Workforce Change Programme: Embedding a Manufacturing Execution System Across Five UK Sites

A UK precision manufacturer with five production sites and around 1,400 shop-floor employees was deploying a new Manufacturing Execution System (MES) integrated with its ERP. The technical build was on track, but a previous attempt at a similar rollout had been abandoned after operator pushback and significant productivity loss in the first weeks of operation. Trust in head-office programmes was low, shift patterns made traditional training approaches ineffective, and union representatives wanted clear evidence that the change would not erode pay-related performance metrics. The leadership team understood that a second failed rollout would not only sink the MES investment but materially damage industrial relations across the group. They needed a change programme that put operators at the centre, was credible to the unions and could demonstrate productivity neutrality from week one.

Intology led an integrated change programme that ran in lockstep with the technical implementation. We started with site-by-site listening sessions, building a clear picture of how work actually got done versus how it was assumed to get done in the system design. Several configuration changes were fed back into the build, materially improving operator usability. A Change Champion network was established with representation from every shift on every line, sponsored by site managers and visibly supported by the COO. Training was redesigned around short, scenario-based, on-line micro-sessions delivered at the start of shift, replacing the planned classroom curriculum that had been incompatible with shift patterns. Union concerns were addressed through a transparent operator performance dashboard piloted ahead of go-live, demonstrating that the new MES would not penalise operators during the learning curve. A pre-go-live readiness scorecard was used at each site, with hypercare resourcing tuned to genuine readiness rather than calendar dates.