Making the ‘Jeely Works’ digital

R&W Scott, the famed Carluke ’Jeely Works’, might be 140 years old but, after a recent local management ‘buy out’, it has its eyes firmly fixed on the future.

The jam and cooking chocolate-maker has been given an undisclosed figure from the government’s £36m Digital Growth Fund and will invest the money in improving its digital capabilities through improved systems and staff training which will result in improved efficiency and productivity.

The company’s commercial manager Stephen Currie said: “Bringing enhanced digital technology into the business will have real and immediate benefits.

“In particular, the Digital Development Loan will modernise our order system, reduce the number of internal processes and result in faster order fulfilment and improved customer experience.

“In addition, this investment will see improvements to our financial reporting, the company’s overall digital security and an increase in staff training.”

The business, which started out as a strawberry harvesting firm before moving into jam manufacturing in 1880, employs 90 staff at its Clyde Street base.

The Scottish Government’s Digital Economy Minister Kate Forbes said: “This is a powerful example of the impact that investing in Scotland’s businesses at a grassroots level can have.”