“Making our dishes by hand, prioritising the highest quality, isn’t something we would ever compromise. The right technology stack simply enables us to do so faster and more efficiently.”
— Sarah Elliot, Change and Programme Manager, Charlie Bigham’s
For many food producers, growth can feel like a trade-off between protecting product quality and adopting the technology needed to scale. The pressure intensifies when an ageing
ERP system
holds everything together and your IT team spends more time firefighting than planning for the future.
That was the reality for Charlie Bigham’s, a UK premium pre-prepared meals producer and Certified B-Corp. With annual sales of more than £130 million and over 600 staff hand-preparing 50+ dishes, they needed a stronger digital foundation to support ambitious growth—without losing the craftsmanship behind their brand.
What happens when legacy systems can’t keep pace with growth?
Front-of-house, Charlie Bigham’s stood for hand-crafted quality. Behind the scenes, they were running on layers of legacy systems that created complexity and risk.
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IT was stuck in reactive mode, constantly fixing urgent issues and outages.
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Integration problems consumed time and resources that could have gone into strategic projects.
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Adding new capabilities meant temporary fixes on a fragile foundation.
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Critically, their infrastructure made Cyber Essentials Plus certification impossible, blocking access to appropriate cyber insurance.
For a B-Corp committed to doing business the right way, this wasn’t just an IT headache—it was a serious operational and strategic risk.
How does digital transformation for food producers work without disrupting operations?
The answer was Project Integr8: a business-wide initiative to modernise the entire technology stack. This wasn’t a simple software swap, but a redesign of how systems connect and work together across the business.
At the core was an upgrade to Syspro in the cloud. Around it, they replaced a web of legacy tools with integrated, cloud-based solutions, including middleware, EDI, labelling systems, and warehouse management.
The goal was clear:
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Preserve the day-to-day experience for most users.
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Remove friction and risk behind the scenes.
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Enable the business to move faster, without changing how they create quality products.
The project went live with minimal disruption. The real impact became visible in the months that followed, across three critical areas.
The outcomes from Project Integr8 span these critical areas:
Security and compliance
Charlie Bigham’s achieved Cyber Essentials Plus certification and secured appropriate cyber insurance, moving from vulnerable to protected in an industry facing increasing
cyber threats.
“We weren’t able to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus with the old infrastructure. But with Syspro in the cloud, we’ve now got both certification and appropriate cyber insurance. That’s a massive reassurance for the business and our executive team.”
— Mike Calverley, Head of IT, Charlie Bigham’s
Operational resilience
By replacing outdated infrastructure with a modern cloud platform, the business gained measurable improvements in performance and reliability. Key processes—from order management to recipe handling to warehousing—now run faster and more accurately.
“While our output is considerable in terms of meals produced, the human touch remains central to how we prepare our meals,” explained Sarah Elliot, Change and Programme Manager. “Making our dishes by hand, prioritising the highest quality, isn’t something we would ever compromise. The right technology stack simply enables us to do so faster and more efficiently.”
Foundation for innovation
Perhaps most importantly, the new platform positioned Charlie Bigham’s to adopt future solutions far more easily. The project kick-started their Information Revolution programme, focused on advanced data analysis and forecasting to support better decision-making across the business.
With Syspro at the core, the business can now more easily adopt innovations like:
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Advanced forecasting and demand planning.
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Real-time quality and performance analytics.
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Automated compliance and reporting.
As Mike Calverley puts it, “Project Integr8 gave us the platform to grow, with Syspro at the core. It’s made us safer, more connected, and ready for whatever’s next.”
“While our output is considerable in terms of meals produced, the human touch remains central to how we prepare our meals.”
— Sarah Elliot, Change and Programme Manager, Charlie Bigham’s
What can other food producers learn from this approach?
Charlie Bigham’s story offers a blueprint for mid-sized food producers facing similar challenges:
1. Address security as a strategic priority, not just an IT issue
When outdated infrastructure blocks you from security certifications, you’re failing more than an audit. A single breach could halt production, destroy customer trust, and leave you financially exposed. For food producers and manufacturers managing customer data and complex supply chains, cyber insurance can become unavailable or prohibitively expensive. Treat security certification as operational infrastructure—just as you would production equipment or supply chain logistics.
2. Design transformation around your people and processes
The most successful technology implementations don’t ask your team to work differently—they make existing work easier. Your competitive advantage comes from skilled staff executing proven processes. Forcing dramatic workflow changes introduces unnecessary risk. Technology should remove friction from what already works.
3. Build for what’s next, not just what’s now
Solving immediate pain points like integration headaches or security gaps delivers measurable value. But the bigger opportunity is building a foundation that makes future innovation faster and cheaper. Can your platform support AI-powered demand forecasting when you’re ready? Real-time quality analytics? Automated compliance reporting?
As Mike Calverley reflects, “Project Integr8 gave us the platform to grow, with Syspro at the core. It’s made us safer, more connected, and ready for whatever’s next.” The right infrastructure solves today’s problems while changing the economics of adopting tomorrow’s capabilities.
Ready to see the full story?
The full case study unpacks the challenges Charlie Bigham’s faced, the approach they took, and the measurable impact across security, efficiency, and resilience.
Explore how this premium food producer modernised its digital infrastructure, protected its brand promise, and built a future-ready platform for growth—all while staying true to its commitment to quality and craftsmanship.
Learn more about Syspro-powered food operation transformation in our global case studies and resources.
