Working in Partnership

Temperature-controlled food storage and distribution is very competitive industry that is ever-changing. Since 2006 we’ve been working with Reed Boardall Group to find that competitive edge and support and enhance their day-to-day operations through bespoke business solutions. 

Our partnership, now 14 years strong, has always had a focus on collaboration. It’s important to us that we understand the business and the evolving challenges it faces so that we can tackle them together.  This does include the occasional site tour and a visit into one of their sub-zero degree temperature cold stores! 

Armed with an understanding of how Reed Boardall work we’re able to suggest new or changes to existing solutions to improve productivity, solve business challenges, and deliver further benefits to Reed Boardall and their customers. This is done as and when the need arises, working together. 

All this knowledge is maintained and shared by our colleagues as with a partnership like ours and the Reed Boardall Group it’s likely that everyone on the Software team has had some degree of involvement at one point or another. 

One of the key drivers behind the project has been the input of Marcus Boardall, Chief Executive at the Reed Boardall Group. His passion to drive the business forward through the use of technology has driven the development of exciting and innovative solutions to address challenges, improve business processes, and deliver information and insight into the Group’s operations. The involvement of a key senior stakeholder throughout the software development process ensures the solutions developed add real value to the business, are fit for purpose, and drive the adoption of and appetite for new technology across the organisation. 

With delivery of a significant new system underway, which promises to further increase efficiency at the company’s Boroughbridge headquarters, resource levels have increased, aided by the flexibility that partnership working provides allowing Waterstons to scale resources to meet demand. 

To manage the new project, our agile project management philosophy is employed and further enhances the collaborative nature of the working relationship. Through an online portal, frequent demonstrations and regular communication between everyone involved, visibility of the development progress allows stakeholders to be fully engaged with the project and ensures that value is always being delivered. An agile methodology also allows us to be more fluid in development, ensuring inclusion of the most important features and responding quickly to changing priorities, whilst maintaining control on the cost of the project to ensure Reed Boardall Group realises maximum value from us, their digital partner.