How Hillier Nurseries achieved 25% order growth and 60% audit cost reduction with Priority ERP

Operational impact:

The 50% capacity increase is particularly significant for a seasonal business like nurseries and garden centers, where peak periods (spring planting season, for example) can make or break annual performance. The ability to process 5,000 additional order lines daily during these critical periods directly translates to captured revenue that would otherwise be lost.

Additional value beyond direct cost savings

• Audit Quality: Faster audits with better data access typically result in more thorough audits with fewer questions and follow-ups, improving financial control and reducing risk
• Reporting Capability: The “unmatched ease of reporting” that enables faster audits also supports better management decision-making throughout the year

Paperwork elimination: Efficiency through integration

Priority eliminated significant manual processes that consumed time and introduced errors.

Organizational agility: Improved communication and collaboration

Priority transformed Hillier into a more agile organization with improved inter-departmental communications and resource and information sharing across the board.

Operational impact:

The improved agility manifests in multiple ways:

• Inventory management: Garden centers can see inventory at other locations and wholesale nurseries, enabling transfers to meet customer demand without lost sales
• Customer service: Customer service teams can access complete customer history across all touchpoints (retail, wholesale, online), providing better support
• Financial planning: Finance has real-time visibility into all operations for accurate forecasting and decision support
• Purchasing coordination: Centralized visibility enables volume purchasing and optimized inventory across all locations
• Marketing effectiveness: Marketing can analyze performance across all channels and locations to optimize campaigns

These documented savings and revenue increases suggest Priority delivered £4.3M-£7.1M in first-year value.

Competitive positioning

Priority strengthened Hillier's position as the UK's largest nursery of shrubs and trees:

• Operational excellence: Efficient processes support competitive pricing and superior service
• Customer service leadership: Faster response times and accelerated deliveries differentiate Hillier from competitors
• Scalability: Platform supports continued growth across retail and wholesale channels
• Multi-location management: Seamless operation of nearly 20 garden centers with centralized control
• Market responsiveness: Agile organization can adapt quickly to seasonal demands and market changes
• Heritage meets technology: 150+ years of horticultural expertise now supported by modern technology infrastructure

Process transformation

Morgan's reflection captures the comprehensive impact: “Priority gave us the tools we needed all along to streamline our company's processes, and we haven't looked back.”

Key process improvements:

• Purchasing: Automated, coordinated across all locations
• Invoicing: Streamlined, faster, more accurate
• Accounting: Integrated financial management with superior reporting
• HR: Centralized employee management across 20 locations
• Distribution: Optimized logistics and inventory management
• Customer support: Enhanced tools for managing large customer base

Each of these improvements contributed to the overall operational efficiency that enabled 25% order growth and 50% capacity increase.

Long-term partnership value

The decision to partner with Medatech UK and Priority proved strategic for Hillier's long-term success. The system not only solved immediate challenges but positioned Hillier for continued growth:

• Scalability: Platform supports expansion to additional garden centers
• Flexibility: System adapts to changing business models (retail, wholesale, online)
• Reliability: Meets Morgan's requirement for system that “can stand up to the rigors of a full-on operation, every day of the week”
• Innovation: Ongoing Priority development provides access to new capabilities
• Support: Medatech UK partnership ensures continued optimization

Family business modernization

For a 150-year-old family-run business, modernizing technology while maintaining values and culture is challenging. Priority enabled Hillier to:

• Preserve heritage: Maintain family-run character and horticultural expertise
• Embrace technology: Adopt modern business practices and efficiency
• Position for future: Ensure business sustainability for next generation
• Maintain market leadership: Protect position as UK's largest shrub and tree nursery
• Support growth: Provide foundation for continued expansion

Priority ERP transformed Hillier Nurseries from a company constrained by legacy technology into an agile, efficient organization capable of 25% annual growth and 50% capacity expansion. The 60% audit cost reduction and elimination of paperwork delivered immediate bottom-line benefits, while improved inter-departmental communication and information sharing positioned Hillier for sustained competitive advantage. As Sam Morgan confirms: “Priority gave us the tools we needed all along to streamline our company's processes, and we haven't looked back.” For a 150-year-old family business, Priority provided the modern technology foundation needed to maintain market leadership while honoring heritage, proving that even the most established organizations can achieve dramatic transformation when partnered with the right technology and implementation team. The record-breaking 15-week implementation timeline demonstrated that comprehensive ERP transformation doesn't require years of disruption, and the immediate results, from 10,000 to 15,000 daily order lines during peak periods, show that the right system can unlock growth that legacy technology had been suppressing all along.