Case Study
From ERP Upgrade to Enterprise Transformation for Prepared Meals Producer
For almost 30 years, Charlie Bigham's has been blazing a trail as the UK's premium provider of prepared meals.
From humble beginnings in Charlie's home kitchen, the company now employs over 600 people across two UK kitchens and produces more than 50 different dishes. Every meal is cooked just as it would be at home: hand-prepared using fresh, high-quality ingredients and distributed through the UK's leading supermarkets.
With annual sales exceeding £130 million, numerous business and food industry awards and Certified B Corporation status, strategic vision and technological advancement have become central to Charlie Bigham's success.
Having used Syspro ERP software for well over a decade, the company was approaching the end of life for Syspro 7.
Charlie Bigham's partnered with Syspro and implementation partner HIT Technology to upgrade to Syspro 8. However, this project became much more than a software upgrade.
Internally known as Project Integr8, the initiative transformed the company's entire digital backbone. Its objectives were to improve security, reliability and system integration, while creating a platform capable of supporting future innovation.
Image courtesy Charlie Bigham’s
Out with the Old, In with the Cloud
"Project Integr8 was about creating a modern, secure platform that could seamlessly connect all areas of the business," said Mike Calverley, head of IT at Charlie Bigham's. "It wasn't just limited to the core ERP software."
The business replaced a network of legacy applications with modern cloud-based solutions:
- Cloud-based EDI for order and invoice processing
- A cloud-based labelling solution
- Modern integration technology using the BPA Platform from Codeless Platforms
Before the upgrade, integrations relied on legacy middleware that was difficult to manage and lacked the flexibility the business required.
Today, the platform enables seamless data flows between Syspro and key business systems, reducing dependence on vulnerable legacy infrastructure while delivering significant operational improvements.
With operations running around the clock and around 50 Syspro users, careful planning was essential to minimize disruption.
A team of superusers was established to represent departments across the business, while HIT Technology worked alongside an internal change manager to complete extensive process mapping and business readiness assessments.
Although the underlying technology changed dramatically, the day-to-day user experience remained largely consistent.
"We focused on keeping interfaces familiar and preserving existing workflows wherever possible, unless there was a strong case for change," said Sarah Elliot, change and program manager at Charlie Bigham's. "That balance between continuity and progress helped ensure a smooth transition."
The transformation also enabled the implementation of Indigo's Warehouse Management System (WMS), allowing the business to modernize warehouse operations from goods receipt through to dispatch.
With supermarket order data, recipe management, labeling and warehousing now integrated, the company has achieved measurable improvements in operational performance and resilience.
"Previously our team spent too much time firefighting," Calverley said. "High-priority IT support issues—often related to how data moved between systems—consumed a disproportionate amount of our resources. Project Integr8 has fundamentally changed how we operate and spend our time."
The user-focused approach extended beyond ERP.
"The new warehouse management system sends instructions directly to handheld scanners," Elliot said. "It tells the staff exactly what to pick, how much to pick and where to find it. That reduces errors, improves efficiency and ultimately saves money."
Operational Gains Through Better Security
The modernization project also delivered major cybersecurity improvements.
"We weren't able to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus certification with our previous infrastructure," Calverley said. "With Syspro 8 in the cloud, we've now achieved certification and secured appropriate cyber insurance. That's a huge reassurance for both the business and our executive team."
Given the increasing cyber threats facing food manufacturers, moving to a secure, compliant ERP platform became a strategic business requirement rather than simply a technology upgrade
The new digital platform has become the foundation for Charlie Bigham's ambitious Information Revolution initiative, focused on collecting, structuring and analyzing data from across the organization using Microsoft Fabric and Power BI Copilot. Transactional and unstructured data are being consolidated into a single environment for real-time reporting and analysis.
With accurate, structured data available, the company can now pursue advanced reporting, forecasting and AI-assisted decision-making.
For a company built around handcrafted meals, automation needed to support—not replace—the qualities that define the brand.
This philosophy guided every aspect of the transformation, from selecting the warehouse management system to designing the Syspro user experience.
"This is about more than technology. It's about giving our people the tools and insights they need to make better decisions,” Calverly said. "From outside the changes may not be obvious. But behind the scenes, Project Integr8 has transformed how we operate. With Syspro 8 at the core, we're safer, more connected and ready for whatever comes next."
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