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.
About Hillier Nurseries
Key results at a glance
25%
increase in orders in the first year
50%
increase in daily order processing capacity
60%
reduction in external audit duration and cost
The challenge
The solution
Key results at a glance
15
week implementation timeline
50%
increase in daily order processing capacity
60%
reduction in external audit duration and cost
The results
Processing capacity: 50% Increase in daily volume
Before Priority
After Priority
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
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.
Audit cost reduction: 60% Decrease in duration and cost
Before Priority
After Priority
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.”
Sam Morgan, Operations Manager at Hillier
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.
Before Priority
After Priority
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
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.
Before Priority
After Priority
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
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.
Record-breaking implementation: 15 Weeks
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.
Implementation success factors
- Experienced partners: Medatech UK's deep Priority expertise combined with Thinkers Ltd.'s project management capabilities
- Focused approach: Concentrated effort to shorten implementation time without compromising thoroughness
- Collaborative process: Strong partnership between implementation team and Hillier staff
- Clear objectives: Well-defined requirements and goals from the outset
Implementation value
- Minimized disruption: 15-week timeline reduced business disruption compared to typical 6-12 month ERP implementations
- Faster ROI: Earlier go-live meant benefits (order growth, efficiency gains) realized sooner
- Lower implementation costs: Shorter timeline typically means lower consulting costs
- Staff productivity: Less time in implementation mode meant staff could focus on business operations
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.
“Priority gave us the tools we needed all along to streamline our company's processes, and we haven't looked back.”
Sam Morgan, Operations Manager at Hillier
