A leading New Zealand manufacturer engaged LSI Consultancy to review its custom design and quotation process. The objective was to strengthen an engineer-to-order operating model that had become inefficient, inconsistent, and difficult to scale. LSI completed a detailed assessment of the end-to-end workflow from sales enquiry through to manufacture to identify root causes, quantify impact, and design a more efficient, resilient process.
The Challenge
High workload, low conversion.
The review found that significant engineering and design effort was being applied to opportunities with low likelihood of progressing. All quote requests were being priced without an initial assessment, and three quarters were completed as final prices, which are time intensive compared to budget estimates. Over half missed delivery dates and only a quarter of won jobs progressed to manufacture.
Workload allocation was reactive with bottlenecks created by manual controls and dependency on key individuals. Technology capability existed but was not being used effectively. A new system had been introduced but lacked standards, structure, and consistent use. Errors in drawings and bills of materials were rising and repeat work was being treated as bespoke design rather than as made-to-order activity.
These issues reduced design productivity, delayed customer delivery, and limited the organisation’s ability to improve performance or plan.
What We Found
Five constraints limiting efficiency and throughput:
1. No triage of opportunities
All requests were being priced regardless of feasibility or effort. Firm pricing was applied widely despite low conversion.
2. Bottlenecks in workload allocation
Manual scheduling and reactive reprioritisation created uneven workloads and delays.
3. Underutilised technology
A new system had been implemented but was not embedded. Job visibility was limited and no pricing tool or job inventory existed.
4. Variation in process quality
Inconsistent steps, unclear accountabilities, and variable naming conventions contributed to errors and rework.
5. Limited performance insight
There were no metrics to track turnaround times, accuracy, win rates, or design effort, leaving leaders without actionable information.
These constraints reduced design capacity, increased rework, and limited the return on engineering effort.
Our Approach
Data-led diagnosis and operating model design.
Using its Diagnose | Design | Deliver methodology, LSI assessed the custom design process through workflow mapping, interviews, data analysis, and observation of day-to-day practices. The review confirmed low conversion of firm priced work, rising levels of rework, inconsistent quality checks, and structural gaps in workload visibility and accountability.
The insights guided a redesign that strengthened triage, clarified roles, improved workflow control, and aligned system usage with the needs of the process.
Designing The Future State
Four levers for improvement:
1.
Process Simplification & Triage
A structured BID/NO BID framework was designed with early input from manufacturing and engineering to confirm feasibility. Budget estimates became the default pricing method to reduce effort on low-probability bids. Regular design meetings were introduced to prioritise workload and improve sequencing.
2.
Technology & System Enablement
3.
Workload Control & Performance Management
4.
Resource Deployment & Resilience
A Quick Win pilot was developed to test the introduction of BID/NO BID and budget estimates. Roles were clarified across Sales, CI, and Design teams and progress was monitored through weekly performance reviews.
From Design To Delivery
Testing and anchoring the new model:
LSI developed a high-level implementation roadmap that sequenced improvement across workload, management systems, and process enhancement. Early stages focused on triage, quoting, and workflow control, followed by system upgrades, dashboard reporting, and naming standardisation.
The roadmap also set out governance, change leadership, and cross-functional review routines to support adoption and enable continuous improvement.
The Results
Clear, measurable improvement potential.
Streamlined Quoting and Prioritisation
Increased Capacity and Workflow Visibility
Technology Enablement
Reduced Errors and Rework
Standard naming conventions, defined accountabilities, and consistent quality checks reduce drawing revisions and improve reliability.
Improved Workforce Resilience
Sustaining The Gains
Capability transfer and next steps.
The engagement concluded with a future delivery roadmap to support ongoing improvement. Key priorities included completing system enhancements, embedding triage and workflow controls, refining resource deployment, and strengthening performance reporting.
The Impact
Efficient, data-enabled, and scalable.
The redesigned model aligns people, process, and system use to improve quoting efficiency, customer responsiveness, and operational control. Structured governance, enhanced workflow visibility, and stronger planning capability support a more resilient and productive design function.
The result: a modernised, efficient, and customer-focused operating model that converts effort into measurable performance and long-term value.