Case Study
Tariff Mitigation, Manufacturing Onshoring and Operational Transformation
When a UK manufacturer needed to move fast in response to a £3m tariff exposure, Láithreach sourced and placed a senior interim operations leader who delivered £1.75m in savings and transformed the business from the inside.
£2.5m
Tariff exposure mitigated across component supply and product assembly
£1.75m
Hard savings delivered through DFM and DFA, redesign and automation
10% → 70%
UK manufacturing share of all product lines within the programme
The challenge
Background
A £35m UK headquartered manufacturer with circa 50% of sales to the US market. At the time 90% of products were manufactured in China, making the business acutely exposed to the introduction of US tariffs.
The tariffs represented a £3m annual cost exposure across both outsourced component supply and product assembly. The business needed to move quickly and needed someone who could lead a complex programme from day one.
What the client needed
A senior interim operations leader with the experience to programme manage product onshoring and supplier resourcing at pace someone immediately available who could hit the ground running without a lengthy onboarding period.
Why they came to Láithreach
The client needed the right person quickly. Láithreach identified, assessed and placed a senior interim operations and supply chain director with directly relevant experience in manufacturing onshoring, APQP and supplier development.
Complications
Previous onshoring attempts had not been successful, with poor output and low efficiencies
A straight transfer would have moved labour intensive, poorly industrialised processes into higher cost sites
Limited DFM and DFA, informal work methods, ageing equipment, excess WIP and weak process controls constrained throughput
The solution
Stabilise existing onshoring
The interim paused further transfers until products already moved were stabilised, reviewed and industrialised properly. Multifunctional teams were created and structured reviews of tooling, jigs, fixtures, equipment, process flows and line layout were completed. Clearer process flows, balanced lines, reduced WIP and one-piece flow were introduced where appropriate.
Plan and execute product line transfers
A structured programme was established for the transfer of remaining product lines. APQP tools including PFMEA, process flows, control plans and work instructions were deployed. Automated assembly equipment was specified and introduced, driving over £300k of investment in equipment, facilities and automation.
Resource alternative cable supplier
Alternative sourcing for coaxial cables was project managed end to end, including supplier selection, rigorous technical testing and manufacturing approval. A fast European source was used for immediate tariff mitigation, followed by development of a lower cost supplier outside the tariff-affected base.
Additional transformation
5S, shop floor discipline, daily stand up meetings and weekly production planning were introduced. Practical S&OP and NPI roadmaps were built, coaching the team on market led product development and stronger financial control.
The result
Hard savings
£2.5m of tariff exposure mitigated across component supply and product assembly
Alternative cable supplier developed at improved responsiveness and lower cost than the original incumbent
8 to 10 product groups onshored, increasing UK production from 10% to 70% of all product lines
£1.75m savings delivered through DFM and DFA, product redesign, process improvement and automation
Soft savings
The assignment was recognised by the board and owners as a broader operational transformation changing how the business viewed manufacturing as a strategic capability rather than a cost centre. The right interim, placed quickly, can do far more than fill a gap. This is what we mean when we say the right person changes everything.