Sundora feeds machine with fast information

Tropical and dried fruit processor Sundora says it’s already seeing the expected business benefits from its ERP implementation, which went live in March. David Figg, Sundora’s finance and IT director, says that its Tropos system, provided as a managed service by ERP developer SSI, is, for example, providing the visibility to control stocks better. “Everybody is talking about the same information, so there’s much-improved communication,” he says. “We are also benefiting from efficiencies in finance – we now spend more time analysing the data than preparing it.” And he adds: “We’ve certainly got far fuller and better information now. We are improving the use of the system, adding data and cleansing as we go. We expect to get progressively even more benefits over the next two years.” The system is hosted remotely by SSI at its Basingstoke HQ, and is linked through a 2MB virtual network. It replaced an ageing, mostly paper-based system which was creaking under the strain of the company’s growth. With an offering of 600 products and 80% of its output destined for the major supermarket chains, Sundora needed to improve efficiency in production planning, material movement and stock control. It also needed Tropos to for traceability of all products. Sundora solution is SSI’s Tropos with Coda Financials, including Tropos’ forecast management, sales order processing, process and recipe control, quality specifications, demand management, works orders, production time bookings and purchasing and invoice clearance. SSI also supplied the reporting system Impromptu from Cognos, which provides Sundora managers with statistical and financial overviews. The system also uses bar coding for lot control of products and ingredients as the pass through the processes. Incoming lots are bar coded on arrival and information is added at each stage to provide full traceability for material identification within minutes. “We’ve had a lot to integrate,” says Figg, “so there’s been a lot going on around the system. It has delivered in a number of areas. As with any system, there was a settling down period, but now we are looking at moving it on to get more improved processes and improved flows over and beyond where we are now.”