Menu LinkedIn Twitter
Current thinking
Case study Distribution and transport,Manufacturing
Delivering performance in logistics requires long term thinking
The Reed Boardall Group are in a very competitive industry that is ever changing. The nature of their business means that they are always looking for a competitive edge and since 2006 we have been working with them to help improve their operations through bespoke software. However the partnership does not stop there.
During the 8 years we have worked with the Reed Boardall Group, we have gained an in depth understanding of the business that they run, and have ensured the knowledge is maintained and shared by our staff. We have run a number of initiatives to do this, including arranging a site tour for a number of our people, and an internal knowledge sharing session to explain the Reed Boardall Group, the business they run, and the work that we have performed for them.
The partnership between us and the Reed Boardall Group has also provided us the ability to offer further services to them. We recently spent time with employees from the Reed Boardall group, gaining an understanding of how they use the software we have developed, producing a report detailing this, and potential improvements that can be made to further improve productivity, provide more features to help solve business problems, and deliver further benefits.
Throughout this relationship, we have also been producing software for the Reed Boardall group in a collaborative manner. Regular meetings with the Reed Boardall Group to demo new developments and gather feedback helps shape the software to meet their needs. We have produced a number of different applications, and continued by adding new features as the need for them becomes apparent.
One of the key drivers behind the project has been the input of Marcus Boardall at the Reed Boardall Group. His passion to drive the business forward through the use of technology has allowed for innovative and interesting solutions to solve business problems. The involvement of a key stakeholder throughout the software development process has helped to mould the software to ensure it is fit for purpose, and provides real business benefit to them.
We have also recently increased the level of resource for the Reed Boardall Group to start delivery of a new large system, which promises to deliver increased efficiency at the company's Boroughbridge headquarters. The flexibility that partnership working provides allows us to scale resources to meet the demand like this. To manage the new project, we are applying an agile project management philosophy, further enhancing the collaborative nature of the working relationship. Through an online portal, frequent demos and regular communication between everyone involved, visibility of the development progress allows the Reed Boardall Group to fully engage throughout the system development and check that value is always being delivered. An agile methodology also allows us to be more fluid in development, making sure we include the most important features, account for changing priorities, whilst maintaining control on the cost of the project.
Working with Waterstons is like having an in-house team of software developers who really understand our business while having access to a greater range of skills and a flexibility of approach that would otherwise be very difficult for us to achieve from such a team.
Marcus Boardall Group Finance Director
Reed Boardall Group
Based in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, The Reed Boardall Group is one of the largest temperature controlled food distribution and cold storage businesses in the UK, regularly conveying over 5,300 different products to a number of leading supermarkets and retailers nationwide and with the capacity to store 112,000 pallets in their temperature controlled stores.
The company has built its success on the back of astute business decisions and investment in the facilities and technology required to deliver services that exceed customer expectation and enable and support sustainable and profitable growth.
A long lasting partnership
A competitive advantage from having bespoke applications
Better decision making through up-to-date and accurate information provided to front line staff
Information to inform further 'green' improvements
Lower costs associated with complying with legislation.
Ways of improvement
Providing timely and accurate information
Raising quality and lowering costs
Simon McArdle
Senior Software Consultant
Rich Endersby-Marsh
Related thinking
600 Programmes
Article 26 Sep 2014
By Daniel Halliday
What a difference a [hack] day makes!
Article 29 Nov 2016
By Clair Hillier , Richard Begg , Simon McArdle , Alex Bookless
The Happiness Equation – Mapping the customer journey
Article 19 Jan 2016
By Alex Waterston
5 key considerations for AEC organisations considering Office 365
Article 21 Mar 2016
By Alex Waterston , Christopher Grosberg
No case study available (yet)
Age UK County Durham is the principal voluntary organisation working for older people, their families and carers throughout County Durham.
ERP System Review
Architecting a flexible practice
ARHAG is a housing association which focuses on housing refugees and migrants from all countries and continents.
Formed in 1974, the Council comprises the former Urban Districts of Hucknall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield, together with the parishes of Annesley, Felley and Selston. The Council's long term vision is for 'A regenerated and thriving Ashfield'.
A Collaborative Hub
Simple, Secure Remote Working
Firm prepares for long term gain with IT Strategy
The United Kingdom's leading Electrical Wholesale Network with almost twice as many distribution outlets as their nearest competitor.
Crest Nicholson has been building new homes for over 50 years and is firmly established as a leading developer with a passion for not just building homes, but creating vibrant sustainable communities.
Reducing Cost, Increasing Performance Looking after Legacy Applications Global Automation drives Efficiency
Manufacturing efficiency improvements
A Citizen Portal the efficient way
Durham University is a world-class University providing high-quality teaching and learning, along with advanced research and partnering with business
Business Education Partners Enhancing the student experience Project management: reducing risk and delivering on time Streamlining the desktop experience
East Lothian Housing Association (ELHA) was founded in 1988 with the aim of providing good quality affordable housing within East Lothian.
IT Strategy supports growth Elddis ups a gear with flash performance injection
Enva delivers outstanding hazardous waste solutions and expert, tailored water services.
Keeping Business Flowing
Supporting Evergreen Garden Care to grow
Established in London in 2004, today Exponent is one of the UK's leading private equity firms, investing in companies headquartered in the UK and Ireland with enterprise values between £100-400m.
Gateway Housing Association is the largest provider of sheltered housing and has the third largest stock-holding of social housing within the Tower Hamlets area of London, with some 2,700 properties.
