UK Manufacturing Consultant For Your Factory Floor

Mark Greenhouse – Manufacturing Engineer, Operations Leader and UK Manufacturing Consultant

Most factories don't miss delivery dates because people aren't trying hard enough.

UK Manufacturing Consultant - Mark Greenhouse

They miss them because capacity, flow and management control aren't properly understood.

They suffer the symptoms daily: late deliveries, not enough output, growing backlog, overtime that isn't delivering enough additional output, constant expediting, too much WIP, changing priorities and managers firefighting.

I help manufacturing MDs, operations leaders understand why their factory isn't performing and what to fix first.

Remove the Stress from Your Manufacturing Operations.

On-time delivery: 10% → 90% in four months
Yorkshire machinery manufacturer.

Lead time: 47 days → 20 days
Cambridgeshire digital machinery manufacturer — while OTD improved from 20% to 95%.

Production scheduling: £120k → £190k per week
Fabrication manufacturer — backlog recovered within one month.

Those results come from manufacturing knowledge gained from 30 years on factory floors, a Masters in Manufacturing Management, and the kind of expertise that Cambridge University Press publishes and Parliament calls on for evidence.

Mark works with factory and manufacturing leaders on real world problems, investigating to find the problem and then helping them and their teams to quickly solve a series of symptoms

On-time Delivery and Late Orders - understanding why promised finish dates are being missed.

Manufacturing Capacity and Bottlenecks - understanding where capacity really exists and what is limiting output.

Production Scheduling and Flow - getting work released, sequenced and controlled properly.

Lead Time and WIP - reducing unnecessary waiting and work-in-progress.

Management Capability- helping production and manufacturing managers lead the factory properly

Factory Layout - improving material movement, space use and production flow

Operations Strategy - aligning capacity, people, technology and growth (marketing and sales) plans

Lean/process Improvement - applying the right improvement tools where they will actually make a difference, deliver more output you can sell.

Where the issue needs immediate leadership rather than advice, Mark also provides interim manufacturing and operations leadership.  

How I approach Manufacturing Consulting 

I review your Manufacturing Cycle

I don't start with Lean, automation or another machine. I first understand the operating model, what demand requires, how work flows through the whole Manufacturing Process Cycle and what is actually controlling output.

Then I find the true bottleneck, understand why it is constrained, look at the behaviours and beliefs maintaining the system, identify the underlying failure mechanism and decide what should be fixed first.

Operating Model → Demand → Manufacturing Cycle → Flow → Bottleneck → Why Constrained? → Behaviours & Beliefs → Failure Mechanism → Fix First → Fix Next → Fix Later

Read: How to Diagnose Why a Factory Isn't Performing

What Happened After the Right Problems Were Fixed

✅ On-time delivery: 10% → 90% in four months
A Yorkshire machinery manufacturer improved production control and kitting. Assembly times reduced by 20%, while annualised output increased from £43m to £58m.

✅ Lead time: 47 days → 20 days
A Cambridgeshire digital machinery manufacturer improved OTD from 20% to 95%, reduced build time by more than half and removed recurring build-quality issues, using lean manufacturing techniques.

✅ Production scheduling: £120k → £190k per week
A fabrication manufacturer that was a full month behind caught up on its order book after introducing better scheduling, daily management meetings and the Golden Hour.

✅ Manufacturing capacity: 7 → 12 orders per month with the same-sized team
Improved scheduling, daily meetings, factory re-layout and Kanban increased throughput without increasing team size. It increased the options for the operational strategic directions that the company could explore.

✅ Production time reduced by 50%
Another manufacturer increased output within two months while removing the need for overtime working. 

Case Study: On-Time Delivery 10% → 90% — Yorkshire Machinery Manufacturer

UK Privately Owned Machinery manufacturer based in Yorkshire with Mechanical & Electrical design, CNC machining and Assembly capability.

Problem: OTD approximately 10%, long lead times getting longer, complaints, quality problems.

An initial Factory Diagnostic Review was carried out. Work Order Scheduling, Assembly Flow and Work Readiness identified as key points.

Changes
Scheduling, daily control, then kitting and quality improvements.

Impact
OTD 10% → 90% in four months.
Assembly time -20%.
Annualised turnover £43m → £58m.

