Tregothnan
We helped Tregothnan upgrade it’s IT infrastructure. The business has now had its best-ever trading year selling British-grown tea.
TREGOTHNAN
Introducing Tregothnan
Founded in 1334 and situated near Truro in Cornwall, Tregothnan has been cultivated by the same family for nearly 700 years. However, in the words of Managing Director of Trading, Jonathon Jones OBE, it’s a ‘future-facing and innovative’ estate and the first in the UK to grow real English tea in England, on a commercial scale. Taking advantage of a unique microclimate, the estate management, says Jonathon, wanted to ‘take some ownership of our national drink’ and achieved just that, creating the largest tea estate in Europe.
Tregothnan teas, honeys and preserves are bought online and sent all around the world. However, IT was not keeping up with the innovative outlook of the business, its increased prominence or the demands of customers. The website, shipping systems, stock management and cost handling were all feeling the strain of growing success. Trouble, to use a tea metaphor, was brewing. Says Jonathon, ‘Thousands of our customers are scattered all over the world and each one must feel connected and cherished by Tregothnan.’
A holistic systems upgrade from Aztek, integrating commercial-off-the-shelf e-commerce, production management, marketing and reporting software, transformed operations. Finally, Tregothnan’s IT mirrored its wider forward-looking approach as a pioneer bringing British tea to connoisseurs the world over.
- Integrated e-commerce with systems: configured Shopify, Katana and shipping carriers for seamless data flow.
- Ensured accurate data transfer to new platforms .
- Built Power BI reports for better data analysis and strategic decision-making around sales, stock and production.
- Set up Pipedrive, customising pipelines and training the sales team – leading to increased sales opportunities.
- Automated manual workflows to enhance scalability and efficiency.
- Provided real-time continuous support and troubleshooting to address challenges and maintain operational continuity.
- Seamlessly integrated third-party tools such as Sage 200.
- Provided significant time and cost savings through automation.
- Helped Tregothnan develop and expand new revenue channels.
THE CHALLENGE
Tregothnan's Challenges
How much tea, at what cost, and where? These fundamental questions were not properly answered by the existing IT setup.
The website lacked the seamless experience required for the team and customers. It was hard to update, had limited B2B functionality and didn’t sync product availability or pricing.
Furthermore, the website, tea production operations and other systems and departments weren’t truly integrated, and the team relied on manual processes. This caused duplication of effort, and limited stock management and cost-tracking functionality.
Says Jonathon, ‘Lack of integration meant our weekly sales reports weren’t in real time or accessible to the sales team, and there was no visibility across our systems – they simply didn’t connect. Instead of proper automation, we were relying on endless spreadsheets. If we needed to track web traffic? The answer was, “Let’s have another spreadsheet.” Dispatch was another major issue – our process was so complicated it required multiple employees to manage.’
They needed a modern system that would cope with existing sales demand and provide real-time visibility of stock, pricing and orders. However, as a firm technology champion, Jonathon also realised that IT could be at the heart of fundamental improvement in operational efficiency and an increase in sales.
THE SOLUTION
Solution and Results
At the heart of Aztek’s IT strategy for Tregothnan was the rolling out of several commercial and cost-effective software solutions. This would require comprehensive integration of all the new software solutions for seamless data flow and visibility.
The new software included:
- Shopify: A scalable, user-friendly e-commerce platform with B2B capabilities.
- Katana: Cloud inventory software for real-time cost tracking and stock control.
- Pipedrive: a Sales CRM solution for lead management, email integration and activity track.
- Power BI: For robust reporting, providing dashboards and analytics.
By replacing unconnected, manual processes with this integrated suite of systems, Tregothnan overcame their challenges, ensuring real-time data, automated workflows and seamless B2B capabilities. The solution centralised data and provided the scalability and efficiency needed for growth, improving flexibility to support their expanding operations.
During IT project delivery, Aztek ensured accurate data transfer to new platforms, customised workflows according to Tregothnan’s exact requirements and seamlessly integrated other tools such as Sage 200. This was undertaken in a collaborative environment working closely with Tregothnan’s own IT team, who provided continuous feedback. Systems were tested rigorously before rollout and the team was provided with continuous support to help maintain operational continuity.
- Provided real-time continuous support and troubleshooting to address challenges and maintain operational continuity.
Says Jonathon, ‘They spent a lot of time with us, and their team was incredibly hands-on. Managing stock accurately is always a challenge, especially with small batches of tea and thousands of SKUs. During a critical stock take, the Aztek team worked through the night to ensure a smooth transition.
‘They also handled the change management process sensitively. Not everyone immediately sees the benefits of a new system, and engaging existing in-house teams can be challenging. Aztek ensured the team understood and embraced the changes. Their investment of time and energy – along with their ability to adapt to the unique DNA of our business – made all the difference.’
As a result of Aztek’s work and continued complementary IT support, Tregothnan now enjoys a reliable, modern e-commerce site that handles high traffic and integrates seamlessly with back-end processes.
Says Jonathon, ‘Shopify has transformed how we serve our customers by providing instant access to real-time stock levels, delivery options and order details. It’s all super easy. Customers can also track their orders and receive personalised updates, making the process smooth and efficient.
‘Trade customers, who often place orders late at night while running their tea services, can now reorder instantly without waiting for a response. With VIP account access, they can find everything they need, arrange deliveries seamlessly and manage their stock effortlessly – all without picking up the phone.’
- Integrated e-commerce with systems: configured Shopify, Katana and shipping carriers for seamless data flow.
The customers are clearly enjoying an even better experience, but what about the team? This example from Jonathon reveals how the team across the board can now utilise the power of data.
He says, ‘With my phone, I can instantly check this week’s sales in real time – no more wondering or getting caught out. When I’m out with a customer, I can quickly access the data I need to help them. I can even search by business and immediately see what organisations in Austin, Texas, for example, are buying. Having this kind of real-time, fingertip access is truly best-in-class.
‘We’re audited by SALSA, the food safety certification scheme, and they had never seen such a slick system. For batch control, we are able to track precisely the journey of every tea batch to the customer. If Fortnum & Mason ring up and ask about a chamomile tea, we can tell them it was picked by Tom, processed by Adam and packed by Annie – plus everything about the product, delivery, storage and batching. It’s total traceability, something they love to see in any business.’
- Helped Tregothnan develop and expand new revenue channels.
Promisingly, the new IT systems at Tregothnan have played a crucial role in opening up new opportunities.
Says Jonathon, ‘Retention has gone up massively and customers feel loved. Our new system has also unlocked a much larger export market. We can now deliver anywhere in the USA within just two days. The system seamlessly handles all the necessary paperwork, bringing everything together into a streamlined process. To illustrate the impact, we recently shipped our tea from Cornwall to California in just 50 hours – while another provider’s shipment from two states away got lost in transit. This level of efficiency sets us apart and ensures a reliable, world-class service.’
GET IN TOUCH
Speak to an IT Specialist
Do you have challenges like Tregothnan once had?
Talk to an Aztek IT specialist by calling us on 0330 056 2233, or click the button below to use our contact form.
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