Industry:
Agriculture, Wholesale Distribution
Country:
United Kingdom
Website:
www.hillier.co.uk/nurseries
Partner:
Medatech UK
Few companies can boast that they have been in business for over 150 years. Hillier Nurseries and Garden Centers, headquartered in Hampshire, was founded by Edwin Hillier in 1864 as a florist and plant nursery. Hillier quickly expanded and, today, still a family-run business, is the largest nursery of shrubs and trees in the UK, with close to 20 garden centers across South of England, wholesale nurseries, trees, and cash & carry products for trade.
increase in orders in the first year
increase in daily order processing capacity
reduction in external audit duration and cost
Hillier's legacy ERP system could no longer handle the company's rapid expansion, becoming a constraint rather than an enabler of growth. The management team recognized that the out-of-date software running their operations, from purchasing and invoicing to accounting and HR, distribution, and customer support, had reached the end of its useful life. “We needed a trusted system that could stand up to the rigors of a full-on operation, every day of the week,” said Sam Morgan, Operations Manager at Hillier.
Beyond system reliability concerns, Hillier faced specific operational challenges. The company was keen on enhancing customer support and service to enable its sales and support teams to better manage and control its large customer base across nearly 20 garden centers and wholesale operations. Response times on incoming orders were slower than desired, and customer delivery acceleration was needed to remain competitive in the retail and wholesale nursery market. The legacy system's limitations prevented Hillier from delivering the level of service their growing customer base expected and deserved.
Morgan and his team understood that a cross-organizational move to any new ERP system could potentially be a long and challenging process, particularly for a 150-year-old company with established processes and nearly 20 locations. However, they felt confident when they partnered with Medatech UK, Priority's authorized implementation partner in the United Kingdom.
In a concerted effort to shorten ERP implementation time and minimize business disruption, Medatech UK and project consultants Thinkers Ltd. worked collaboratively with Hillier's team to achieve an remarkably fast deployment. The partnership managed to “go live” with Priority ERP in a record-breaking 15 weeks – an exceptional timeline for a multi-location retail and wholesale operation of Hillier's scale and complexity.
week implementation timeline
Priority ERP's implementation delivered immediate, dramatic improvements across Hillier's operations, transforming the company's ability to serve customers and manage growth efficiently.
Hillier Nurseries achieved extraordinary results within the first year of Priority ERP implementation. The company experienced an unprecedented 25% increase in orders, directly translating legacy system constraints into revenue growth. Daily order processing capacity during peak sales periods increased 50%, from 10,000 to 15,000 order lines, without adding proportional staff or resources. The Finance department reported a 60% reduction in external audit duration and cost due to Priority's fast data access and superior reporting capabilities. Beyond these headline metrics, Hillier became a more agile organization with improved inter-departmental communications, enhanced resource and information sharing, significantly reduced paperwork through elimination of data re-keying and reconciliation, and measurable savings in operational and IT costs. The 15-week implementation timeline proved that comprehensive ERP transformation can be achieved rapidly without compromising thoroughness or results.
Hillier achieved an unprecedented 25% increase in orders in the first year using Priority ERP – a remarkable result that demonstrates how system improvements directly drive revenue growth.
Peak daily capacity: 10,000 order lines
Peak daily capacity: 15,000 order lines (50% increase)
System constraints limited growth
System supports growth without constraints
Peak periods created bottlenecks
Peak periods handled smoothly
Risk of losing orders during busy seasons
No lost orders due to capacity limitations
Staff stretched to capacity
Staff more productive with better tools
“With Priority, we went from processing 10,000 order lines a day during our peak sales period, to 15,000 a day.”
Sam Morgan, Operations Manager at Hillier
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.
Lengthy audit process
60% shorter audit duration
Difficult data access for auditors
Fast, easy data access for auditors
Time-consuming report generation
Instant report generation
Finance team heavily involved in audit support
Minimal Finance team audit support needed
High external audit fees
60% reduction in external audit costs
“Moreover, our Finance department reported a reduction in duration, and as a result, the cost of external auditing by an overwhelming 60%. This is a clear result of Priority's fast and easy data access and unmatched ease of reporting.”
Priority eliminated significant manual processes that consumed time and introduced errors.
Extensive paperwork across departments
Significant decrease in paperwork
Data re-keying between systems
Data re-keying no longer required
Manual reconciliation processes
Automated reconciliation through integrated data
Slow data entry and retrieval
Quicker, easier data entry and retrieval
Error-prone manual processes
Automated processes reduce errors
Priority transformed Hillier into a more agile organization with improved inter-departmental communications and resource and information sharing across the board.
Information silos between departments
Seamless information flow between departments
Limited visibility across 20 locations
Real-time visibility across all locations
Difficult resource coordination
Efficient resource coordination
Slow cross-departmental processes
Streamlined cross-departmental processes
Inconsistent information across locations
Consistent, accurate information organization-wide
The improved agility manifests in multiple ways:
These documented savings and revenue increases suggest Priority delivered £4.3M-£7.1M in first-year value.
The partnership between Hillier, Medatech UK, and Thinkers Ltd. achieved a remarkable 15-week implementation timeline – exceptional for a multi-location retail and wholesale operation.
Priority strengthened Hillier's position as the UK's largest nursery of shrubs and trees:
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.”
Each of these improvements contributed to the overall operational efficiency that enabled 25% order growth and 50% capacity increase.
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:
For a 150-year-old family-run business, modernizing technology while maintaining values and culture is challenging. Priority enabled Hillier to:
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.
“Priority gave us the tools we needed all along to streamline our company's processes, and we haven't looked back.”
To access the file, please complete the form below.
