MacroArt in Lift ERP European first install

The Lift ERP software will deliver efficiency and sustainability benefits
The Lift ERP software will deliver efficiency and sustainability benefits

Wide-format printer MacroArt has become the first company in Europe to implement a new ERP platform from Lift Software.

The programme, called Lift ERP, has been implemented over the course of the last 12 months, with development and training carried out by Lift remotely during the coronavirus pandemic.

Now running live at the St Neots-based firm, the platform has been devised to provide automated real-time scheduling, documentation, proofing and client support and MacroArt said it will deliver efficiency and sustainability benefits for the business and its clients.

The software will also give the company’s customers much greater visibility across print and production departments and enables them to place, proof and track orders through an easy-to-use interface, MacroArt said.

“It is not often that new software can have such a wide-ranging and positive effect on a company’s services to its clients, but with the new Lift ERP software and our system developments, we are already seeing order processing speeds increasing by up to 35%, with more improvements to come,” said managing director Michael Green.

The business has invested more than £100,000 in the bespoke paperless system, which is said to remove the need for extended email trails and phone calls through its real-time visibility, reducing waste throughout the production process and maximising efficiencies in both material and energy use.

“By bolstering our efficiency and sustainability credentials, our Lift ERP solution is aiding our company-wide drive to reduce waste; and proving to be a win/win solution,” said Green.

“This investment builds on the focus we have as a business to drive sustainable efficiencies that deliver real value for our customers.

“From instantaneous proofing, project tracking and print approval, to improved delivery times and our web-to-print capability, clients will see the benefits straight away as we futureproof our business and prove the real Art of MacroArt.”

Last year MacroArt secured £3.3m in additional working capital after proving its continued growth following an MBO in 2014.

It had been sold to a team comprising then-managing director James Jennings, then-commercial director Green and sales director Matthew Guise with backing from YFM Equity Partners following the death of founder John Walker in 2013.

In 2018 it added two Durst machines to its portfolio and increased its factory size to 4,088sqm.

The company is aiming for growth during 2021 after securing nearly £1m of new business in 2020, and it took on three new apprentices last month.