visit our sister company for bespoke solutions, click here
Call NOW on 01642 378 201 email us
Posted on 28/04/2026
Forterro has supported Glazerite in completing a major eight month upgrade to its servers and dataset, which is already delivering what Paul Jagger, Glazerite's Head of Group IT, describes as "significant performance benefits for customers and colleagues."
Forterro has been Glazerite's software partner since the company was founded in 2000. Over the past 26 years, Forterro has helped the Wellingborough-based trade fabricator leverage maximum efficiencies and customer service enhancements from its suite of products. This includes Evolution and Satellite pricing, ordering and manufacturing software, EvoNet order tracking and stock control system and the Courier electronic proof of delivery tool.
The latest project enabled Glazerite's planned switch to a new server as part of ongoing investments to ensure the scalability, security and cost-efficiency of its IT systems. Forterro's software development division in Scotland worked closely with Paul Jagger and his team to scope and plan the programme, which involved a complete dataset rebuild.
Impressively, that rebuild was completed ahead of schedule, ensuring that Glazerite could switch their order processing function onto the server a month early and ensure it was fully populated before going live.
The dataset rebuild project, led by Glazerite's Senior Software Product Developer, Andy Thompson, has allowed Glazerite to remove all redundant profiles and hardware from its system as well as consolidating its machining set up. This has, in turn delivered a faster, sleeker and easier to maintain system.
Forterro completed the detailed work required for Glazerite to change away from a 25-year-old dataset. This included implementing changes to Glazerite's Batch Release Module, updating factory machine drivers, modifying the GlazeBot automated tasks and reporting tool, supporting changes to Courier, and creating a new set up for the EvoSatellite system.
Crucially, EvoNet, used for order management and tracking, item barcode tracking with scanpoint info screens and stock control – was recreated and amended jointly by Glazerite and Forterro. This allowed the system to work dynamically with orders from both servers, eliminating the risk of errors, bottlenecks and duplication.
Paul Jagger said: "Our advanced IT set up has always been an important differentiator for us in this market, and this project ensures that we maintain that advantage. There is always some inherent risk in migrating to a new server, but working with the Forterro team ensured that we were able to mitigate that risk almost entirely. Their support was crucial in the successful delivery of this project.
"The feedback I’ve received from both within Glazerite and from our customers using our EvoSatellite ordering system is that the transition has been seamless, with significant performance improvements
"The support we received from the team at Forterro was key to the success of this project. This was such a complex change with many moving parts, yet Glazerite’s operations didn’t miss a beat during the implementation phase of the switchover."
More at: https://www.businessmicros.co.uk
Posted on 21/04/2026
Fensterbau Frontale 2026 was the first time that the new Forterro Windows and Doors business unit had exhibited as one entity – with Business Micros and Orgadata now side by side in what is a fast growing group.
The overarching message from Forterro at the show was that success and efficiency in this industry will no longer come from individual software solutions, but rather from end-to-end, integrated processes implemented across the entire value chain. And the focus in meetings the team had with customers from the UK was on how successfully Forterro’s established solutions can align with that integration and coordination.
Those established solutions included Quotila, the next generation of the former Touch software platform, which made an impressive debut at the show.
Quotila is the popular, cloud-based web system which allows users to configure, price and quote using up-to-date, technically accurate product data direct from their supplier. The UK team were in Nuremburg to demonstrate Quotila to European audiences for the first time and the response was very positive. The Home Visualiser tool which allows users to see photorealistic 2D and 3D renders of windows and doors on photos of their own properties was particularly popular, as was the fact that there are options available for system companies, fabricators and installers with modular scalability.
Other established solutions on the stand included Forterro’s Logikal 14 software, the latest version of which includes a Product Carbon Footprint calculator which can calculate the product-specific CO2 of windows, doors and curtain walling elements at the planning phase, to help fabricators document sustainability. This version also now supports the digital mapping of FPCs, making it easier to comply with evidence requirements on fire-rated products.
In terms of production, there were updates on show to Unilink for machine connectivity and to the Logikal MES production control system, which continues to generate a huge amount of interest across the UK and Ireland and was one of the big attractions for UK visitors.
