Tooling Intelligence supports ITC at Progressive Apprentice Academy

Edging closer to its 50th anniversary, the Progressive Technology Group has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last decade. Founded in 1977, the relocation to larger premises in 2013 was one of the many catalysts for the Newbury company’s decade-long growth.
Opening multiple new divisions and branching into new markets, the company now employs more than 250 staff. Among its accolades are many prestigious awards from AMG Petronas and Rolls-Royce, to name a few. However, this pedigree cannot be bought; it is embedded in the company’s culture, with Progressive Technology opening its Apprentice Academy in 2015. In this bedrock for developing the talent of tomorrow, Tooling Intelligence Ltd has just donated a SmartDrawer® vending solution.
The impressive Apprentice Academy at Progressive Technology enlisted 18 apprentices as part of its 2024 cohort, and this production line of talent nurturing has contributed significantly to the business’s ongoing success. Aiming to mirror the high-tech manufacturing facilities, the Apprentice Academy has a complete range of technologies, from simple two and 3-axis manual machines to high-end 3 to 5-axis multi-functional machine tools. Three full-time trainers and a classroom with PCs support academic and computer-based training. Part of this progression from apprentice to a skilled engineer in an advanced manufacturing facility includes using high-end cutting tools and the associated inventory management systems.
With technical partner Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC), Tooling Intelligence installed its first vending solution at the ISO:9001 and AS:9100 subcontract outfit in 2014. The success of this first SmartDrawer® system led to a second installation in 2016 and a third in September 2024.
The versatile SmartDrawer® system from Tooling Intelligence is a drawer system that is completely configurable to the end user’s requirements. Using smart technology, the SmartDrawer® can dispense single or multiple items with reliable, accurate, and monitored inventory control, giving the end user complete visibility and control of its supply chain. The benefits of the SmartDrawer® were evident at Progressive Technology, and this is why the company rapidly adopted additional systems when shop floor inventory management required them.

The SmartDrawer®, which comprises individually locked compartments controlled by a user-friendly touchscreen interface, provides ‘self-serve’ access to consumables, equipment, and cutting tools. This has enabled Progressive Technology to manage, monitor, and control its cutting tool consumption with greater visibility while automatically re-ordering stock to ensure the right tool is always available. With a complete audit trail, the SmartDrawer® provides visibility regarding which employee uses which specific item and where and when it is used. With apprentices destined to enter the advanced production facilities in the future, understanding the inventory management process at the West Berkshire company is essential. This is why Tooling Intelligence has made such a generous contribution.
The December 2024 arrival of the SmartDrawer® in the Apprentice Academy was installation number four, with the fifth SmartDrawer® being installed simultaneously on the shop floor of the 24/7 manufacturing site. As part of Tooling Intelligence’s donation, ITC has supported the installation with a selection of regularly used cutting tools for the Apprentice Academy. Included are a complete selection of solid carbide and indexable milling and turning tools. The apprentices now have access to the consumables they require as and when they need them from a single source system.
Commenting upon the installation, Tooling Intelligence’s Managing Director, Richard Swaffield, says: “We are delighted to support such a valuable customer in their growth journey over the last 10 years. An industry-leading subcontract manufacturer’s repeat business for over a decade is a testament to how our SmartDrawer® system delivers an inventory management system that is bespoke to the demands of each customer. Since investing in its first SmartDrawer®, Progressive Technology has witnessed cost savings, improved inventory management and control, and complete visibility over what products are used and when. This level of insight is essential for the future of any modern manufacturing business. This is why we have donated a SmartDrawer® to the Apprentice Academy at Progressive – the talent of tomorrow needs a complete understanding of the benefits of effective inventory management as well as the implications of not managing your supply chain.”