Stonegate Farmers, one of the UK's most recognised food producers and a leader in ethical and sustainable egg production, has selected AI and digital transformation specialist Version 1 to modernise the technology platform underpinning its operations.

The programme is designed to strengthen customer service, accelerate innovation and improve supply chain visibility, operational resilience and decision-making.

Stonegate's transformation, first reported by The Scottish Farmer, will modernise a highly customised Oracle JD Edwards environment while introducing enhanced analytics, reporting, integration and automation capabilities. Stonegate originally implemented JD Edwards' OneWorld ERP suite decades ago to run its financial, distribution and manufacturing operations, making this the latest phase of a long-standing platform relationship rather than a fresh system selection.

Version 1 was selected as Stonegate's strategic partner due to its enterprise technology expertise, UK-based delivery capability, and ability to advise beyond traditional ERP support into cloud, data, analytics and business transformation. The partnership is intended to move Stonegate from a reactive support model to a proactive approach that continually identifies opportunities for improvement and growth.

Will Newell, IT Director at Stonegate Farmers, said: "The strength of any transformation lies not only in the technology but in the partnership behind it. By working together to modernise our technology estate, we're building the resilience and agility needed to support the next stage of Stonegate's growth." Martin McDonagh, Head of Private Sector at Version 1, added: "The most successful producers are no longer viewing technology as back-office infrastructure. They are using it as a strategic asset to improve customer experience, strengthen resilience, unlock new efficiencies and create competitive advantage."

The structural driver is the growing gap between legacy ERP infrastructure and the real-time visibility retailers and regulators now expect, pushing established food producers to modernise core systems rather than replace them outright.

For the sector, this signals that UK food manufacturers are increasingly treating core ERP platforms as strategic assets for competitive differentiation, rather than fixed back-office infrastructure, as pressure builds to do more with less while meeting rising consumer and retailer expectations.

Source: version1.com / thescottishfarmer.co.uk