“It quickly got operators asking questions, engaging with the system and starting to challenge what they were seeing. All of this is exactly what Redzone is about: workforce engagement.”
We recently shared the story of how the decision to bring Redzone into Rain was made. The next stage of our journey took us from the initial planning and approvals into the practical preparation needed to make the system work. This meant data, sensors, hardware and, of course, people.
Building the foundations
Between January and April 2025, much of the work centred around preparing the master data that would be uploaded into Redzone. We needed to understand our run rates, production times, line setups, equipment lists and even the likely problems individual machines might face. It sounds detailed, and it was. If the master data was wrong, Redzone would produce misleading results, and we would not be able to act or improve effectively.
While this was underway, James Foggo took the lead on the sensor installation. Working closely with our Head Engineer, Jason Cox, and RA Automation (recommended to us by Redzone), James and Jason mapped out what sensors were needed for each machine, where they should be placed and how they would feed counts back through the PLC signal boxes. This meant we needed around 500 metres of cabling, (that’s around approximately 60 London buses nose to nose!) that we would need to go through the various buildings that makeup Rain’s Manufacturing footprint.
New technology on the shop floor
The preparation was not confined to behind the scenes. Our operators saw changes too. To support Redzone, we introduced Apple iPads across the shop floor. That meant teaching people how to use Redzone, and in many cases teaching them how to use Apple hardware in the first place - Katie included!
We also introduced large TV screens into each production suite so operators could see their production data in real time. Sourcing the right casings for these screens turned into a mini project of its own, with strict requirements for use in production environments. After rounds of research, supplier calls and samples, the chosen model was suddenly discontinued. With only six units available it could have been a problem, but James had wisely kept backup options in his pocket. Thanks to that, every suite, warehouse and office now has live Redzone data on display.
Weekly progress and a change of plan
With data mining and hardware installation underway, Katie, James and Redzone’s project manager, Adam, kept the momentum going through weekly meetings. By early March it became clear that the project might not be ready in time for our planned launch date of 7 April.
On 7 March, after urgent discussions with Redzone and our senior team, we made the decision to delay by one week. It was disappointing, but the alternative was launching without all production lines and key people.
The following weeks were spent at pace. The team uploaded data sheets, revised run rates, set up new products and made sure as many scenarios as possible were captured in the system. Around this time, we also met our Redzone coach, Eric Huang. With years of deployment experience, Eric was there to guide us from launch day through to our 90-day rollout milestone.
Practice week
The week beginning 7 April (our original launch date), became practice week. During this time, we reviewed the system, worked through any odd-looking data points (and there were a few!) and really got to grips with understanding how it worked, what it was showing us and what it was telling us.
The operators also began to get a real feel for the data they would see on the TV screens. It quickly got them asking questions, engaging with the system and starting to challenge what they were seeing. All of this is exactly what Redzone is about: workforce engagement.
Launch day
Finally, 14 April arrived. Launch day began with classroom training led by Eric, where operators were given access to a controlled training area within Redzone. Here they could explore the system freely without worrying about breaking anything or impacting the data that would become integral to our journey.
The teams engaged strongly, asked questions and challenged what they saw. It was exactly the response we had hoped for. The first week focused on the basics, such as starting and stopping shifts, tracking production batches and building confidence in using the system.
It was a busy, exciting start – suitably rewarded with pizza for everyone at lunchtime!
That marked the point where Redzone officially became part of life at Rain. In the next part of our series, we will share what happened after launch and the early wins that began to show the difference it could make.