Culina Group - Creating a Centralised System for a Multi-Site Market Leader

The Challenge

Culina Group first entered the food & drink logistics market in 1994. Starting off as a single-site organisation, the Group has experienced phenomenal growth and now operates across more than 20 locations in the UK and Ireland.

This rapid expansion brought with it many infrastructural and operational challenges. Without a planned, consolidated approach, Culina Group had inadvertently established a complicated system, incorporating multiple hosts and mixed hardware environments. As a result, the implementation of any company-wide productivity and efficiency initiatives proved especially difficult.

In 2010, Culina Group engaged Timewise Systems to support its continued growth through the development of a modern, unified system – one that would facilitate its multi-site nature and address the complex operational requirements of the business. Most importantly, the solution needed to enable the company to sustain its upward trajectory in the longer term.

The Response

Adopting a partnership approach, our team worked closely with Culina Group and conducted numerous site visits to assess the existing systems and processes in place. We also consulted with the Group’s IT and Operations personnel to gain a thorough understanding of their needs and the everyday issues they faced within the organisation’s ambient, chilled and bonded operations.

Our team then analysed the information gathered and, taking a holistic view, we designed a system to suit Culina Group’s precise concerns. The system comprises a uniform model for the implementation of wireless networking, mobile computing and print requirements across all sites and is managed centrally at head office.

InHouse, our unique service management software, plays a central role in how we support the Group and has become a critical resource for the client’s multi-site operations. Offering access to our highly skilled technical team through a single, user-friendly interface, Culina Group is provided with a powerful tool to maintain its operational continuity and manage its wide and diverse suite of devices.

The Results

The introduction of Culina Group’s new streamlined system has been a great success. In creating a unified solution that is managed centrally, the system has produced significant efficiencies and increased productivity across the full Group network.

Using detailed site metrics generated from InHouse, our team continues to collaborate with the client, helping to monitor the trends and performance of individual sites so that appropriate responses can be planned and put into action.

Crucially, the solution developed by Timewise Systems has furnished Culina Group with the infrastructure, processes and technologies it needs to maintain its growth long into the future.

Timewise Systems has a highly accomplished team and is embedded in the day-to-day dynamics of our 20+ sites. Our users are reliant on the effectiveness of the Timewise Systems service management software, InHouse, which provides visibility and control in maintaining our operational equipment and has become an extension of our operational processes.