Bruichladdich distillery adopts Tropos ERP system

Scotland's Bruichladdich Distillery Company has invested £200,000 in an ERP system developed for food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries to help manage its complex supply chain and support planned expansion.

The distillery, which produces and distributes 45 types of Scotch whisky to 25 countries, recorded a 40% growth in business in the past year and plans to expand into new markets in 2008.

Mark Reynier, Bruichladdich managing director, said the new system would improve efficiency and decision-making systems by eliminating paper-based processes and consolidating accounting, database and stock systems into a single application.

He said the distillery had chosen the Tropos ERP system developed by SSI of the Chelford Group because of its "excellent reputation in the Scottish whisky industry and its ability to control all aspects of the business, including HM Revenue and Customs reporting, supplies, distilling, maturation, bottling and distribution".

Distillers using Tropos include Morrison Bowmore, Ian MacLeod, Burn Stewart, Bells of Lazonby and Gordon & MacPhail.

Reynier said the system would make management information easily accessible and would enable growth without additional staff or investment in ERP systems because it was "scaleable far beyond Bruichladdich's existing business requirements".

Phase one of the project, dry goods control and purchase ledger, is due to go live in April 2008 phase two, bulk spirits and cased goods management, is slated to go live in September 2008.