Ewing’s increase productivity and profits
Ewing’s, a supplier of fresh fish, smoked salmon and seafood to many top restaurants and hotels, has been assisted by Invest Northern Ireland to improve profitability and overall competitiveness by harnessing the latest information technology systems.
A UK Great Taste Award winner, Ewing’s produces award winning smoked salmon and other fish from its own kiln in Belfast. The company used Invest NI support, part funded by the European Fisheries Fund, to develop and install a bespoke and comprehensive factory and office management system which has enhanced traceability and made it easier to retain British Retail Consortium Grade A accreditation demanded in particular by major retailers.
Olive Hill, Invest NI Director of Innovation and Technology Solutions, said: “The management information system that our experts developed with Ewing’s is designed to assist the business improve its productivity and to encourage it to exploit opportunities for products for markets outside Northern Ireland including Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
“It’s an excellent example of how our technology experts work with a business, both large and small and across all industries, to apply state-of-the-art technology designed to help the company achieve greater control of costs and increase sales especially in export markets such as the Republic of Ireland.”
The new system has enabled to company to computerise most of its business including tele-sales, order processing, stock control, costing and invoicing.
Crawford Ewing, Commercial Director of family owned Ewing’s, which has been supplying fresh fish and seafood from a base on the Shankill Road for over a century, said: “Invest NI’s guidance and support for the new computer system made a huge difference to the business particularly in terms of cost control, profitability and safety.
“Invest NI has been tremendously supportive over many years. The new system gives us greater control of all our operations especially in terms of returns and margins on products. We can also provide essential management data to our customers to enable them to enhance their management. We now have total control in areas such as safety and traceability, important considerations today.
“In addition the system helped us to retain our crucially important BRC Grade A accreditation easier than would have been the case without it. It’s a very exacting procedure that demands the most efficient safety systems in particular for companies wishing to either supply or retail business with retail multiples,” added Mr Ewing.
