A Surrey manufacturer whose technology helps power high-performance race cars is investing in automation, leadership and digital capability to drive its next phase of growth with support from Made Smarter South East.
General Engine Management Systems Limited (GEMS), based in Egham, has secured a Made Smarter South East grant towards an £18,000 investment in an automated testing platform that will boost production capacity, improve product reliability and free engineers from repetitive manual testing to focus on innovation. Alongside the investment, the business has also completed the Leading Digital Transformation programme.
Made Smarter helped us step back and look at how we can strengthen the foundations of the business while continuing to innovate. From cybersecurity and traceability to leadership development and digital skills, the support has helped us identify practical actions that will make us more resilient, more scalable and better prepared for the next phase of growth.
Logan Lavan, Project Manager
GEMS designs and manufactures electronic control systems, TFT displays, steering wheels, transmission controllers, power management systems and data loggers for the motorsport, specialist automotive and aviation sectors.
Known for its engineering expertise and close collaboration with global OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacture) and race teams, the business has built a reputation for delivering bespoke, technically complex products.
As those products have become increasingly sophisticated, GEMS' traditional manual testing process has struggled to keep pace. Every product is tested by engineers following bespoke procedures, measuring signals, checking inputs and outputs, and recording results by hand.
While effective for low production volumes, the approach becomes increasingly time-consuming as products become more complex and production grows. It also introduces greater potential for human error and creates a bottleneck that limits the company's ability to scale.
Commercial automated test systems are available, but they are costly, inflexible and poorly suited to GEMS' highly bespoke products, making them an impractical solution.
At the same time, the business recognised an opportunity to evolve from a low-volume manufacturing model into a more diversified and digitally mature organisation capable of scaling its operations and reaching wider markets.
Through Made Smarter South East, GEMS explored how grant funding, leadership development, skills support and specialist advice could support its long-term ambitions.
A digital roadmap workshop identified opportunities to improve cybersecurity and product traceability, accelerate prototyping through greater use of 3D printing, reduce reliance on subcontractors and develop more scalable products for wider automotive markets.
As part of this journey, Logan completed the Leading Digital Transformation programme, helping the business develop a clearer strategic direction and a structured approach to delivering digital change across the organisation.
GEMS also secured a £9,000 grant towards an £18,000 investment to develop its own flexible automated testing platform. Rather than purchasing an off-the-shelf and inflexible commercial system, the company is creating a reconfigurable solution using its own electronic control technology, tailored to its bespoke manufacturing model.
Existing manual test procedures are being converted into digital models using software, allowing them to be verified before being deployed onto the company's own electronic control hardware. The platform can then be quickly reconfigured for different products, providing a flexible solution that improves consistency while allowing engineers to focus on higher-value innovation.
By automating complex testing procedures, GEMS expects to reduce testing times by 85 per cent for some products, dramatically increasing production throughput while removing a significant manufacturing bottleneck.
For example, a process that currently takes around 90 minutes to complete manually is expected to take just 15 minutes using the new automated testing platform.
Alongside faster testing, the flexible design of the platform will deliver more reliable, repeatable results and can be quickly adapted for new products, supporting future growth without the cost and complexity of traditional automated test equipment.
The automated testing project is forecast to create one new job, upskill four existing employees and generate a projected profit uplift of £150,000 through increased production capacity, improved product reliability and reduced manual testing time.
Looking further ahead, the business believes the platform could also create opportunities to commercialise the technology for other manufacturers facing similar testing challenges.
Logan said: "Automation has a key role to play in helping us improve productivity and bring products to market more efficiently.
"The investment in automated testing capabilities will reduce repetitive manual work, improve consistency and allow our engineers to focus on innovation. Support from Made Smarter has enabled us to accelerate this important development."
GEMS is now exploring further support through the Digital Champions programme and funded digital internships to help deliver projects around cybersecurity, database development and digital readiness planning.
Alongside this, the business will continue investing in advanced manufacturing technologies, cybersecurity and digital skills as it builds a more resilient, scalable and digitally mature organisation capable of supporting future growth across the motorsport, automotive and aviation sectors.
