Leon Paul sees major growth after implementing Orderwise system

Leon Paul, a prominent British fencing equipment manufacturer, has significantly improved its warehousing operations and achieved substantial growth following the adoption of Forterro’s ERP and Warehouse Management Solution, Orderwise.

The century-old family-run business, which produces and distributes 90% of its products from its London-based manufacturing and warehousing facility, had previously relied on a paper-based system that proved highly inefficient. According to James Fay, Commercial Director at Leon Paul, the former system resulted in a warehouse environment characterised by difficulties and an estimated annual wastage of GBP £150,000 in lost time and products.

Fay detailed the issues faced under the old system: “We had no control of ordering from stock to delivery, no barcoding technology in the warehouse, no form of KPIs to manage our performance. We couldn’t vet orders properly and weren’t even sure if products were being sent to the right places,” he said. “Morale was low amongst staff because they felt they couldn’t do their jobs to the best of their ability, and we were wasting money, time and products hand over fist. We were known for the quality of our fencing equipment, but our warehousing was far from Olympic standard.”

The implementation of Orderwise, a solution recommended to Fay by a competitor for being cost-effective and scalable, has led to vast improvements in operational efficiency. Fay noted: “Since implementing Orderwise, Leon Paul has been able to automate many processes and see vast efficiency improvements. It has eased pressure on employees, improved order management and customer service, and delivered a ten-fold increase in order processing. Order shipping time went from an average of nine days to less than one day.”

Leon Paul, which produces over 3,000 Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) that can become any one of 98,000 SKUs, now relies heavily on Orderwise for making quick and informed decisions. Fay highlighted the operational efficiencies by explaining that when the company turned over GBP £3.5 million, there were seven people in the warehouse. In 2024, with a turnover of GBP £10 million, the number of warehouse staff was reduced to five, a testament to the system's efficiency.

The company, which has over 75% of the UK market and supplies the entire Team GB Olympic fencing team, recently won the 2024 King’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation and Export. This award underscores its strategy of focusing on export growth.

Fay elaborated on their global ambitions: “To further our global growth plans, we needed a modern warehouse and an ERP system to support our e-commerce engine, ensuring our customers all over the world get the right product in good time. Orderwise has done exactly that and more. Our global agents are also connected to it, and we now all have the information to make smarter, data-based decisions about the business."

Orderwise is an ERP solution that supports wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and manufacturers by providing a platform for growth. Initially deployed by Leon Paul in operational logistics, sales, and customer service, it is now being implemented in the manufacturing plant as well.

Commenting on the partnership, Jon Roberts, Director at Forterro, stated, “Leon Paul is an iconic UK manufacturer, rightly celebrated for its quality, longevity and commitment to fencing. Our ERP solutions are all designed with specific industries in mind, and we are very proud that Orderwise has played a role in Leon Paul’s success.”

The adoption of the Orderwise system signifies a collaborative effort to streamline operations and bolster the company’s position in both domestic and international markets.