects and processes is exceptional. We can drill into live data within seconds and make better decisions faster.”
Nick Petrovic, Finance Director:
“WrxFlo is driving smarter buying decisions and stronger stock management. We’re now planning proactively and aligning purchasing with production.”
Looking Ahead: Scaling the Digital Factory of the Future
With WrxFlo embedded across operations, Thurston is now planning Phase 2 — scaling automation, introducing predictive maintenance, and embedding AI-led forecasting.
The partnership has proven that when technology and culture evolve together, transformation becomes measurable and sustainable.