Reduced daily stress. Customers that could trust Delivery Dates. 

Oh and increased margins. 

Imagine that in your business.

Case Study: Production Scheduling £120k → £190k per Week — Fabrication Manufacturer

UK SME Agricultural Machinery manufacturer based in Yorkshire with Laser Cutting, Fabrication, Welding, Paint and full Assembly operations. 

Problem: OTD was at zero, there was a backlog of at least 1 month, quality problems and questions around management performance.

An initial Factory Diagnostic Review was carried out. The Bottleneck was found, Work Order Scheduling introduced, Daily Management and Golden Hour practices. 

Changes
Bottleneck Optimisation, Scheduling, Daily Meeting and Golden Hour practices introduced.

Impact
OTD 0% → 90% in four weeks.
Assembly time - 30%.
Weekly turnover increased from £120k → £190k in 4 weeks.

Annualised turnover from £6M to £10.5m

New management team recruited.

**Results vary by factory, product mix, demand, available capacity and the changes implemented. The examples above are previous client outcomes and are not guarantees of future performance. A Factory Performance Diagnostic Review is used to establish what opportunities exist in your operation before recommendations are made.

What I’m Seeing in UK Manufacturing SMEs - manufacturing up to £150m t/o

• Manufacturing managers are frequently technically experienced but under-developed as managers. Your managers are not accidentally appointed, they are given the role but no training.
• Scheduling is poorly understood. Meaning spare capacity is being lost every day.
• Businesses often misunderstand their true operating model. You're not make to stock, or make to order, bespoke or custom made, that's your fulfilment model. You have an Operating Model that you've never even tried to understand.
• Standards and data exist but are used much less than businesses assume. <10% in my reviews. Most businesses think they need more data than they do to get started in improvement.
• Owners, MDs, CEOs. Leaders want staff to take responsibility, they want better margins, they want to deal with the skills gap. Are not sure how to get the most from Data and now AI. At the same time they recognise the experience many of their staff have and want to develop them. They aren't sure where to start.

These observations come from 18 Factory Performance Reviews undertaken during 2024-2026, principally in UK Manufacturing Firms.

The Manufacturing Consultant That Manufacturing Leaders, Institutions & Policymakers Trust

UK Manufacturing Consultant - Mark Greenhouse

Mark isn't just another consultant he's the manufacturing expert that world-class institutions, industry bodies, and government commissions turn to.

Academic & Institutional

He has written for Cambridge University Press on Lean Techniques, training business leaders across the globe. He has written for the Møller Institute at Cambridge University on making digitalisation projects succeed.

For over a decade he delivered an annual Manufacturing Operations Improvement lecture to more than 4,000 MBA and undergraduate students at Leeds University Business School.

Government & Policy

Levantar contributed evidence to the Manufacturing Commission's 2026 Parliamentary Enquiry into SME Manufacturing — reviewing how manufacturing SMEs can participate in the UK's Industrial Strategy. The enquiry was co-chaired by Lord Bilimoria and Bill Esterson MP and published by Policy Connect. The resulting report, Small Means Essential: why Britain's manufacturing SMEs are vital for growth, made seventeen recommendations to the UK Government.

Hull and East Yorkshire Councils have commissioned Mark to produce a Process Improvement Handbook and a 7 Hats of Manufacturing Leadership Guide for manufacturing firms in their area.

Manufacturing Expert - Speaking & Media Appearances

2026

Leadership in Manufacturing Conference (September 2026)

Invited by Invest in East Yorkshire Leadership in Manufacturing Conference to deliver a keynote address "Your Manufacturing Managers Are Constantly Firefighting; they wear seven management hats every day." The session introduced the seven management hats operations leaders wear and what effective manufacturing leaders do differently.  Manufacturing Leadership Conference

BAMA Innovation Day (April 2026)
Presented practical operational insights to "Transforming factory performance: practical strategies for improving capacity and lead times" to the British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association at the Royal Armouries Leeds, April 26. 
BAMA Innovation Day 2026 | View details on Mark's Session on the British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association (BAMA) Full Programme 

Manufacturing Leaders Summit (April 2026)
Delivered a presentation on "Simplifying manufacturing performance — identifying where productivity is lost", hosted by Theo James Recruitment & New College Durham in April 26.