Lighting up African communities
A down-to-earth, innovative, friendly and professional architectural practice with offices in Birmingham and London. Underpinning the practice is an approach rooted in exploring ideas of how places and buildings can make peoples lives better.
The UK's largest quoted residential property owner, managing over 12,000 homes. Their portfolio spans a broad range of assets from modest terraced houses to major development sites.
Hawkins\Brown is an award-winning architectural practice of over 400 architects, interior designers, urban designers, and researchers, with studios in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Los Angeles.
Shared values drive long-term partnership
Highly available messaging Protecting and preserving critical emails
Becoming Outrageously Brilliant
The trust provides a very broad range of community services (including therapies), community and inpatient mental health services, learning disability services, healthy lifestyle support and addictions services to people living in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Innisfree Housing Association is a publicly accountable, independent charity which strives to achieve a continuing improvement in the quality of housing services.
Intelect provide engineering services to some of the leading operators in the food processing, utilities, renewables and pharmaceuticals sectors.
Interoute's cloud based services connects 30 countries, 102 cities, 12 Data Centres, 31 colocation centres and has connections to an additional 140 partner owned data centres
System and process gap analysis Live Data Integration
James Fisher and Sons plc is a leading provider of specialist services to the marine, oil and gas and other high assurance industries worldwide.
Streamlining Business Processes for a Cutting Edge Refrigeration Solutions Provider
Cyber Essentials: The springboard to your security journey
John McAslan + Partners is a leading architectural and design practice based in London and Edinburgh. Their extensive portfolio of award-winning projects in the UK and overseas includes infrastructure, commercial, residential, education, cultural, heritage, urban design, and landscape sectors.
Creating a master plan for future work
Drilling contractor drills-down its data
A fast growing top 10 UK housing and construction company. Keepmoat design, build, refurbish and regenerate places to improve economic and social outcomes for people.
Formerly Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds Beckett is a public university located in Leeds, with around 28,000 students from over 100 countries.
Make is an award-winning international architectural practice with a reputation for design excellence.
Cutting Costs, Not Trees Analytics provide key student progression insights
MHT Technology Ltd is a leading supplier of bulk inventory management and stock reconciliation systems to the Oil, Gas and Petro-chemical business.
Partnering Pragmatically
Navigator is the UK's largest independent bulk liquid storage provider.
IT solutions for market domination
Resilient IT for regional airport Airport Analytics
Virtual infrastructure health check
The largest university in the North of England with more than 30,000 students from over 130 countries.
Where security is paramount
Gold Standard Security for People's Postcode Lottery
Specialists in the creation of new neighbourhoods and the revitalisation of old ones, Pollard Thomas Edwards combines design talent, commercial acumen and social commitment to lift everyday places out of the ordinary.
Aligning port IT to the business
Established in 1909, PWS is a fifth-generation family business and the market leader in the design and supply of quality kitchen components and bespoke worksurfaces to manufacturers, retailers and installers.
Quorn Foods Virtualised Estate Ringing in the changes at Quorn
Controlled move for storage Designing a safety critical IP network Providing highly resilient cross site communication
Keeping an i on performance
The major UK pension administration company operating for the last 45 years, and now manage pension schemes and manage assets in excess of £20bn
Workflow automation in a safety-critical environment
Founded in 1970, SGP are one of the UK's leading architectural practices with offices in London, Birmingham, Leicester, Leeds and Solihull. Placed in the 'Top 100' practices by the Architects' Journal and previously listed as one of the 'Best Small Companies to work for' by The Sunday Times.
Keeping connected
A group of market-leading companies that combines capabilities to deliver the UK's most diverse range of marketing solutions and book publishing services.
Manufacturer of high quality bespoke home grown fencing, pallet and packaging timbers, enhanced with the very latest milling and processing equipment.
Employability portal helps Teesside students get ahead of the competition An agile approach for rapid PC deployment
Tailored selection process ensures best-fit for business technology
Thirteen Group: providing safe, secure homes to customers, and their data
Mobile Protection from Bears
Founded in 1927, the University of Hull is one of the oldest and most respected universities in the UK, known for providing a first-class education and rewarding life experience to students from all over the world.
Widely regarded as one of the UK's leading enterprise universities; famous for its links with industry, commerce and the arts.
The University of Sunderland has one base in the City of Sunderland, in the North East of England, and another base in London. In 2013, the combined student population at the University was 15,152 students.
A University with a national and international reputation for excellence, innovation and regional engagement, making a major contribution to the economic, social and cultural development of Northern Ireland.
Improving the student experience at the University of York
24 hours a day, 365 days a year VARO safely supplies fuels to local and international customers where they are needed, and when they are needed.
Westmorland operate services with a difference, focusing on local produce, community and family heritage.
Willow Burn Hospice treasures the lives of people whose illnesses are no longer curable, enabling them to achieve the best quality of life.
WilkinsonEyre is one of the world's leading architectural practices with a portfolio of national and international award-winning projects.
View all our clients
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies. However, you can change your cookie settings at any time. For further information about how we use cookies and how to change your settings, please read our Cookie Notice
Copyright Waterstons Ltd. 2020
Company no 3818424. VAT no 605757824
Registered office: Liddon Court, Aykley Heads, Durham, DH1 5TS
This site uses analytical cookies to improve the user experience and help us understand how it's used.
info@waterstons.com