Howdens Joinery Boosts Efficiency with SAP Digital Manufacturing

Howdens Joinery, a UK-based kitchen and woodwork component supplier, has transformed its manufacturing operations by deploying SAP Digital Manufacturing (DM) to replace legacy manufacturing execution systems (MES). The change gives the company real-time visibility, shorter lead times, and scalable make-to-order production across its network. 

The company, which manufactures over 4.5 million kitchen cabinets annually, was struggling to balance rising customer expectations for customization and faster delivery, with complex production planning, order execution, and shop-floor coordination. 

Enhancing Production Visibility and Reducing Lead Times 

Howdens Joinery had two key challenges: keeping track of each individual kitchen piece through the factory and managing multiple simultaneous orders with complex routing. Since each kitchen was made of separate pieces (like doors, shelves, etc.), and each piece has its own route through the factory, keeping track of everything in real time was difficult, especially when many orders were active at once.  

Each component had its own path and some pieces needed different production paths, and splitting/combining orders via shop floor controls (SFCs) often made things more complicated. 

SAP DM provided a single solution. The system groups similar orders efficiently. For example, all items of the same color are processed together. It also streamlines workflows and supports both make-to-stock and make-to-order production. 

David Peacock, IS Manufacturing System technical lead at Howdens Joinery explained, “With SAP Digital Manufacturing, we gained operational excellence in our supply chain processes, leading to more efficient planning and an enormous increase in production. We reduced order production lead time from 21 days to 14 days between 2023 and 2024, contributing to faster customer fulfillment.” 

Integrating IT and Production Systems 

Howdens Joinery also leveraged diverse technologies to connect IT and operational systems. By integrating SAP Digital Manufacturing with machinery through SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) connectors and automating production workflows, the company achieved real-time communication with different machines. This reduced manual intervention, improved production efficiency, and enabled flexible manufacturing customizations.  

In 2024, Howdens achieved a 99.98% service level from manufacturing sites to depots, highlighting almost perfect product availability and stock reliability through real-time visibility. 

Peacock added that the project has led to a faster turnaround from manufacturing to shipping to just five days. “To make this possible, we updated our entire order strategy and implemented the new system in less than 12 months,” he said. 

As a next step, Howdens Joinery is planning to build on its digital manufacturing foundation, by integrating AI into its production processes.  

By combining robust data quality, flexible workflows, and seamless IT-to-machine integration, the company aims to further enhance efficiency and agility. This forward-looking approach positions Howdens as an example for the broader manufacturing community in leveraging new technologies for operational excellence. 

 What This Means for SAPinsiders 

Integration has become a critical factor in manufacturing performance. Howdens’ experience shows that connecting ERP, MES, and shop-floor data is no longer optional, as fragmented systems limit responsiveness.  

Speed of deployment is a growing differentiator. Howdens’ rapid rollout across multiple sites demonstrates how cloud-based MES platforms enable faster standardization and replication.  

High-quality, real-time manufacturing data enables AI-driven optimization. With a consolidated digital backbone, Howdens can implement predictive analytics and AI-assisted decision-making.