Everards
Brewing business transformation with Dynamics 365 Business Central
The Client
Everards Brewery is a fifth-generation, family-run business based in Leicestershire. Founded in 1849 by William Everard, the company remains true to his founding values that ‘‘No effort shall be found wanting in the production and supply of genuine ale of first-rate quality’.
Today, Everards operates over 175 independently tenanted pubs within a 70-mile radius of its brewery, offering award-winning ales such as Tiger Best Bitter, Original Ale and Sunchaser Blonde. With a philosophy of “tradition with ambition”, Everards continues to innovate while honouring its heritage.
Dynamics NAV has increased visibility across the business and it made sense to connect other systems into it, developing a single repository of information. The result has been an improvement in data integrity and process efficiencies across the business.
The Challenge
Everards faced a pivotal moment when its existing accounting system was due for an upgrade. Rather than simply replacing it, the team saw an opportunity to rethink their digital infrastructure. They needed a solution that would integrate seamlessly with their Microsoft estate, make use of their in-house expertise, and support the specific needs of the brewery sector. Crucially, the new system had to be scalable to match Everards’ ambitious growth plans.
The Solution
We worked with Everards to implement Microsoft Dynamics NAV, chosen for its advanced functionality and compatibility with Drink-IT, a beverage industry-specific software solution. This combination offered a tailored fit for Everards’ operations.
Steve Tice, IT Manager at Everards, explains:
“Dynamics NAV was an easy choice once we saw the enhanced functionality it could deliver in conjunction with Drink-IT. The solution also appealed to us because we have good in-house Microsoft skills and use Microsoft SQL databases throughout the business. On the occasions when we don’t know the answer, Node4 (formerly TNP) always do! Their in-depth understanding of integrating the two solutions and their expertise in adapting it to our needs is exactly why we selected to work with them.”
The integrated system now underpins every part of the business from sales and property management to warehouse, distribution, finance and tax. It’s become the central hub for customer contact information and sales orders, streamlining operations and improving data integrity.
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The Results
The impact of the new solution has been transformative. Everards has seen improved visibility across departments, greater process efficiency and a single source of truth for business data.
Steve shared that “Dynamics NAV has increased visibility across the business and it made sense to connect other systems into it, developing a single repository of information. The result has been an improvement in data integrity and process efficiencies across the business.”
In 2015, Everards extended the platform with our nHanced 365 suite which is a workflow and document management tool certified by Microsoft. This included the introduction of nOra (NAV Online Response Assistant), a virtual team member who automates workflows and manages email communications.
Steve remarked, “We went live with the upgrade in October 2015 and the whole process went without a hitch. Node4 (formerly TNP) were on site during the transition and were very proactive throughout the entire process. The solution we have today is seamlessly blended and immensely intuitive, it delivers a great user experience.”
The Property Management team quickly adopted the new system, replacing manual purchase order approvals with full automation via nOra. Reporting also saw a major upgrade with Jet Reports, giving teams clear visibility of budgets and financials.
He added, “The finance team love how easy Jet Reports is to use, it has improved their day to day workload and they are fully self-sufficient on the solution. It has resulted in a significant improvement in the way we produce our reports.”
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The Node4 Difference
We’ve been working with Everards for over four years, delivering a solution that’s not only fit for today but ready for tomorrow. Our team’s expertise in Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Drink-IT integration has helped Everards build a scalable, reliable platform that supports their vision for growth.
Steve concluded, “We moved to TNP from our previous IT partner four years ago and it has proved to be a rewarding decision. The team have delivered an upgraded platform with the functionality to support our needs today and into the future. We have several developments in the pipeline to provide improved services to our customers and in TNP we have a partner with the expertise and experience to deliver our vision.”