Dean Hodges, Sales Director for Forterro Windows and Doors commented: “We were delighted to see so many UK customers at the show. It was great for them to be able to see for themselves the scale and ambition of the group – and crucially, the benefits which will be available to them across both PVC-U and aluminium as we focus on even greater integration.”
Posted on 16/04/2026
London / Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, 16. April 2026 – Forterro, a leading European software provider for the industrial midmarket, today announced its intention to acquire Klaes, a globally recognised software specialist for windows, doors, façades, and conservatories. Following last year’s acquisitions of Orgadata and BM Group, the addition of Klaes represents another significant milestone in the expansion of Forterro’s Windows & Doors line of business, further strengthening the company’s position as it strives to become one of the market’s leading software providers across all materials.
From left to right: Bernd Hillbrands (Managing Director, Windows & Doors Line of Business, Forterro), Miriam Berzen and Lars Klaes (Managing Directors of Klaes) and Marcus Pannier (President, Forterro), following the signing that brings Klaes and Forterro together.
Founded in 1983, Klaes is one of the industry’s long-established leaders. What began as a one-man operation has grown into a family-owned company and a global leader in software solutions for windows, doors, façades and conservatories, now active in more than 50 countries worldwide. With digital tools such as the Klaes premium ERP system, the flexible production control solution e-prod, and highly specialised 3D solutions for façade construction, Klaes is deeply integrated across all operational areas of the industry. From its headquarters in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, the software house helps companies of all sizes to operate efficiently and remain competitive.
The move under the Forterro umbrella is seen by Miriam Berzen, one of the Managing Directors of the company, as the beginning of a new phase of growth and performance: “Joining Forterro marks an exciting new chapter for Klaes. For more than four decades, our mission has been to develop innovative and reliable solutions that help manufacturers in the window and door industry stay competitive and prepared for the future. We gain the strength and resources of a European market leader while retaining the passion and customer proximity that have defined us since our founding in 1983.”
With the acquisition of Klaes, Forterro is consistently pursuing its ambitious expansion strategy within the window and door sector. While market-leading software Logikal (formerly Orgadata) remains the benchmark solution for aluminium systems, Klaes contributes extensive expertise in PVC and wood. The former BM Group, with its strong footprint in the UK and Irish markets, further complements the portfolio with specialised software for the residential segment.
The strategy behind this move is clear: Forterro is positioning itself as the leading material-agnostic partner for the window and door industry, bringing together one of the strongest cross-material portfolios on the market. By combining complementary capabilities across aluminium, PVC and wood, the group now supports the entire value chain – from configuration and calculation through to production and installation. This integrated approach enables manufacturers of all sizes to streamline workflows, optimise processes and accelerate their digital transformation, while further strengthening Forterro’s footprint in craft and manufacturing software across Europe.
The shared objective is to make Klaes’s product portfolio even more powerful and future-ready. Together, the partners will invest heavily in cloud platforms and AI-driven innovations to significantly accelerate digital transformation across both skilled trades and industrial manufacturing. By pooling expertise within the Windows & Doors business unit, innovations in areas such as production automation and advanced data analytics can be brought to market significantly faster.
Klaes will continue to operate as a strong, independent brand within the business unit. For customers, this step above all means long-term stability: access to a global network, a shared infrastructure and additional technological expertise to meet future market demands.
Dean Forbes, CEO of Forterro, highlights the strategic importance of the acquisition:
“With Orgadata, the BM Group and now Klaes under one roof, Forterro supports all key materials and production processes in the sector. Through intelligent, increasingly AI-powered solutions, we enable manufacturers to digitalise their processes faster and more effectively than ever before.”
The acquisition agreement has been signed and is now subject only to completion of regulatory approval reviews, which are expected to conclude in the second quarter of this year.
Posted on 05/03/2026
Forterro has just completed its largest scale Logikal MES software installation yet at AMS (Architectural Metal Systems)’ 400,000sq ft production facility in Cork, as the aluminium specialist invests in digitalising its fabrication operation.
Forterro’s Logikal MES system, integrated with its market leading Logikal aluminium processing software, gives fabricators complete control and traceability of their production flows so that they can optimise efficiency and minimise errors.
At AMS, the new Logikal MES software is running parallel production flows through three clearly defined fabrication production routes, with multiple machining and assembly stations all part of the same software framework.
