KFA Connect’s research report continues to consider how IT can deliver real value.
So, what do companies need to address for IT to deliver real value?
As part of our commissioned report, we have had the opportunity to interview a number of business directors – to find out more about the issues they are currently facing.
Our recent interview with Enjoy! Free From Chocolate Managing Director, Chris Crutchley has helped us to explore his thoughts on aligning IT with business strategies and operations.
Enjoy Free From Chocolate was founded by husband and wife team, Chris and Steph Crutchley in 2014 – inspired by, not just food intolerances that made it impossible for him to eat conventional chocolate, but also a desire to produce really good dark chocolate that everyone can ‘Enjoy!’
Enjoy! is approved by the Vegan Society and the Soil Association and is free from dairy, gluten, soya and refined sugars – meaning it appeals to those looking for a healthier option as well as consumers with food intolerances.
Chris had been used to sophisticated IT at a previous company, but setting up a small business means you have to go back to basics…
“I don’t have all that anymore. I have a basic accounting system and a system that allows us to manage stock but it’s not linked to material control. There are lots of processes we have been doing manually”.
Enjoy! Raw Chocolate are organic, so they have to provide traceable evidence to the Soil Association concerning the source of the ingredients…
“From start to finish, the processes have to have an audit trail. That involves a lot of paperwork, and for us that has meant using manual forms to list every ingredient and every stage in the production process”.
Chris is keen to implement a system that will give them the full traceability they need…
“We can grow a bit more before that level of IT becomes an imperative. But it does get more difficult as more people join the business because the chances of someone getting a manual process wrong will increase”.
Download the full interview with Managing Director, Chris Crutchley here