Manufacturing Leaders Conference - Theo James Recruitment & New College Durham Official Event Listing.

Manufacturing Leaders Podcast (January 2026)
Featured guest on the topic of "Unlocking the Secrets of Manufacturing Efficiency." for the Theo James Recruitment Manufacturing Podcast series, hosted by Mark Bracknell.
Listen to the full episode on the Manufacturing Leaders Podcast Audio Feed | Watch Mark Greenhouse on the Theo James Recruitment YouTube Channel.

2025 -2023 Notable Highlights

Humber Business Week (June 2025)

Delivered the highly attended and well received industry presentation: "Lessons from Manufacturing Improvement" detailing actionable factory floor best practices and scale optimization as part of the Humber Business Week June 2025.

Humber Business Week Official Archives : Lessons from Manufacturing Improvement

The Impruvers Podcast (March 2025)

True respect in the workplace goes far deeper than simply listening to employee suggestions. UK based Manufacturing Consultant, Mark Greenhouse, explained on The Impruvers Podcast, factory and operations leaders must lean into productive conflict to truly understand employee challenges.

Mark and the episode's host, Calvin L. Williams, discuss real life examples and how bypassing these difficult conversations is a direct path to leadership disconnect.

Listen to the full episode on The Impruvers Podcast Audio Feed

Rubik Podcast  (December 2024)
Deep-dive video interview in which Mark shares his experiences of data, analysis and digital techniques and opportunities across the last 30 years of manufacturing leadership with Mark Flynn of Rubik. "How Digital Transformation is Reshaping the Manufacturing Landscape." for Rubik.
Watch the full interview on the Rubik Podcast YouTube Channel

Future of Manufacturing Conference  (June 2024)
Commissioned by the Hull & East Riding Council through Invest East Yorkshire to present a keynote address on "Operational Strategies and Management in the Future of Manufacturing" at their 2024 Future Of Manufacturing Conference.
Invest East Yorkshire Future of Manufacturing Conference Event Page

Process Improvement in Construction (July 2024)

Commissioned by the Hull & East Riding Council to present "Cross-industry operational strategies linking construction supply chains to lean factory models and insights into increasing efficiency" at their Construction Summit: Building A Sustainable Future

Hull & East Riding Council Process Improvement Event Page

Improving SME Manufacturing (June 2023)

Invited by the Hull and East Yorkshire Growth Hub Manufacturers Network to deliver a presentation on "Overcoming Manufacturing Productivity Challenges" in which he introduced his Penny Exercise to start conversations about improvement.
HEY LEP Growth Hub Manufacturers Network Event page

Real-World Experience Combined With Academic Excellence 

Mark brings his 30+ years of manufacturing leadership from many different businesses combined with his qualifications.  Mark holds a Masters in Manufacturing Systems and Engineering Management from Nottingham Trent University and a BEng in Manufacturing Engineering, also from Nottingham Trent University. He uses this powerful combination and blend of manufacturing and supply chain knowledge and experience to help to clients to deliver the results they've been searching for.

Mark's journey from factory floor to boardroom:

Education: Education: BEng in Manufacturing Engineering and Masters in Manufacturing Systems and Engineering Management, both from Nottingham Trent University.

Started: Team leader and supervisor roles - managing real people, real deadlines, real consequences

Progressed: Through operations management positions - optimising actual production departments not theoretical models

Advanced: To Operations Director - responsible for entire manufacturing operations, P&L accountability

Mastered: Project management for major capex investments - new equipment, machinery purchases, department restructuring.

Why this matters: He's solved the exact problems you're facing, in roles just like yours, in factories and on industry sites like yours, with the same pressures you feel every day.

Professional Memberships held by Mark Greenhouse 
Member, Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET)
Member, Chartered Management Institute (MCMI)

What Makes Mark Different From Other Consultants

He's Walked in Your Shoes

• 30 years from team leader to Operations Director
• Managed real production deadlines with real consequences
• Led major capex projects - knows what works and what doesn't
• Supervised teams doing exactly what your teams do every day

His Masters and 30 years on the factory floor give him a deep understanding of:

• Deep understanding of MRP, ERP, and BoM optimization
• Production planning and scheduling expertise
• Bottleneck identification and elimination strategies
• Financial management of operations
• HR and team development in manufacturing environments
• knowledge of the Operating Model types you can choose and how they affect delivery, staff, finance, HR.

