Following its recent acquisition of specialist frozen food supplier, Variety Foods, Musgrave Foodservices is investing in an Accord Distribution solution, from supply chain specialist Business Computer Projects Ltd (BCP), to replace the current system and to enable rapid integration of the new business within Musgrave.  

Musgrave Foodservices is an operating unit within Musgrave Wholesale Services (MWS) and a division of the Musgrave Group, Ireland's largest food and grocery distributor. With a turnover in excess of 30 million and multiple distribution centres, Variety Foods is a major supplier of an extensive range of frozen and chilled products to all sectors of the food service market  across both Northern and Southern Ireland. 

The acquisition follows fast on the heels of Musgrave's acquisition of C & R Foods at the end of last year and makes Musgrave Foodservice the largest player in the expanding Irish foodservice market with a nationwide service across all 32 counties.

BCP is one of the UK's top suppliers of specialist Supply Chain solutions to the Food and Drink Wholesale industry with key clients including Woodward Foodservice, BWG, Morrisons, Pedigree Wholesale and SPAR.  

The Accord solution at Variety Foods will control all aspects of  warehouse operation, from purchasing and goods received to stock control and warehouse management. It is to be implemented in two phases, with completion anticipated by the end of October.

The implementation includes the new, enhanced Accord Telesales module with a powerful combination of features to improve efficiency, grow turnover and improve customer service.  To enable Telesales operators to make full use of the new system from 'day one', all relevant data, including customer specific pricing and sales history, will be migrated from the existing system at Variety Foods.

The Variety Foods depots will be run from the main system server at Musgrave's dedicated food service depot in Ballymun where Accord has been controlling operations since the opening of the depot in 2000.  The set up will replicate that for C & R Foods where Accord was implemented earlier this year.

David McGee, Head of IT, explains: "Accord has proved fundamental to the success of our Food Service operation - giving us effective control over the business.  Standardising IT systems and integrating the newly acquired depots with the main system at Ballymun will allow us to control food service operations from the centre and help us to maximise efficiency and customer service as we consolidate our new role as number one food service supplier in Ireland."