Jeremy Dee is Managing Director of Swizzels Matlow, a leading confectionery manufacturer. He recently spoke with The Manufacturer about how the business is transforming its forecast accuracy while reducing planning time from days to hours.
Refreshers, Drumstick lollies, Love Hearts and Parma Violets; all iconic sweets we know and love, are made by Swizzels Matlow, commonly known as Swizzels. Founded in London in 1928 by brothers Alfred and Maurice Matlow, the British confectionery company is now nearly 100 years old. In 1940, it relocated to New Mills, Derbyshire, where it continues to operate today.
Key takeaways
- Data integration drives transformation: Swizzels Matlow’s biggest breakthrough came from connecting existing data systems, not replacing them. Integration unlocked real-time insights and eliminated manual reporting.
- Forecast accuracy improved through automation: By automating reporting and analytics, Swizzels reduced planning time from days to hours, achieving far more accurate production forecasts and better demand alignment.
- Building a data-driven culture was essential: The success wasn’t just technological — it required upskilling teams, fostering data literacy, and empowering employees to use insights in daily decision-making.
- Change management ensured sustainable results: Swizzels implemented changes gradually, focusing on communication, collaboration, and training to avoid “technology fatigue” and ensure long-term adoption.
- A balanced approach fuels future resilience: By aligning technology, people, and processes, Swizzels has built a more agile, efficient, and resilient manufacturing operation ready for future industry challenges.
FAQs
- What prompted Swizzels Matlow to begin its digital transformation?
- How did Swizzels improve its production forecasting accuracy?
- What role did data play in Swizzels’ transformation journey?
- How did Swizzels manage change during its digital transformation?
- What benefits has Swizzels Matlow seen since implementing data-driven systems?
This makes Swizzels one of the oldest and largest independent sweet manufacturers in the UK, still run by the third generation of the founding families. To thrive for nearly a century, a company must continuously innovate and evolve and Swizzels has done just that.
Like many manufacturers, Swizzels faced a critical challenge shared by numerous manufacturers of all sizes: having valuable data trapped in systems that can’t talk to each other. Despite having solid systems, the company spent a significant amount of time manually compiling reports for production planning and forecasting.
Like a third of manufacturing leaders, Swizzels recognised that automation gaps were hindering productivity. “Our teams were doing everything right with the tools they had, but we recognised that there was an untapped opportunity to connect our data more effectively across departments,” said Jeremy. He added that this disconnect was costing the company time, efficiency and ultimately, competitive advantage.
It was then that the company decided to embark on a digital transformation programme and partner with external expertise to transform how it uses its existing data. By focusing on integration rather than new technology, Swizzels has unlocked insights that have fundamentally changed production planning and forecasting capabilities.
Jeremy continued: “This journey taught us that manufacturing’s digital future isn’t about having the latest tech or more data; it’s about making the data you already have work harder for you. For us, this lesson has reshaped everything from daily operations to long-term strategy.”
How data transformed manufacturing operations
Swizzels’ journey to become a data-driven business began with a discovery phase that revealed several issues and highlighted what was possible with the right processes. Throughout the years, the company has always been forward-thinking enough as a business to invest in good technology infrastructure. However, with different departments each maintaining their own data, it was becoming difficult to get company-wide understanding of operations and effectively forecast manufacturing.
“Early in our strategy roadmap, we focussed on getting the basics right and made sure to plan effectively in a phased approach,” Jeremy continued. “Essentially, we needed real-time visibility and this required automated reporting systems. When analysing our sales reporting, what should have been a straightforward process was regularly consuming a significant amount of time.”
Jeremy explained that the long-term goal for the company was always to innovate and push boundaries, and to unlock Swizzels’ full potential through data. However, to achieve this, it first needed to lay down the right foundations. Working with external expertise, Swizzels consolidated all its data into a single, reliable framework and established a data-driven culture. Only then could it move beyond manual processes and start using data as a strategic tool.
Building a data-driven culture alongside digital transformation
The solution wasn’t just better technology; it was also to rethink the way the company worked with its data. Swizzels started by automating its reporting systems and giving teams unified access to accurate and up-to-date information. However, the real breakthrough came when the company shifted from collecting data to actively using it.
Building internal expertise here was also crucial as the team needed to understand and manage each step of the process to ensure progress was being made. Through training teams to interpret and apply insights in their work, Swizzels easily implemented improvements to planning cycles, enabling greater efficiency. “We had the right technology and a willing team, but the transformation occurred when we moved beyond merely possessing data to leveraging it strategically,” Jeremy added.
“By bridging the gap between technical capabilities and business objectives, we have unlocked new possibilities for our products. Previously, supply challenges arose because we lacked the insights to forecast demand accurately. With our new data-driven approach, we can now better meet customer demand while optimising production efficiency.”
Why embracing automation has improved ways of working
The impact that this transformation has had on the team at Swizzels has been profound, and the company has managed to fundamentally reshape how the organisation operates. Most importantly, the team has been liberated from time-consuming manual processes, enabling them to focus on more valuable strategic work – a change that employees have welcomed.
Working with the digital transformation team at digital transformation and AI specialist, Anumana, Swizzels followed a structured approach that first consolidated data sources and then analysed the information to identify the most promising opportunities for improvement.
“This phased strategy has now allowed us to streamline our planning cycles dramatically while achieving noticeably more accurate forecasting across our production lines,” said Jeremy. The benefits have extended beyond simple efficiency gains, and Swizzels is now confident in its ability to respond quickly and accurately to market changes.
Of course, with a transformation on this scale, there has been some challenges. To alleviate this, the company deliberately introduced new systems gradually, working department by department to avoid overwhelming staff. Clear, consistent communication and training have proven to be essential – not just for successful adoption but to combat change exhaustion and ‘technology fatigue’ – consequences that emerge when implementing multiple new solutions simultaneously.
Jeremy added: “Our approach balanced hands-on support from technical specialists with deliberate efforts to build internal capabilities. This was to make sure that we didn’t simply trade one dependency for another, allowing an adjustment to make sure we were confident in maintaining this transformation independently.
“This has taught us that successful digital transformation requires more than just new technology. It demands careful change management, including ongoing collaboration between departments with willingness to adapt approaches based on the feedback you receive.”
Ensuring long-term success
What began as an operational solution has now changed the way the company works. This process has shown Swizzels that lasting change comes from balancing transparency, collaboration across teams and the right partnerships. By maintaining open processes and working closely across teams, it has turned initial challenges into lasting opportunities – from upskilling the workforce to establishing true data driven decision-making.
“Other manufacturers considering this path must take the time to understand where improvements are needed, defining clear objectives before choosing solutions in data optimisation. In following this approach, where change management receives equal focus to technology implementation, it delivers results that address core industry challenges,” Jeremy concluded.
He added that the outcome of this project will continue to deliver value through measurable improvements in forecast accuracy and efficiency. It is clear to see that the future of manufacturing is dependent on utilising data and maintaining operational flexibility. For Swizzels and the wider industry, this balanced method has also built on the company’s resilience while positioning its capabilities to make better decisions.
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