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INNOVATION AND CHANGE


FORCE TECHNOLOGY Embedding innovation to meet complex customer requirements


Force Technology is a specialist manufacturer of precision springs and engineered components for automotive, aerospace and industrial applications. Based in Blackpool, the firm employs 50 people.


Since opening in 2015, the business has grown through continuous investment in technology, engineering expertise and people.


HAYDOCK FINANCE Embedding AI for a faster service


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Haydock Finance is an independent asset finance provider helping SMEs invest in the equipment, machinery and technology they need to grow. Established four decades ago, the firm now employs more than 300 people at its headquarters in Greenbank Business Park.


Innovation at Haydock Finance has been driven by a combination of people, technology and continuous improvement. As demand for asset finance increases, the business says it realised manual proposal handling was creating unnecessary administration and slowing the journey from application to payout.


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Andy Taylor, managing director and chief commercial officer, says: “At the same time, brokers and customers increasingly expect faster, more transparent decisions. Our challenge was to remove friction from our processes, strengthen fraud prevention and allow our people to spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time supporting customers and brokers with informed, relationship led lending decisions.


“We introduced AI into our proposal loading process and enhanced our fraud screening capabilities, enabling routine tasks to be completed more quickly and accurately. Alongside this, we strengthened our use of data analytics to better understand broker performance, customer trends and application quality.


“These technology improvements were embedded within our quality programme, ensuring process improvements became part of everyday operations. Rather than replacing people, AI supports our colleagues by removing repetitive administration, improving consistency and enabling greater focus on customer relationships and value added decision making.”


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AI has reduced proposal processing time within the business by 61 per cent, enabling applications to be assessed and progressed much faster. The business says this means customers and brokers benefit from quicker decisions and a smoother experience, while colleagues spend more time on complex cases and relationship management rather than manual administration.


Andy says: “Improved efficiency has strengthened operational performance, enhanced consistency and reinforced our risk controls through better fraud screening. Overall, the changes have increased our ability to support SMEs investing in productivity enhancing assets while maintaining the high standards of service Haydock Finance is known for.”


Force has invested more than £2m in new manufacturing technologies, automation, digital engineering tools and enhanced quality systems to improve process capability and repeatability.


Managing director Steve Williams says: “Innovation is embedded throughout our business and its systems. We continually invest in advanced manufacturing technology, automation and digital engineering to improve capability and consistency.


“We have strengthened collaboration among the engineering, production and quality teams, creating a culture of continuous improvement supported by data driven decision making. We also work more closely with customers during product development, using simulation, testing and validation to optimise spring designs before production.


“Our design team collaborates with customers to develop bespoke spring solutions for highly demanding applications, including next generation hypercar engines and aerospace fuel systems.


“We also encourage innovation from our people through continuous improvement activities, skills development and cross functional collaboration, ensuring new ideas are rapidly translated into better products, more efficient processes and enhanced customer value.”


Force’s customers operate in sectors where product performance, quality, reliability and efficiency are paramount.


Steve says: “The challenge was to manufacture increasingly complex spring designs to tighter tolerances, increase fatigue life while improving the end application’s performance and consistency, reduce waste and emissions and remain globally competitive. At the same time, we needed to strengthen resilience against supply chain pressures and rising costs without compromising quality or delivery. Meeting these expectations required us to rethink both our manufacturing processes and the way we engaged with customers throughout the product development cycle.”


ANTHEM ENGAGEMENT Overhaul of sales approach following illness


Anthem Engagement is an employee engagement consultancy that helps organisations listen to their people through independent employee, customer and stakeholder surveys. In 25 years, the firm has supported more than 3.2m surveys across the UK.


But after managing director Steve Smith suffered a stroke in 2021, his traditional sales model was no longer sustainable.


Steve says: “What happens when your best salesperson can’t pick up the phone?


“Rather than trying to replace what we had lost, we redesigned how we build relationships. We shifted away from cold calling and transactional sales towards thought leadership, community building, LinkedIn content, strategic networking and targeted conversations with organisations already invested in their people. It was about creating a more human, relationship led approach that played to our strengths and reflected the values of our business.


“Aphasia made speaking and phone conversations significantly more difficult. The business had relied heavily on face to face networking and telephone conversations, so we had to rethink how we connected with clients without compromising the personal relationships that had always set us apart.


“The challenge wasn’t simply continuing to trade. It was finding a sustainable way to grow the business while recognising communication had fundamentally changed. We needed a model that reduced pressure, protected wellbeing and still delivered value for clients.”


Anthem changed its mindset from selling to making it easier for organisations to find the business organically. It invested more time in sharing practical knowledge, creating useful content, growing a professional community and building relationships before discussing services.


Steve says: “We learned that listening is often more powerful than talking, that relationships grow through trust rather than sales techniques, and that businesses should adapt to talented people instead of expecting talented people to fit a fixed role. The experience also reinforced the same message we share with our clients every day: when you listen to people and build around their strengths, better outcomes usually follow.”


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