SOLVD CASE STUDY: Maincrop Potatoes Ltd

Maincrop Potatoes are a marketing company who cover the whole of the UK from their bases in Shropshire and Lincolnshire. Their practical farming background means that they understand growers’ requirements and resources, matching them to the best available market outlets. Whether you are a buyer or grower, they can provide advice on day-to-day market information, forward contracts, and complete supply chain management – from field, to store, to factory.

The company has been using an ERP software package for 12 years and have invested considerable time and effort trying to embed this system within their day-to-day usage. They invested in several ineffective bolt-ons over this time, although these are functioning reasonably well, they are still clunky and not completely fit for purpose. As a result, and based on recommendations, the company has been using Microsoft 365 independently alongside the ERP for about 12 months and they are aware that they are not using Microsoft 365 to its full capacity.  

Neither system therefore, is providing the required trading interface to enable Maincrop Potatoes to work with their customer base as effectively and efficiently as they could.

Maincrop Potatoes signed up with the SOLVD Project where they got access to University Academics and Research Fellows who provided them with more insight about agriculture specific ERP. The SOLVD Project was able to provide a comprehensive consultancy report comparing the possible solutions of integrating their data in one system, and the cost and the time associated with the recommended solutions.

Maincrop Potatoes are planning to further work with the SOLVD Project by undergoing Research and Development. This will look at artificial intelligence backed predictive and prescriptive solutions by collection data about potato growth. This will be used to make data-driven predictions to ensure a qualified production.

Mark Jones, Managing Director of Main Crop Potatoes commented:

“It has been a great experience working with SOLVD from the beginning, the process has been thought provoking and stimulating all through but for the first time for me I have a clear pathway to follow, the process is ongoing but we are on the road with a plan thanks to SOLVD.”