A technology firm has raised its glass to a profitable partnership with an increasingly successful beer maker.
The Kirkham-based Smart IT group has worked with successful independent brewers, The Wild Beer Co, to improve the production and consistency of its craft beers.
The two companies have combined to optimise the Somerset-based beer producer’s brewing processes, as well as the stock and warehousing capabilities to meet the increasing demand for its beers.
Smart IT had been commissioned to design an IT-led brewing system, allowing The Wild Beer Co to use automated facilities and manage every step of the production process.
It includes the mixing of different beer recipes and the adding of different beer recipes, as well as handling the scheduling of customer orders so that the fermenting, brewing and delivery processes are fully synchronised.
Smart IT’s Mike McAlea said: “As far as we are aware, there is nothing else on the market quite as integrated as this – an all-in-one, end-to-end IT software solution which serves the craft beer industry and allows a brewer to manage an automated production line from start to finish.
“With The Wild Beer Co, we have implemented a system which monitors the entire process in real time, from the calculations of ingredients and stock control for each brewing run through to packaging and distribution of the finished product.”
The project involved six months of planning and building as Smart IT consultants made several visits to Somerset to analyse every stage of the brewing and sales process.
The brewing system also incorporates live stock management information, warehousing capacity, packaging, e-commerce, finance and CRM capability for order scheduling and sales.
There is also a positive effect on The Wild Beer Co’s bottom line as the technology accurately calculates losses in batches during the brewing process.
These can be closely monitored and submitted as an audit trail for HMRC purposes and accurate VAT and duty calculations.
“We put the quality of our beers at the heart of everything we do,” added Brett Ellis from The Wild Beer Co.
“Anything which gives us an edge or point of difference is worth exploring. With clever use of technology and software development support from Smart IT, we can improve the consistency and quality of our product. That means drinkers of our beers get a more enjoyable experience.”
For further information about Smart IT, visit www.smart-ltd.co.uk or call 01772 445050.
Pictured above: Smart IT’s Matthew Horne (left) and Daniel Wareing
