In this slightly different episode of Made to Grow, the tables are turned as regular collaborator and returning guest Angela Fumpson interviews Rich Dale about what really makes digital transformation succeed in manufacturing businesses.

The conversation goes beyond software features and implementation plans to focus on the human side of change - leadership, vision, team buy-in, process clarity and the practical realities of helping manufacturers move from firefighting and friction towards better systems, stronger communication and more scalable ways of working.

About the Guest

Angela Fumpson is a quality and manufacturing expert, a regular collaborator with Flowlens, and a familiar voice to Made to Grow listeners. She has appeared on the podcast before and is also one of the expert contributors featured in Flowlens’ FEARLESS Guide to Digital Transformation.

Key Topics in This Episode

In this episode, Angela takes over the interviewer’s chair to ask Rich about his own experience of digital transformation, leadership and software adoption in manufacturing. The result is a thoughtful conversation about what businesses often get wrong, what success really looks like, and why digital transformation is as much about people and process as it is about technology.

• Why a clear vision helps leaders make better decisions and stay on course during periods of change
  

• How to recognise whether a company is genuinely ready for digital transformation
  

• Why successful transformation depends on team engagement, not just leadership intent
  

• The soft signs of progress, including curiosity, experimentation and a willingness to improve incrementally
  

• How better systems can reduce noise, improve communication and create more visibility across the business
  

• Why implementation should focus on solving business problems, not just ticking off software features
  

• The importance of giving people time to adapt, build habits and grow into new ways of working
  

• How to identify quick wins and low-hanging fruit that relieve pressure and improve cash flow early on
  

• Why manufacturers need to understand their processes before choosing software
  

• The risks of trying to force bad processes into a new system
  

• Why digital transformation needs a credible internal champion with authority, experience and time
  

• How Flowlens is thinking about the future of manufacturing technology, including AI, automation and secure use of data
  

What’s Next?

If you’re a manufacturer thinking about digital transformation, reviewing your systems, or trying to work out how to prepare your business for change, this episode is a useful place to start.

For further reading, download the Fearless Guide to Digital Transformation from the resources section at Flowlens.com, where you’ll find practical advice, expert input and common-sense guidance on preparing your business for software adoption and long-term operational improvement. Rich also invites listeners to get in touch directly if they’d like to discuss their own business challenges or request a paper copy of the guide.

If you’re enjoying Made to Grow, make sure to listen, watch and subscribe for more conversations on manufacturing systems, operational improvement, digital transformation and practical advice for growing manufacturers.

Follow the podcast for future episodes, and share this one with anyone in your team or network who is thinking seriously about how to make digital change work in the real world.

In this episode of Made to Grow, host Rich Dale is joined by Rich Webley, founder of Framework Twelve, to explore why marketing so often underperforms in SME manufacturing businesses.

Drawing on nearly 20 years of experience leading and fixing marketing functions in manufacturing, Rich explains why marketing problems are rarely caused by a lack of effort or ideas. Instead, he argues that many businesses struggle because their marketing function lacks the structure, maturity, and systems needed to support growth.

The conversation focuses on how manufacturers can move away from reactive, fragmented marketing activity and towards a systemised approach that delivers more consistent return on investment.

Rich Webley is a fractional marketing director who works exclusively with manufacturing and industrial businesses. After spending two decades in senior in-house marketing roles, he founded Framework Twelve to help manufacturers run marketing as a fully managed, outsourced function.

Framework Twelve provides marketing function-as-a-service for SME manufacturers, combining experienced leadership, structured systems, and specialist execution to support sustainable growth.

Key topics:

• Why marketing “not working” is rarely a people or effort issue

• What marketing maturity looks like in manufacturing SMEs

• How marketing becomes reactive and operates as a service desk

• The limits of single-hire and traditional agency models

• Why systems and cadence matter in marketing

• Using 90-day cycles to improve focus and accountability

• Where AI genuinely adds value in manufacturing marketing

• Practical advice for CEOs who feel stuck at a growth ceiling

If you’re a manufacturing leader questioning the return you’re getting from marketing, this episode offers a useful reframing. Rather than changing tactics or suppliers, Rich encourages businesses to step back and assess whether their marketing function is actually designed to support the level of growth they’re aiming for.

• Framework Twelve
• Connect with Rich Webley on LinkedIn

Subscribe to Made to Grow on your preferred podcast platform to hear more conversations focused on helping SME manufacturers grow through better systems, strategy, and decision-making.

The first episode of Made to Grow for 2026 tackles a topic that’s moving fast from “worth keeping an eye on” to a real, practical issue for UK manufacturers: CBAM – the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

Rich Dale is joined by Rebecca Meadows to explain what CBAM actually means for UK and EU supply chains, why 2026 is the year to prepare, and how better data, systems and reporting can turn regulation into a competitive advantage. If you work in SME manufacturing, import materials like steel or aluminium, or rely on complex supply chains, this episode offers clear, practical manufacturing insights without the usual regulatory fog.

Rebecca Meadows is the Founder and MD of Nexus Earth Group, a sustainability consultancy supporting SME manufacturers. Her work focuses on helping businesses navigate CBAM and other reporting frameworks using accurate Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions data, improving operational efficiency through smarter energy and production decisions, and connecting manufacturers with grants and support programmes such as those linked to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Her core message is simple: carbon compliance should be treated as an opportunity, not a burden.

CBAM is designed to prevent carbon leakage by ensuring imported goods reflect the carbon cost of their production. While CBAM is already live in the EU, the UK version comes into force in January 2027, making 2026 a crucial preparation year. Importers will be responsible for declaring embodied carbon, exporters will be expected to provide reliable data, and poor data or estimates can lead to higher costs and lost contracts.

The episode explores which sectors are currently in scope, including steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers and hydrogen, and why CBAM is likely to broaden over time. Even manufacturers not directly in scope should expect increasing requests for carbon data from customers and suppliers.

A key theme throughout the conversation is the role of data and systems. Rebecca and Rich discuss why default carbon estimates are expensive, how proper measurement protects margins, and why manufacturing software, MRP systems and digital production data are becoming essential. Bills of materials, supplier data and energy usage all feed into CBAM reporting, while low-cost monitoring and automation can uncover inefficiencies that directly impact the bottom line.

UK CBAM reporting will be managed by HMRC and is expected to operate in a similar way to a tax return, with quarterly submissions. Manufacturers will need reliable supplier data, visibility across supply chains and confidence in the accuracy of their figures.

If you’re an SME manufacturer looking for practical guidance on CBAM, manufacturing software, MRP and future-proofing your supply chain, this episode is a strong place to start.

Tools and resources from Nexus Earth Group: https://www.nexusearthgroup.com/

Subscribe to Made to Grow for more manufacturing insights, business podcast episodes and practical advice for growing manufacturers throughout 2026.