Irish food producer Keelings' wholly owned subsidiary Keelings Solutions, has signed a cooperation agreement with the Chinese state-owned food company Bright Food Group, to improve and innovate their fresh produce supply chain innovation and standardisation. The deal will see Keelings' software system deployed by Bright Foods.
Keelings began developing a software system in 1988 and have continuously developed and invested in the product since then. The Keelings Solutions division was officially established in 2011 and has offices in Ireland and China. They supply a suite of software and services that provides industry focused solutions in procurement, stock management, warehouse and production planning, as well as sales, quality assurance and food safety.
Bright Food has recently acquired several food companies such as Weetabix and fresh food produce company Shanghai Vegetable Group and is looking for further acquisition opportunities. This deal is therefore vital to enhance their supply chain security. Keelings and Bright Foods will co-operate in the areas of supply chain innovation and information technology. The software will initially be implemented in Bright Food's subsidiary Urban Life. The estimated value of this project is likely to be in excess of €1 million.
Dan Zou, general manager of the China branch of Keelings Solutions said, “By utilising this fresh produce supply chain and information solution, the project will focus on improving existing operation efficiency, standardization of processes and cost optimization for Urban Life.”
Irish minister for enterprise and innovation, Richard Bruton is currently on a trade mission to China and was present when the deal was officially signed.
This success, along with Keelings Solutions growth in Europe, will now see a 50 per cent increase in staff numbers over the coming two years.
