Burnt Tree invest in Kerridge Kestrel system

Shrewsbury-based Burnt Tree Group has installed a new Kerridge computer system to run their business and control their 6,500 vehicle fleet across the company's 16 locations.

The Kerridge Kestrel system, with nearly 100 users, went live at Burnt Tree in November 2002 and includes centralised Accounts, Marketing, Workshops, Contract Hire and Vehicle Rental modules. The system incorporates an advanced information and reporting facility to help the company's management with business planning, development and decision making.

According to Keith Ashworth, Burnt Tree's managing director, this new investment is vital for the long-term growth and development of the business. He commented, "We began looking at new systems early last year and considered all the various options available. The primary objective was to find a system that could grow with the business. We also needed to choose one that was built on a modern technical platform incorporating all the latest facilities and functionality. With these requirements in mind the Kerridge Kestrel system was the only one that gave us what we needed. Kerridge are an experienced, professional organisation with a product that suited our business - a company that we felt comfortable with.

In the few months since going live, we have made excellent progress with the new system. I am pleased to say that all our staff have taken to the new system very well and they find it infinitely better that what they were previously used to."

Pat Murphy, director of the Kerridge fleet division comments: "Burnt Tree's choice of moving their business forward with Kerridge is a further testimony to the capability and scope of our products. We have provided them with a fully integrated multi-user solution, configured to operate across Burnt Tree's multi-site locations. We fully appreciate that implementing a new system represents a considerable undertaking for any enterprise, especially when, as is the case with Burnt Tree, the entire operation is so reliant on IT to trade. Burnt Tree's staff, led by their own IT team, put in a lot of hard work to make the transition as smooth as possible and we are looking forward to a long-term successful business relationship with them."

May 2003