Daniel Hodges, Sales Team Lead at Forterro who was responsible for the installation, explained the significance: “This was bigger and more complex than the previous Logikal MES installations we’ve carried out in the UK and Ireland and perfectly demonstrates both the capability and scalability of the software.
“AMS has a main, high volume production route for windows, doors and curtain walling and additional dedicated routes for sliding doors and bespoke doors for data centres. For the first time, our Forterro Logikal MES software is controlling and tracking each of these diverse routes separately, while maintaining consistent methods of execution throughout the fabrication processes.
“The software is automatically capturing the start and end of every operation at AMS via bar code scanning, with screens delivering clear process instructions for the operators as work progresses down the lines. Each of the assembly steps is also under FPC (Factory Process Control), and AMS has successfully migrated its existing production QC process over to the new facility.”
The new Logikal MES installation allows the production team at AMS to plan for different operations and different volumes on each line and have access to the same level of communication and visibility for all of them. It is also delivering robust traceability and documentation of the process to help demonstrate compliance for both FPC and ISO9001 audits.
It will provide benefits in terms of communication as well, with the system set up to confirm the production of customer-ready identification labels and paperwork at specific assembly points where product completion is confirmed, rather than just at the end of the lines. This ensures right first time product identification, and minimises the gap between build completion and customer-ready dispatch, reducing the risk of missing labels and any last-minute admin.
Damien Farrelly, Fabrication Manager at AMS added: “As a business committed to continual improvement, our investment in Forterro’s Logikal MES is all about optimising efficiency, accelerating workflows and minimising the potential for errors. Digital feedback from every one of the stations around the factory is available in real time via the Logikal MES dashboard, which means we can see who did what, when and where and we can control sign-off at assembly and dispatch. It is giving us a new level insight into all three of our production lines, which I am sure this will help us make even better informed decisions in the future.”
Logikal MES is an advanced software solution from Forterro that integrates seamlessly with the LogiKal aluminium processing software, providing fabricators with complete visibility of their production – from material optimisation through to identifying and managing manufacturing deviations. It displays real-time tracking of jobs, order status, errors and solutions and allows for centralised control and reporting via the integrated dashboard.
More details at: https://www.bmaluminium.co.uk/logikal-mes/ and https://www.ams.ie/
Posted on 22/01/2026
Dean Hodges Sales Director at Forterro, answers all the important questions following news of the rebrand from BM Group to Forterro.
Effectively, yes. From now on, the BM group will be known as Forterro – as will Orgadata, the Germany based developer of the Logikal software we supply in the UK which was also acquired by Forterro last year. Together, we form the Forterro windows and doors business with shared resources and a clear combined vision, and the rebrand makes that clear to customers across not just the UK, but Europe and the US as well.
The Business Micros name had existed in the UK for more than four decades so it’s probably sad to say goodbye to that, but the new identity definitely marks the start of an exciting new chapter.
Day to day, customers in the UK won't notice any immediate changes. All their existing relationships and support structures remain in place, and all our products and services will be the same, albeit now called Forterro Logikal, Forterro MES, Forterro Evolution, Forterro EvoNet etc.
The rebrand and repositioning is just the next logical step in our journey with Forterro. The operation in the UK continues as normal, although I am confident that we will be able to deliver efficiencies in backend services as we leverage synergies with Forterro moving forward.
The new windows and doors business brings together the combined expertise of BM and Orgadata. For Logikal license holders, that means we'll be working even more closely with the programming team in Germany, while for customers using Business Micros products, we'll have access to more resources to develop our products and support services.
Just as significantly though, being part of Forterro means we can also offer customers some of their other best in class add-on applications from planning and costing to analytics and ERP, and benefit from Forterro's wider international investments in cloud technologies and AI and the new branding reinforces that.
Forterro TOUCH continues to be our flagship end to end software platform, and we are continuing to invest in product development and building new system databases for that. In fact, we plan to launch the latest version of TOUCH in 2026 – with a new name and powerful new features.
Yes, we'll be exhibiting as Forterro in Hall 1, Stand 525. We'd love to see lots of UK customers there to talk more about our plans for the future.
More info at: https://www.forterro.com/en/windows-and-doors
