Welsh manufacturer Brace’s Bakery has installed Cybake software to manage business operations at its two plants in Newport and Caerphilly.
The migration to a cloud-based system sees Brace’s end its long-time use of legacy software based on IBM mid-range systems.
Brace’s financial controller Leon James described the old software as a “green screen type of package” which didn’t have any automation options. “It wasn’t user-friendly, and reporting was horrific,” he said.
“I think one of the key benefits of us moving to Cybake has been the reporting. Previously, it was difficult to get my financial information. We are also on Sage and getting access to that financial information is now so much easier,” James added.
Cybake’s system schedules production at both of Brace’s bakery sites, as well as processing its invoices and managing purchasing, recipes, and costings. It also allows customers to place their orders via an online portal provided.
Rachel Hindle, global sales and marketing manager for Cybake, noted that the implementation of its software at Brace’s was one of the largest it had done so far in the UK. “The project required the addition of new capabilities within Cybake for bakeries with multiple production sites,” she said.
“It was great to work with a team who have such a focus on automation both on the shop floor and the back office. The project was a good example of a successful digital transformation for a forward-thinking firm whose previous ERP-type system had reached the end of the line.”
Brace’s director Jonathan Brace admitted that the company had only contacted Cybake after making an expensive mistake of trying to develop its own new system. “We chose Cybake as they already had a system and understanding in the baking industry. They knew what we needed to replace and how to develop it for the future,” he said, revealing that extra work was undertaken to build in greater flexibility and fit working practices.
“Our faith in Cybake has proven to be right and we now have a system fit for the 21st century at a reasonable cost,” Brace added.
Brace’s Bakery was founded in 1902 and is now run by fourth-generation family members. It supplies its branded range of sliced bread (which had its packaging refreshed in August), rolls, Welsh cakes, tea cakes, and crumpets to supermarkets and convenience stores in South Wales and the west of England. It also provides private label items and operates in the foodservice sector.
The company is currently enjoying a period of rapid growth, with a 21.7% increase in turnover (up to £37.1m) reported in its latest accounts filed to Companies House.
Cybake recently published a new white paper designed to help retail bakers and food-to-go operators maximise sales and reduce waste. Earlier this year, it installed its software to help bakery chain Cooplands plan and manage in-store sandwich production across its entire retail estate.
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