TIMBER
Joinerysoft helps Beechhall
Joinery triple turnover in a year
James Gilchrist, owner of Beechhall Joinery,
bought Joinerysoft’s Joinery Management
Software (JMS) one year ago and since then
has more than tripled his turnover and
increased his production capacity. James
purchased a five head moulder shortly after
JMS because he was winning so much work
that it was the next step to improve capacity.
He says, “As well as JMS our new five head
computerised moulder has played a part,
but I would say that JMS alongside the
new moulder is definitely the biggest part
of it.”
James viewed JMS on a number of occasions
at woodworking shows, however it wasn’t until
he was recommended it by another joiner that
he decided to purchase it. He says, “If a joiner
whom I knew wasn’t computer literate could
use JMS successfully for his small production
set up, then I knew it would help my larger
scale production.”
Fed up with manually producing delivery
notes and glass tickets, James realised that
Joinerysoft provided a complete package
including initial survey, drawings, quotations,
customer confirmation, cutting lists, timber,
glass & fittings ordering, delivery notes and
invoicing. The added bonus which clinched
the matter was Joinerysoft’s ability to provide
a complete factory production control
facility including u-value calculation and
CE label printing. He says, “I investigated
a number of different solutions to comply
with CE marking regulations but they were
all expensive and only Joinerysoft provided a
complete production solution.”
James Gilchrist has joinery in his blood
with five joinery businesses among his family.
From the age of 9, he was helping out at his
father’s factory so it is no wonder that he
became a joiner himself. Based in Waltham
Abbey, East London, James started his own
business in 2007 and now employs 20 joiners
manufacturing box sash windows, all types of
door including bifolds, casement and storm
proof windows. His 10,000 sq ft production
workshop includes a glass facility that supplies
not only his own glass requirements but also
supplies glass for other joinery companies,
utilising three tonnes of toughened glass to
produce around 600 double glazed units each
week. The firm typically manufactures 40-100
timber box sashes per week. James has also
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just started a PVCu division supplying and
installing PVCu windows to complement the
timber joinery he produces.
Prior to JMS, Beechhall Joinery was more
advanced than most in providing drawings for
clients but the lack of paper trail and manual
creation of delivery notes and glass ordering
created a time consuming process. James
adds, “Previously I wouldn’t have bothered
updating our prices if the survey showed the
initial sizes to be incorrect, and if a customer
lost the fittings on site I wouldn’t be able
to prove that they had received them. Since
having JMS I can easily provide an updated
quotation after the survey, and delivery notes
signed by the customer allow me to charge
extra for replacement items, protecting my
profit margins.”
Utilising JMS for not only joinery
production but also for glass manufacturing
,James says, “I’ve found JMS very easy to use;
the two days training was enough and if there
is anything I don’t understand Joinerysoft
is at the end of the phone.” He adds, “We’re
not computer genius’ here - the training
was excellent and provided by a time-served
joiner which meant that I could speak to him
in joinery terms and he was able to relate
the software to my business in ways I could
understand.”
James says, “JMS saves us time and money.
We do not have to manually produce
paperwork, human error is removed from
manual calculations and the detailed paper
trail allows us to order glass and fittings ahead,
allowing us to pre-fit ready for installation.”
He adds, “Ordering is streamlined, removing
guess work from orders and ensuring there
is no waste. JMS tells me everything I need
including how many glass beads and accurate
lead weights.” Beechhall even has its own
lead smelt too which means they can produce
everything in house, only buying in raw sawn
material.
‘The proof is in our results:
turnover has gone up from
£500,000 a year ago to
predicted £2 million this year’
James believes that his growth is due to JMS
giving him full production control from raw
material right through to installation. He
says, “Every joinery shop should have JMS if
they want to make money. The proof is in our
results: turnover has gone up from £500,000 a
year ago to predicted £2 million this year.”
For more information contact:
Beechhall Joinery,
Tel: 0208 523 4448,
[email protected],
www.beechhalljoinery.co.uk
Joinerysoft Ltd
Tel: 01608 643302
[email protected]
www.joinerysoft.com
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