Data, AI & Automation Consulting : United Kingdom
For UK manufacturing and supply chain organisations running post-Brexit operations on pre-Brexit data infrastructure - and needing a proper analytics foundation.
We build the Microsoft Fabric data platform, Power BI semantic layer, and operational analytics that UK operations directors and IT heads need to manage cost pressure, supply chain complexity, and regulatory reporting without a team of analysts.
Why UK Operations Leaders Come to MDI
Four data challenges specific to UK manufacturing right now
Post-Brexit supply chain restructuring - new data requirements
Leaving the EU changed customs processes, supplier sourcing, and compliance reporting for UK manufacturers. Many businesses responded by rebuilding their supply chains - new European distribution arrangements, new UK-only supplier bases, new customs data requirements. The analytics layer rarely got rebuilt alongside it. Most UK manufacturers are now running post-Brexit operations on pre-Brexit data infrastructure.
Energy cost pressure - no margin visibility
UK manufacturing has faced exceptional energy cost pressure since 2021. For energy-intensive manufacturers in food, chemicals, glass, and metals, energy cost is now a material driver of unit margin - but few organisations can calculate energy cost per SKU or per production run with any reliability. The data is in the meters. It is not in the analytics layer.
Made Smarter programme - investment without data foundation
The Made Smarter programme has helped UK manufacturing SMEs invest in automation, robotics, and digitalisation. What it has not always delivered is the data infrastructure to measure the return on those investments. Machines are connected. Sensors are deployed. But the data is not flowing into anything useful, and OEE improvements remain unmeasured.
Power BI investment - unreliable in production
UK enterprises adopted Microsoft 365 and Power BI early and broadly. But many Power BI environments were built quickly, on direct database connections or flat-file imports, without a proper data model underneath. Reports run slowly, break at month-end, and require manual intervention to refresh. The investment is there. The foundation is not.
The MDI Operating Model
Unify → Predict → Act
The sequence that works for UK manufacturers: unify your data across ERP, shop floor, and supply chain first - then build the operational intelligence - then automate the decisions that your team should not be making manually every day.
Unify
Connect ERP, MES, and customs/logistics data. Build the governed data foundation on Microsoft Fabric. One view of production, inventory, and supply chain performance.
Predict
Energy cost per run. OEE trends. Demand forecasting. Supply risk indicators. Analytics built for the specific cost and complexity pressures of UK manufacturing today.
Act
Automate daily production reporting, exception alerts, and month-end close preparation. Built on Power Automate and Power Apps - on top of data your organisation can trust.
What MDI Delivers
Built for the realities of UK manufacturing
Post-Brexit supply chain data platform
Unified data layer connecting UK operations with European suppliers, third-party logistics, and customs data. One view of inbound supply, UK stock positions, and export compliance. Built to handle the customs and documentation data requirements introduced post-Brexit without manual reconciliation.
Energy cost analytics for UK manufacturers
Energy cost allocation by production run, by shift, by line, and by SKU - integrated with smart meter data and production system records. For energy-intensive manufacturers, this is often the fastest route to meaningful margin improvement: find where energy is being consumed relative to output, and act on it.
Made Smarter data integration
For manufacturers who have invested in automation and connected machinery through Made Smarter or similar programmes: we build the data pipeline from shop-floor systems into a governed analytics layer. OEE calculation, downtime root cause, and quality defect tracking - connected to production schedules and financial outcomes.
Power BI on Microsoft Fabric
Rebuild your Power BI reporting on a proper Fabric data foundation - governed semantic model, Direct Lake connections, workspace-level security, and automated refresh that does not require a gateway administrator to babysit. The same dashboards your teams are used to, running on infrastructure that actually works at scale.
Industries
Sectors we work with across the UK
- ›Food and beverage manufacturing
- ›Pharmaceuticals and medical devices
- ›Automotive supply chain and components
- ›Packaging and print
- ›Chemicals and specialty materials
- ›Industrial equipment and engineering services
Technology Stack
How We Engage
Remote-first delivery with UK time zone alignment. Fixed-scope engagements with defined deliverables and measurable outcomes. Discovery before scoping - no proposals written without understanding your environment.
Manufacturing or supply chain operations in the UK?
Book a 30-minute call. Tell us about your systems, your data gaps, and what you are trying to fix. We will tell you plainly what is achievable and where to start.