In this insightful case study, a sauna manufacturer brings 45 years of craftsmanship into the digital age with the support of an AI-powered, material requirement planning (MRP) software platform. What began as an internal systems upgrade became a company-wide modernisation project.
Since its inception in the 1970s, Oceanic Saunas has grown into one of the UK’s leading sauna and steam room manufacturers. From compact infrared cabins to bespoke Turkish steam rooms, the Wolverhampton-based company is renowned for designing and building high-quality wellness spaces for homes and commercial locations.
Director Sarah Jones, who joined the family business about two decades ago, has led the company through a major evolution in recent years. Oceanic Saunas used to sell all sorts of bathroom products, like baths, showers, and washroom accessories, aside from their staple product, saunas. “I saw the market saturating and made the decision to focus purely on saunas and steam rooms. That’s what we’re truly good at and what customers know us for today,” says Sarah.
Fixing leaks in efficiency
The company’s internal systems had not kept pace with its product innovation, however, as can sometimes happen with long-standing businesses. As a result of the company’s dependence on inefficient productivity tools, the production process was littered with small inefficiencies: duplicate SKUs, inconsistent materials, and non-existent shop floor visibility.
What began as a system cleanup soon became a company-wide modernisation project; a complete realignment of product structures, workflows, and physical space. “And we wanted really good software to underpin it all. Something that would help us tidy up, track things properly, and make the business stronger for the future,”
After consulting national manufacturing innovation programs MTC and Made Smarter, Sarah came across MRPeasy. “I loved it immediately. It was intuitive and had a brilliant interface. My logic was that if I find using it easy, my salespeople and the rest of the staff will too,” she says.
MTC put Sarah in touch with independent manufacturing and ERP consultancy, Smart Manufacture, an authorised implementation partner of MRPeasy, who engaged directly to support the setup and implementation of the system.
A clearer view of the business
Since going live, MRPeasy has become central to how Oceanic Saunas runs its operations. It provides Sarah with a full top-down view of how the company is functioning. “I can log in anywhere in the world and see how the business is doing — how many sales we’ve had today, what’s in production, what’s coming in, everything,” Sarah says. She uses CRM filters to monitor quotation conversion rates and track daily sales performance. Something that was previously difficult to see. “It’s all there at a glance now.”
“Going through the process of learning what I needed the software to do was essential. While it took a while, it gave me the confidence to recognise good software when I saw it. MRPeasy is just nice to use, and everything you need, from CRM to production planning, is there. We’ve definitely found new efficiencies with it.”
