The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) has helped Rega Research Ltd to meet the demand for its range of Hi Fi products which are all conceived, designed and manufactured at its custom built facility in Southend, UK.

Rega employs 74 people and has a turnover of over £6 million, was founded in 1973, it is now recognised as a World Leader in the design and manufacture of great value-for-money, high quality turntables and a range of other hifi products including loudspeakers, CD players and amplifiers.

Rega’s turnover growing by 50% in recent years and they recognised the time had come for them to make a major investment in a an MRP (material resource planning) system, to support its innovation capabilities and help meet the continued increase in demand for its products and turned to MAS to help with the implementation of the system.

“Previously, we had relied on spread sheets for our stock control, but needed to introduce a more sophisticated system to help us to deal more efficiently with the increase in orders,” explained John Tozer an accountant at Rega.

“The MRP is still a ‘work in progress’ but we are already reaping the benefits including being able to ensure we hold correct level of stock of crucial parts required for the smooth flow of production and  also safeguard against  tying up money by overstocking parts.

“MRP is also playing a vital role in the capacity planning of production which allows us to provide  better feedback (including delivery dates) to our customers,” he added.

John worked closely with MAS Advisor, Barrie Hughes, who became a regular visitor to Rega whilst the system was being installed. “Barrie was very encouraging and helpful from the first day he walked into the factory.  The combination of his in-depth experience and friendly and insightful approach put everyone at ease straight away. He ensured that our staff were fully trained and ready for the changes ahead.

“When the current recession began to bite, many of our competitors ‘battened down the hatches,’ but we took a conscious and deliberate decision to do exactly the opposite. We hired new sales staff and brought out a range of innovative new products which has paid dividends.

“Continued innovation and providing quality, cost effective products allows us to keep ‘one step ahead’ of our competitors and has always been at the heart of our ethos. Bringing MAS in when we did was certainly the right decision. Barrie showed a genuine interest in our products and manufacturing techniques and we would certainly turn to MAS again for advice and expertise in the future.”