Member Article

Two York Science Park businesses collaborate on food and drink sector software

Two organisations based on York Science Park, have completed a joint project developing a new software tool to help manufacturers in the food and drink sector improve staff performance.

The National Skills Academy for Food & Drink (NSA Food & Drink) and Merisis Technology Ltd. invented the new software which is being piloted by the NSA, with five manufacturers across the UK in preparation for a full roll out and launch later in the summer.

Developed with co-investment from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, through the Employer Investment Fund, the team at NSA Food & Drink first began to scope the project out in April 2012 and worked with an industry Steering Group to develop a framework of what ‘excellent staff performance’ looked like.

The Steering Group identified what makes staff ‘competent’, what makes them ‘excellent’, and what development measures can be introduced to move the performance level up.

In order to make this information accessible and useable by the industry, it was decided to develop a software programme for companies to use as a management tool.

A brief was created and put out to competitive tender and after a rigorous selection process the software development project was awarded to Merisis Technology Ltd.

Justine Fosh, CEO, NSA Food & Drink said: “As well as submitting a very competitive tender, Merisis were able to demonstrate a solid track record of developing successful software tools for clients across a range of sectors.

“They have been fantastic to work with, have shown a very thorough understanding of our needs and have made it very easy for us to communicate our requirements to them.

“They have delivered the ‘Blueprint for Excellence’ software on time and on budget, and being based close to us on York Science Park has been an added bonus. We will certainly work with them again and have already asked them to look at another project for us.”

Darren Magson, account manager, Merisis Technology Ltd. commented: “It has been a great experience to work with the NSA Food & Drink and the feedback so far from the pilots has been very positive.

“I would also like to say thank you to the business development team at York Science Park who initially informed us of the tender opportunity, and who are always very proactive in communicating business opportunities to their residents across the Park.”

Tracey Smith, managing director, York Science Park, said: “The NSA Food & Drink and Merisis collaboration highlights the wide range of opportunities that our residents have for working together to combine their individual skills and expertise. Merisis have been residents here since 2005, NSA Food & Drink joined us in 2012, and new companies are moving onto the Park all the time.

“Each company brings with it new opportunities and networks, which results it the creation of a dynamic environment that breeds success. ‘Blueprint for Excellence’ has already received very positive reviews from its pilot programme and I wish them great success with the national roll out.”

The NSA Food & Drink is based in York Science Park’s The Catalyst building and offers a single source of training for the food and drink sector. It has been based at York Science Park since 2012 and employs 30 staff.

Merisis Technology Ltd. moved to York Science Park in 2005 and is based in the IT Centre. It designs, delivers and creates unique software solutions such as online insurance quotation systems, cargo tracking systems, management dashboard applications and mobile applications.

Its clients have included Budget Insurance (comparethemarket.com), Glenmorangie, Stannah and Serco and IBM.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .