Outcome Study: Hawthorn Precision Engineering

Project Snapshot

Client: Hawthorn Precision Engineering

Sector: Manufacturing & Engineering

Challenge: Rising costs, missed deadlines, and hidden inefficiencies eroding margins.

Outcome: £295k unlocked in 27 days, waste cut by 40%, delivery reliability up to 95%, margins restored to double digits.

A Respected Name Under Threat

Hawthorn Precision Engineering had been part of its community for decades. A family-owned company, known for precise workmanship and trusted by clients across the UK and beyond. Their reputation had been built carefully, job by job, over the course of a generation.

But a strong reputation no longer guaranteed security. Global competition was pushing prices lower. Raw material costs were rising. Inside the factory, problems began to mount: missed deadlines, wasted materials, and financial results that no longer reflected the effort being put in.

The leadership team could sense the slide but lacked a clear view of where the value was draining away. Engineers were highly skilled, yet too often held back by processes that created more frustration than progress. The company was working harder but not moving forward.

For a business built on craft and reliability, the situation was unsustainable.

A partner focused on outcomes

When Hawthorn came to CoreTheorem, they did not want generic advice or another consultant’s checklist. They wanted outcomes that could be counted in real financial terms. The challenge was to show them where money was being lost, and then to help them capture it.

Understanding the factory as a system

We began with a ground-up analysis of how the factory actually worked. That meant looking at every stage: how orders were processed, how jobs were scheduled, how machines were utilised, and how materials were tracked.

On the surface, the operation looked functional. But when the data was pulled together, a very different picture emerged.

• Some stock was being over-ordered while other items ran short, leading to stoppages and rush purchasing.

• Time spent on changeovers and job set-up was longer than it needed to be.

• Certain high-volume materials were responsible for disproportionate waste.

• Profitability varied sharply between products, but the costing system failed to highlight it.

Each issue on its own looked manageable. Together, they explained why margins were eroding and confidence was slipping.

Building a model

To make these issues visible, we built a model of the entire production process. This digital view pulled together information from order books, machine logs and stock records into one connected system.

For the first time, Hawthorn’s leadership could see how the factory operated as a whole, rather than as isolated parts. The model translated every inefficiency into its financial impact. What had once been hunches or educated guesses became numbers on a page.

This was not about dashboards or abstract KPIs. It was about showing in pounds and pence where money was being lost and where improvements would deliver the greatest return.

Acting with precision

Armed with these insights, we worked with Hawthorn’s engineers to put in place a series of changes.

• Workflow redesign: Jobs were sequenced to minimise unnecessary downtime and reduce wasted motion.

• Smarter stock system: Materials were tracked and replenished with far greater accuracy, cutting over-ordering while preventing costly stoppages.

• Evidence-based costing: For the first time, managers could see which products were truly profitable and which were eroding margin.

• Performance measures: A set of practical, financial metrics allowed the team to see the cost and return of each job in real time.

These changes were not theoretical. They were applied directly to day-to-day work, with engineers and managers involved at every stage.

Results within weeks

The impact was immediate. Within 27 days, Hawthorn had unlocked £295,000 in measurable savings and efficiencies.

• Waste on key raw materials dropped by more than 40 per cent.

• Delivery reliability improved from 75 per cent to over 95 per cent.

• Margins moved into double digits for the first time in years.

For the leadership, the effect went beyond the numbers. They could now make decisions with confidence, knowing where the business stood and where it was heading. For the engineers, it meant spending less time fighting against broken processes and more time on the work they took pride in.

A cultural shift

Perhaps the most important result was cultural. Hawthorn had spent years reacting to problems as they arose. Now, they had the tools and insight to get ahead of them. The company shifted from working harder to working smarter, with a focus on building sustainable profitability.

As one director put it:

“I’ve been running this business for years and thought we had a decent handle on things. Seeing it all mapped out showed me just how much we were missing. It paid off faster than I expected.”

Why it matters

Hawthorn Precision Engineering’s story shows what can happen when an established firm takes a fresh look at its own operation. By treating the factory as a system, translating inefficiencies into financial terms, and acting on them quickly, they turned hidden losses into measurable gains.

Within weeks, they delivered six-figure savings and gave their team renewed energy. More importantly, they laid the foundation for growth built on evidence, not guesswork.

That is the essence of Outcome Intelligence: turning complexity into results, and giving businesses the outcomes they need to move forward with confidence.

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Disclaimer: The company names, characters, and identifying details used in these Outcome Stories are anonymised unless explicitly stated otherwise. Each story is derived from real client engagements and represents a synthesis of data, insights, and results drawn from CoreTheorem’s work with businesses in similar contexts. Figures, timelines, and outcomes are based on actual performance data but may be generalised, aggregated, or adjusted for confidentiality. Any resemblance to specific individuals or organisations, living or defunct, is coincidental where names are not disclosed with permission. Images, trademarks, and design elements remain the property of their respective owners and are used here solely for illustrative purposes. These stories are intended for informational use only and do not constitute guarantees of future performance or results.