W.B. Chambers selects IFS Applications 9 to support rapid growth in UK soft fruit sector
End-to-end software solution streamlines business processes across entire supply chain
IFS, the global enterprise applications company, announces that W.B. Chambers, the grower, importer and packer of quality fruits, has chosen IFS Applications™ 9 to automate and monitor processes and support rapid growth across the business.
W.B. Chambers is one of the largest growers and packers of quality soft fruit in the UK. Operating over 125 hectares of innovative fruit production in Kent, along with state-of-the-art packing facilities for both UK and imported soft fruit, W.B. Chambers services major supermarkets, wholesale and retail markets nationwide.
W.B. Chambers is a major provider to the top supermarkets in the UK, and has expanded the business further, incorporating value-added processes including packing and distribution. In addition to the initial fruit-growing operation, which has grown by 40% in revenue in the past three years, the company has branched out into the importing of soft fruit internationally along with the packing of produce from other importers.
This consolidation saw W.B. Chambers group revenue grow by 400% in the last two years. With ambitious future revenue targets, the company wanted to ensure rapid growth was matched by intelligent and sustainable business processes across its three business units. The aim of the relationship with IFS and the implementation of IFS Applications 9 is to develop a concise overview of company data across the strands of the business, collecting, analyzing, and acting upon data insights while closely monitoring all processes.
Increasing pressures on the picking and packing labor market in the UK have also meant that the company must ensure the greatest level of profitability per man-hour.
IFS Applications 9 will enable W.B. Chambers to monitor and analyze all business data from a centralized location, facilitating greater business intelligence as well as new processes and innovation efforts. With the wide-reaching functionality of the software, the company will incorporate IFS Applications 9 to support financial operations, supply chain modules, distribution, manufacturing, purchasing, and sales orders to become a true 24 x 7 x 365 grower, importer, and packer.
“With IFS Applications at the heart of our operations, we will be able to automate the process of measuring and evaluating the most profitable approaches to our activity, allowing us to focus on our growth and delivering the highest standards of quality for our customers,” said Tony Godden, finance director at W.B. Chambers. “We chose IFS because of the greater functionality offered compared to more limited out-of-the-box solutions on the market and we also have Jamie Feaver leading the project, whom I have worked with on other IFS projects in the same industry.”
Paul Massey, managing director for IFS in Western Europe, said, “We could not be more excited to support the growth of this great British company. W.B. Chambers was looking for a solution that would deliver more cohesive reports on company data from its three core business units. When companies develop new revenue streams and experience such an impressive rate of growth, there is usually an opportunity for even greater efficiency gains by tying those operations together with software. With the help of IFS Applications, W.B. Chambers will have full oversight of its resources, enabling detailed planning to support its ambitious revenue targets.”
Learn more about IFS Applications supports complex supply chains: www.ifsworld.com/corp/solutions/supply-chain-management-software/.
Christine Murphy, Marketing Manager for IFS in the UK. Telephone: 44 (0) 149 44 28 991, press@ifsworld.com
About IFS
IFS™ develops and delivers enterprise software for customers around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. The industry expertise of our people and solutions, together with commitment to our customers, has made us a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of 3,300 employees supports more than one million users worldwide from a network of local offices and through our growing ecosystem of partners. For more information, visit: IFSworld.com
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