02 May 2025
The Belfast Distillery Company, renowned for its McConnell’s Irish Whisky, has recently integrated the 123Insight ERP system from Forterro into its operations, a strategic move aimed at bolstering business growth and ensuring regulatory compliance.
This initiative comes as the distillery accelerates its activities from the historically significant Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast. As the company navigates a period of significant expansion, the need for a scalable and unified system to streamline key processes and collate data into a single, user-friendly platform has become increasingly apparent.
“As part of our improvement programme, we needed a solution that would promote transparency, collaboration, and efficiency across all departments,” said Joanne Paffey, the Supply Chain Controller at the Belfast Distillery Company.
She highlighted the advantages of 123Insight, particularly its traceability capabilities and its proficiency in managing complex units of measure — functionalities that are essential for businesses operating within the regulated alcoholic beverage sector.
The system contributed to a rapid deployment at the distillery, achieving a transition to the new ERP system within just weeks. This swift implementation was further supported by Forterro’s service network and local reseller QMS Insight, based in Carrickfergus, which provided customized, on-site training for the distillery team. In addition, assistance from Solweb Ltd helped in developing detailed reports to aggregate sensitive business data from multiple sources.
Following the transition, the internal response to the 123Insight system has been overwhelmingly positive. Paffey noted that “the feedback internally has been excellent. Colleagues say I make it look easy, but the truth is it’s the power and efficiency of 123Insight. It simplifies complex tasks, reduces manual effort, and has a massive impact on productivity.”
Tailored for the manufacturing sector, the 123Insight ERP system emphasizes traceability, making it an ideal fit for the highly regulated alcohol production industry. The platform’s centralized nature connects various workflows and automates numerous processes, thereby fostering productivity and supporting commercial expansion.
“The Belfast Distillery Company is readying itself for growth and 123Insight is a system ideally suited to its needs,” said Laurent Delorme, the Line of Business Managing Director at Forterro. “123Insight empowers teams with real-time access to data and features that enhance traceability, making it perfect for regulated industries such as alcoholic drinks distillation.”
