Access Supply Chain means Mission Possible for Surrey Satellite

Emley, UK - 1st May  2008 - Independent spacecraft manufacturer, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), has just been sold by its university owners for a record sum.  The company's Access Supply Chain ERP system has supported SSTL through a period of sustained growth, helping streamline manufacturing and stock control processes, and delivering reductions in lead times of up to 25%.

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) is a high-tech organisation that was spun out of the University of Surrey in 1985, so the results of the university's satellite research programmes could be made available to a wider industrial community. Employing 250 staff at its headquarters at the Surrey Research Park in Guildford, SSTL manufactures and operates complete space systems based on small satellite technology. The company has launched 27 small satellite missions to date, making it the most successful organisation of its kind in the world.

As SSTL began winning more contracts, it needed to streamline stock control and manufacturing processes. It chose the Access Supply Chain solution to replace a very basic system, some of which was paper-based. This meant SSTL was able to reap benefits very quickly in terms of speed, accuracy and visibility of information. The business had the supporting software it needed to enable it to move on to a new dimension and the flexibility for future expansion.

Previously, SSTL was only able to manufacture one satellite at a time. Today, with the help of the Access Supply Chain solution, the company is simultaneously manufacturing five satellites or more and it uses Access Supply Chain software to support manufacturing 'from cradle to grave'. "It's a key part in what we do," says Manufacturing Manager, Geoff Cooper. "It's where we record all part numbers, generate the bills of materials, procure all the materials and manage the progress of those through the clean room and into the Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) area."

Time is a crucial asset in this sector and the system's top level works order functionality has helped smooth out workload fluctuations. "A number of components that we routinely use have very long lead times. This top level works ordering means we can identify these items at an early stage - by using Access Supply Chain more effectively, we can reduce our schedule risk.  We've been able to cut lead times by anything up to 25 per cent," he says.

Last month, the university sold almost all its 85% stake in SSTL to European space industry giant, EADS Astrium, in what is thought to be the largest cash sale of a college company in UK history - a reported £40 million and £50 million.

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