What makes this different? Most consultants have either academic knowledge OR practical experience of one industry.

Mark combines both - he studied the theory, then spent decades proving it works in real factories of many types.

I've developed some core services which you can read about in the links below. If you not sure whether these are for you, call me on 07712 669396. My initial consultation is always free.

Who Mark Works With and Why Manufacturing Owners Call For Expert Help

UK Manufacturing Consultant - Mark Greenhouse

Mark consults regularly for Industrial businesses & Factory sites across the UK.

He works with standalone businesses typically from £5m-£150m ,as well as multi-national sites. He’s worked with

• UK manufacturing SMEs;
• family-owned businesses;
• PE-backed manufacturers;
• divisions/sites within larger groups.

Providing manufacturing consulting services across a breadth and range of industries. He often sees larger organisations as made up of small group sites, with individual market focus. The challenge of many larger blue chips is similar to a £30-50m manufacturer. 

Instead of a list of technical solutions, such as 5S, Lean, Six Sigma, here's the questions manufacturing leaders often share with him, the production challenges they have, the factory problems they want to solve.

The reasons they get in touch....if your challenge is here, maybe you should too..

Strategic Growth Initiatives

"We need to double capacity without doubling costs"

Factory expansion projects through to setting up new production facilities and merging manufacturing sites.  

Organisational Changes

"Our people are our biggest asset - and our biggest challenge"

Help Leadership transitions from the shop floor to management. Assisting with identifying and filling Skills gaps on the factory floor and in Succession planning.

Market Pressures & Competitive Responses

"Our competitors are moving fast - we need to move faster"

Lead time reduction projects to implementing Lean manufacturing tools. Extracting maximum value from data and systems and preparing for digital and AI initiatives. 

Major Factory Investment Decisions

"We're spending £50k - £250K+ and can't afford to get this wrong"

Equipment and Capex selection  to ensure maximum ROI. Helping on automation priorities and software operating parameters, especially making MRP & ERP work for you. Warehouse & logistics optimised to suit your operating model.  

Crisis Management & Turnarounds

"We need results fast or we're in serious trouble"

Guiding factories on rapid improvement initiatives, cost reduction and supply chain disruption recovery programs.

Pre-Sale Due Diligence

"Potential buyers are asking tough questions about our operations"

Increase the value of your Operations, get the Performance Benchmarked.

These reviews are from 2018. If you're a recent client and would like to share your experience, we'd be grateful — leave a Google review here.

"Throughout 2016 I had the privilege of working closely with Mark Greenhouse of Levantar... any SME looking to build a strong platform in readiness for the next stage in its organisational growth... I am delighted to give testimony to Levantar."

Roy Thompson, Former Head of Production & Process Engineering, Inca Digital Printers, Cambridge
★★★★★ Google Review — March 2018 | View on Google

"Levantar provide a fantastic service...helped to dig much deeper to identify underlying issues across the business and how to improve them... really easy to work with and are able to challenge and develop individuals from the shop-floor to the management team. I highly recommend them.
Garth Williams Software Manager ABG International Ltd ★★★★★ — Google Review, May 2018 | View on Google

"An in depth knowledge of how to fix all the problems you can imagine any business to have, exceptional consultancy — cannot recommend them highly enough."
Phil Robson, Operations Manager, ABG International Ltd ★★★★★ — Google Review, May 2018 | View on Google

Stop Accepting "That's Just How Manufacturing Is"

Your operation doesn't have to be chaotic. Your team doesn't have to be stressed.
Your customers don't have to wait. You don't have to work weekends.

Your Next Step Is Simple

If you're dealing with poor on-time delivery, insufficient capacity, long lead times or constant production firefighting, the first step is to understand what is actually restricting the factory.

A short initial conversation will tell us whether a Factory Performance Diagnostic Review is worthwhile.

Call Mark: 07712 669396
Email: mark@levantar.co.uk

or visit the Factory Performance Diagnostic Review page

"The best time to optimise your manufacturing was yesterday. The second best time is today."

Page Last Reviewed: 1st June 2026