Wrights Pies orders supply chain solution

New 234K system to provide full stock visibility for expanding company

SSI, a Chelford Group company and provider of specialist ERP and supply chain management solutions for regulated industries, has announced a 234K order for its TROPOS ERP solution from Wrights Pies Ltd, a leading UK manufacturer of pies, savouries and confectionery. The solution, which includes modules designed specifically for the food industry, will enable managers, for the first time, to instantly and precisely monitor every aspect of the production process, and provide the company with complete stock visibility.

Wrights Pies will also integrate the TROPOS Business Intelligence and Reporting solution across its extensive UK supply chain which includes two separate manufacturing plants and thirteen retail branches. Staff at any point of the supply chain will have easy access to detailed analysis of purchasing, stock, and customer information to support decision-making all the way through the company.

The company has also implemented the TROPOS financial module based on CODA, to create accurate financial forecasts of ingredient supply and future sales, and to allow the company to produce regular business models to sustain business growth. Wrights Pies has recently invested 3million in modern pie and freezing lines at its Crewe-based factory and plans to open 50 new retail outlets across the West Midlands over the next five years.

"The main reason for implementing the TROPOS solution is control - over our production cycle, stock levels and financial planning," commented Neville Caruthers, Operations Manager at Wrights Pies. "With our old system, the process of regularly reviewing factory performance and product quality was complex and time consuming. TROPOS will give us this information instantly, all through a single interface that can be accessed at any stage of the supply chain - from the factories right through to the satellite depots and retail branches. Unlike other ERP solutions, SSI allowed us to choose exactly the right system modules for our business, which are tailored for the food industry.

"Wrights Pies is going through a major phase of expansion, so we needed a powerful ERP solution that would give us complete stock visibility and control throughout the enterprise, and also provide us with the relevant knowledge to plan the future of the business. In the end, we anticipate that the TROPOS implementation will impact on everything - we will be able to keep tabs on each part of our production line, we will have complete control of stock and ingredient levels and the firm's running costs will be substantially reduced," Neville Caruthers continued.

TROPOS will provide Wrights Pies with the unique combination of software, technology, experience, services and future-proofing that will help ensure a seamless transition to greater and enhanced automation of purchasing and supply chain management. The platform gives each user easy access to the organisation's information in a controlled manner - reports can be rapidly produced, trends can be analysed, and comprehensive information can be obtained to support decision making at all points in the supply chain.

The TROPOS ERP system is specifically tailored for companies in the food industry and includes sector-specific features which address issues around traceability, food hygiene and perishable goods. SSI's client base in the sector includes Fox's Confectionery, George Adams and Cauldron Foods.

"Companies with extensive product ranges, such as Wrights Pies, are constantly realising the benefits of upgrading to an integrated, end-to-end supply chain solution," added Neville Merritt, Group Marketing Director, Chelford Group. "TROPOS provides comprehensive visibility of the supply chain, which means stock control and business analysis become straightforward processes - removing the delay and potential errors involved with paper-based decision-making. This results in substantial business benefits for the company, and establishes a secure base for future growth."

About Wrights Pies
Wrights Pies (Shelton) Ltd. is a manufacturer of pies, savouries and confectionery based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The company was founded in 1926 by John James Wright and is still family-owned. The Stoke factory is now used for confectionery production with the main premises based in Crewe. Wrights has 13 retail outlets around Stoke-on-Trent plus a wholesale delivery operation which covers most of the North West of England. Overall, the company produces 400,000 individual items every day, and exports to 26 countries.

About SSI
SSI specialises in the implementation and lifecycle support of web-optimised manufacturing and supply chain solutions for highly regulated process industries and 'lean' discrete manufacturers.

SSI is the developer of the class-leading TROPOSTM ERP solution, selected by many companies in the food and drink, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and mill based manufacturing sectors. 'Lean' discrete manufacturers also benefit from significantly reduced lead times by using the TROPOS demand-pull model.

SSI offers end-to-end supply chain solutions including inventory optimisation, advanced planning, data collection systems and business intelligence solutions.

To complement its application solutions, SSI provides all the services required for lifecycle support with a single point of responsibility: project management, application implementation support, hosted application services, hosted web collaboration, remote managed services, bespoke systems development, systems integration, web development and technical consultancy.

Since 1982, SSI has been providing competitive advantage to a client base operating in the mid market, including small companies and subsidiaries of multinationals and large independent companies: Adams Pork Products, Uniq, G&J Greenall, Fox's Confectionery,  Saxbys, Inter Link Foods, Giles Foods, Cauldron Foods and Gala. Recent wins include Naturally Best and Dairy Farmers of Britain.

SSI is part of the AIM-quoted Chelford Group (CHR).